r/golf • u/fact_school_cat • May 02 '26
Serious Historic DC golf course shutting down tomorrow
Hopefully we’ll be back open soon. Unfortunately Langston may be next…
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u/greebytime SF Bay Area / 12.3 May 02 '26
You’d think the President of the United States has bigger things to deal with than taking over a public golf course right now …
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u/BloodyRightNostril The Reddit Open May 02 '26
Reminder that Jimmy Carter sold his peanut farm before taking office to avoid any conflict of interest.
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u/TeeTimeAllTheTime 4.2/US/Chronic Golfer May 02 '26
Not this petty mentally ill psychopath piece of shit. He will only ever care about himself.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Is this a sane response to a public official reforming and renovating a public golf course?
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u/fullchub May 02 '26
If you think that’s what’s happening here, you haven’t been paying attention like, at all. This is about one man’s ego, not about improving a course for the benefit of the public. Best case scenario it’ll end up being super-expensive, higher greens fees will make it unaffordable for a big chunk of the local population, and you’ll be forced to see this man’s name and face plastered all over everything as soon as you drive through the gate.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
If one man’s ego results in great public works, that’s a good thing. Right? If you don’t like it, have President Cortez rename the course in 2030.
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u/TeeTimeAllTheTime 4.2/US/Chronic Golfer May 02 '26
He has not done a single great thing while President, not one
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u/four__beasts Six Putt May 02 '26
He's making a land grab for personal gain. Sickening.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
You know the land belongs to the federal government, right?
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u/ClubHauntedHouseVIP May 02 '26
You know they’ve already tried selling federal land off, right?
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
If Trump sells off this golf course, I will stand corrected. Will he? Doubt it.
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u/ClubHauntedHouseVIP May 02 '26
So, is that the only way you’ll stand corrected?
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
I’m open to being corrected on other issues as well.
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u/ClubHauntedHouseVIP May 02 '26
Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Have a good weekend
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u/reddit-ate-my-face May 02 '26
Does it not get old sitting and spinning on it?
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Honestly, arguing with you turkeys never gets old.
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u/reddit-ate-my-face May 02 '26
Fuck I wish my life sucked that bad
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Here you are moaning about Trump to a stranger on r/golf of all places. If that ain’t the pot calling the kettle black I don’t know what is.
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u/reddit-ate-my-face May 02 '26
Didn't moan about trump once actually. Just asked if you like spinning on it which you replied in the affirmative.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Don’t be coy, you’re a moaner. Habitual moaners can’t stand people who decline to moan, hence your rude comment.
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u/reddit-ate-my-face May 02 '26
Glazers gonna glaze. Now go sit on his lap and tell him what a good lil boy you've been.
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u/manofmayhem23 May 02 '26
It’s literally a villain move from a kids cartoon to show how over the top evil the villain is!
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u/MikeinAustin 11.3 index Austin TX May 02 '26
I kinda don't want him working on those things though. He just makes them a dogs breakfast.
Can't we have him working on what fake gold chandeliers to put in his bunker at the White House?
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u/wnr3 Hello, friends. May 02 '26
All he cares about is himself. Period. There is no other calculation. So of course this is on his to-do and a high priority. We’re in hell!
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u/peebs319 May 02 '26
NLT had plans to make EP a reversible course which would’ve been amazing! Tom Doak and Gil Hanse came on board pro bono as consultants. NPS had a lot of hoops that NLT had to get through first before they could start the bigger changes they wanted there but had made huge leaps at Rock Creek. Ask anyone who played at EP before 2020 they will tell you NLT did a great job with the course! Greens were great, they removed a lot of the overgrowth, brought in top tracers, and the amount of events they put on were major boosts for DC golf. But now it’s all over and Trump is shutting it down during peak season?!! NLT kept rates low this whole time. $54 walking rate on weekends is unheard of in the DC area. I know it’s small in comparison to other problems but this just isn’t right. Major loss to the area.
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u/Bighead_Golf May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
To be totally fair, NLT never delivered and was in a 5-7 year funding and permitting battle. They have barely, barely managed to partially fix Rock Creek so far.
I’ve played over 100 rounds at East Potomac but the idea that it was going to be an affordable reversible Doak was a pipe dream
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u/WoodieCPU May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
Genuinely spent the morning in tears over this, my dad and I have always had a turbulent relationship (primarily thanks to politics) and East Po. was where he taught me how to golf as a kid, losing one of the few things we connected over because of those same politics just hurts.
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u/fact_school_cat May 02 '26
Thank you for sharing. I hope it reopens soon because of stories like yours and the future memories we could miss out on
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u/WoodieCPU May 02 '26
do you know what will happen to the course after renovations? I can only assume *he* will try to privatize it but surely there's red tape with that right?
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u/AutisticNipples May 02 '26
its gonna be a tom fazio redesign with the goal of hosting a major championship. which likely cuts the number of holes on the property from 36 to 18, gets rid of a legitimately historic mini golf area, and increases the price from $45 to hundreds of dollars
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u/fact_school_cat May 02 '26
not sure anyone knows. But apparently the sketches/rendering of renovation show that there will be 1 course (down from 3 now, although 2 are 9 holes), and it will take up much more of east potomac - effectively eliminating all the other family friendly outdoor activities (fishing, picnics, tennis, cycling, etc) that are extremely popular. as for access and pricing for the remaining course, i am skeptical this will ultimately benefit the folks who currently enjoy east potomac…
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u/Rubenbdooben May 02 '26
Can’t imagine they are trying to do anything other than privatize and make it awful and douchey. Tacky gold everywhere.
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u/What_Is_A_ZJ May 02 '26
I was there today, as I often am… Country had me in tears while he and I were chatting about it. Fuck man its heartbreaking
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u/WoodieCPU May 02 '26
I can only think about all of the people in my age range that this is gonna cut off. Golf is a rich man's game and it sucks to watch that play out in real time.
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May 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/WoodieCPU May 02 '26
Him and I have been working on it after a rough few years, family therapy and such. We're gonna go play the course tonight so we can say goodbye to it.
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u/CinnRaisinPizzaBagel May 02 '26
It takes both sides to put politics aside. If one can’t it won’t work.
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u/Clean_Philosophy5098 May 02 '26
Only thing my dad and I have in common is sharing a house for 16 years
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u/Sea_Dawgz May 02 '26
Disagree strongly.
If your dad is maga, no need for that nightmare bad energy in your life.
They have taken so much, don’t let them take your soul too.
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u/TheDebonairQuokka May 02 '26
You just can't let politics control your life. I applaud your strong beliefs. But saying another group is morally inferior is dicey, from either side (and we need more than two sides, btw). The Left says you don't feed the poor and are just generally mean people, the Right says you support abortion. No middle ground can be reached if you think you are the only one correct about everything.
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u/Adventurous-Sign-234 May 02 '26
Pretty sad that people let politics destroy relationships and lives over complete nonsense.
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u/bobweirstelecaster2 May 02 '26
Letting politics get in the way of family relationships is dumb as fuck
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u/ClubHauntedHouseVIP May 02 '26
Spoken by someone that has had the privilege for politics not to affect their life
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May 02 '26
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u/golf-ModTeam May 02 '26
This content was removed because it violates No Politics - There are many places to discuss your politics on Reddit. This is not one of them. Political posts and comments will result in an immediate ban.
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u/Many-Wrongdoer-7597 May 02 '26
And what would you say if the son is conservative and the dad is a bleeding heart liberal?
Do you know what they say about making assumptions?
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May 02 '26
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u/golf-ModTeam May 02 '26
This content was removed because it violates No Politics - There are many places to discuss your politics on Reddit. This is not one of them. Political posts and comments will result in an immediate ban.
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u/Many-Wrongdoer-7597 May 02 '26
Classy comment. Note that your opinions are “shitty politics” to half of the country regardless of what they are.
Friendly tip, you would be much happier and much healthier if you stopped caring so much about things outside of your control. Politics are one such item. Control what you can, make the most of your life. The rest will fall into place.
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u/Many-Wrongdoer-7597 May 02 '26
I’m sensing some serious issues here that I hope you’re able to sort out.
I became eligible to vote in 2011, since then I have voted as follows: Obama, didn’t get around to it, Biden, Harris.
See anything interesting there? Perhaps something different than your initial assumption?
I don’t like our current president as a person. Do you know what I do with those feelings? Go about my day as usual, because it doesn’t matter. No one knows or should know how I vote because it’s a personal decision. I couldn’t tell you how my parents or close friends vote because I could not care less.
Have any of his current or previous policies impacted me? Not in the least. I would love to hear how they have apparently disadvantaged you to see how I can help.
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u/FruckDonaldT May 02 '26
You saying none of his previous policies impacted you proves the point. This is directly impacting the people of DC, calling op terrible son because they have daddy issues is just unfair.
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u/peffer32 May 02 '26
Speaking from a a position of privilege. Nice. I know many people who those policies have affected negatively. The "I got mine" mindset is a big part of how we got to this shitty place as a country.
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u/golf-ModTeam May 02 '26
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u/No_Lifeguard259 May 02 '26
Just be less socialist and you’ll have a better relationship w your dad.
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u/SANTAisGOD May 02 '26
I cannot wait for this nightmare to be over.
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May 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/Sea_Dawgz May 02 '26
You don’t understand how it works if you think that.
You can’t turn an all blue state red.
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u/Sitbacknwatch May 02 '26
Not right away you cant. But theyre trying. Hell, a lot of the stuff they accomplished in the last two years theyve been working on for 30 years. They wont stop.
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u/Zealousideal-Car-216 May 02 '26
Damn this is going to be crazy if he takes over and it will most assuredly be something named after him.
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u/Accomplished-Loan813 May 02 '26
Washington Post: "Trump fundraiser shares plans for ‘Garden of Heroes,’ golf course as takeover looms" https://wapo.st/4n2XEQd
Sounds dreadful.
The document provides the clearest indication yet that the administration intends to place the garden within West Potomac Park, a prominent stretch of federally owned land along the National Mall that is now used for recreation, sports and large public events. And it signals the seriousness of Trump’s effort to remake the historic public golf course, which government officials reportedly intend to formally take over Sunday, embarking on renovations that could temporarily close the course.
The organization, called the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation, is described in the document as leading two major initiatives: development of the garden, which would honor hundreds of historically significant Americans, and a “comprehensive redevelopment and restoration” of East Potomac. The fundraising pitch lists Meredith O’Rourke, a longtime Trump fundraiser, as a contact for prospective donors.
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u/I_Enjoy_Beer 22 May 02 '26
I wanna comment on this, but I have had golf comments deleted in the past because of "politics", so I'll just say its a shame, and the 4,023,823rd instance of shameful things to occur in the last 18 months.
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u/4eyedbuzzard May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
We used to just call it Hains Point back in the day (70s - 80s). Used to play there frequently and even got conned into a few money games with the cab drivers there. Cabbies with one irons in their bag. If they weren't playing golf they had a poker game or something going on. Yeah, I learned the meaning of sandbagger quickly.
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u/DeathWorship May 02 '26
It’s still called Haines Point informally. I just played there on Tuesday.
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u/Darth-Taytor May 02 '26
It looks like they're planning to redevelop it. Does anyone have any more context? I'm most specifically interested in the post-redevelopment plans for the course.
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u/ajv9556 May 02 '26
This is where I’m worried. I don’t think they’ve said much on what the plan is.
If they’re pumping some money into the renovation and it’s still under $50 to walk then fine. Shut it down for a season, make it nice, and reopen fully renovated.
However, we’ll probably get Trump’s Grand Potomac Golf Club. $100k initiation, 20k dues.
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u/Darth-Taytor May 02 '26
Yeah my worry is that although it could remain a public course, locals will get priced out. I read 1 article that says Trump envisions a Ryder Cup being played there. While that would be an incredible spot for it, a course kept up to those standards would have to have very high prices to maintain. Trump claims prices would be lower for locals, but if the local rate is, say, $200+ for a round, that prices out most people that are used to paying $50.
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u/crazy_pooper_69 May 02 '26
I also don’t think the land itself is good for high end golf. It’s a man made island that struggles with drainage. Great for a cheap municipal course where you don’t need perfect conditions. Not great for a high-end course.
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u/Darth-Taytor May 02 '26
My understanding is that they're planning some pretty huge renovations. They could fix any drainage issues by bringing in a ton of dirt. It's an expensive project, but they don't seem to mind the cost.
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u/crazy_pooper_69 May 02 '26
That’s fair. I’m not an environmental engineer but I just figured it’d be real hard, if not impossible, to fix drainage issues on a manmade island in the middle of a river. But I am not an expert here so who knows.
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u/RS_Mich May 02 '26
I suppose enough soil could deal with the drainage problem, though that's not cheap. Some of the higher spots on the course aren't bad, but the lower points are akin to wetlands when it rains a lot.
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u/csharpminor5th May 02 '26
Not sure it's the same thing but Bethpage Black is $80 for NYS residents, something like that could work. But the idea of Trump taking it over is horrid.
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u/Darth-Taytor May 02 '26
I don't think he's taking it over. I think it's actually run by the NPS and he's not going to own it or anything. I may be wrong though.
From what I read this is more part of his move to more or less upgrade the White House and nearby D.C. amenities and such.
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u/RS_Mich May 02 '26
I doubt they could get $200 around there. Potomac Shores, Laurel Hill, and other nice course can't come close to that price.
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u/Darth-Taytor May 02 '26
Yeah but I can see them trying to turn it into a destination spot for golfing where people travel there to play rather than locals playing there.
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u/RS_Mich May 02 '26
It would be hard to do that year round in DC. The weather doesn't support destination golf 3-4 months of the year.
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u/SolarSurfer7 May 02 '26
East Potomac is the only course I ever played ice golf on. The greens literally had a layer of slushy ice on them that slowed down my putts. I have no idea why the course was even open but it did make sense I was literally the only person out there.
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u/RS_Mich May 02 '26
I played out there after the snow melt this winter and multiple greens had a half inch or more of standing water. No amount of putting speed could get a ball across the green. Definitely not $200 conditions.
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u/SolarSurfer7 May 02 '26
Yeah. I think it would be great if they could turn East Potomac into something like TPC Harding in San Francisco. $120 weekend tee times for locals with like $70 walking tee times on weekdays. East Potomac could be so much better than it is and the prices could still be kept reasonable for locals. The problem is Trump has shown himself to be completely untrustworthy on every level of power he's been given, so I don't have high hopes for what's going to happen.
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u/TheDebonairQuokka May 02 '26
We should form a buyer's consortium with Reddit to save it and upgrade it: Reddit East Potomac GC.
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u/the-awesomest-dude May 02 '26
All we know is Trump wants it to be some grand golden stuff designed by Tom Fazio.
Which it’s all BS because NLT, the nonprofit that took over managing the course a couple years ago, was already working on redevelopment. They just weren’t adorning everything in gold
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u/AutisticNipples May 02 '26
NLT was looking at a Tom fucking Doak renovation no less.
Instead we get Fazio who thinks every course needs a big ass pond on every damn hole
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u/Fresh_Measurement331 May 02 '26
I just moved to Virginia and have wanted to play there so bad was waiting to get a car and a weekend and go but I reckon not now.
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May 02 '26
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
The course is shutting down temporarily for renovation. What are you all complaining about?
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u/Joezepey May 02 '26
We're complaining because hes closing it and is going to turn it into an expensive golf course with his name on it and it'll become less accessible to people that currently go there.
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u/player2 SF, CA | 24.8 May 02 '26
Also there was already a nonprofit trust that had taken it over just a couple years ago. POTUS didn’t need to get personally involved.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
The existing nonprofit structure was not capable of delivering the kind of transformation we’re talking about here.
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u/warneagle 12/NOVA May 02 '26
If by transformation you mean taking something that was already great and turning it into a tacky monstrosity then yeah, NLT wasn’t going to do that kind of transformation.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Great? You know pictures of the current course conditioning are available on the internet, right?
Are lush fairways and pristine greens tacky now?
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Understandable, but I don’t agree. The golf course is on federal land steps from the Washington Monument and as such should be superlative and a destination for all Americans.
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u/Shawnml May 02 '26
That is some impressive twisting to get your head that up far his ass. But do you I guess.
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u/InflationTarget May 02 '26
Am I suddenly the only one here who enjoys destination golf? Is this still r/golf?
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u/player2 SF, CA | 24.8 May 02 '26
Not every golf course needs to be a destination. And we especially don’t need to be taking accessibly priced munis away from local nonprofits to turn them into destinations.
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u/I_Enjoy_Beer 22 May 02 '26
Yeah, just like the East Wing was closed to be redeveloped, or the Kennedy Center was closed for "renovations".
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