A signed lease, not merely a proposed agreement
On October 28, 2026, nonprofit National Links Trust (NLT) signed a new 50-year lease with the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service (NPS) covering two public golf facilities in Washington, D.C.: Rock Creek Park Golf and Langston Golf Course. NLT announced the finalised agreement on October 29. The distinction matters: the lease has been signed, but the planned rehabilitation work is not yet complete.
Under the arrangement, NLT will manage, operate and rehabilitate both facilities. It says its commitment to affordable golf and public access will continue as the projects move ahead. A long-term operator provides a basis for investment, rather than proof that either redevelopment programme has already opened.
Rock Creek: two overlapping strands of work
At Rock Creek Park Golf, NLT expects to resume major capital improvements in the coming months. One strand will focus on a new clubhouse and driving range; the other will address course rehabilitation and restoration. The work is planned in two overlapping phases, so the facilities and the golf course should not be treated as a single finished project.
Architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner remain attached to the course. NLT says both have agreed to contribute their services pro bono. The organisation projects completion in spring 2028, subject to permits. This is a target, not a confirmed reopening date.
Langston: a historic course with a community role
At Langston Golf Course, NLT is preparing for full-scale rehabilitation in the future, without announcing a firm completion date. The club's significance is not limited to its holes: it is an important part of the city's golf and civil-rights history.
NLT also plans to deepen its Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program. Since 2021, it has offered local high-school students paid internships and junior-caddie roles, alongside routes towards educational opportunities. The organisation's stated aim is to maintain a public community resource, not turn the course into a private members-only facility.
What happens at East Potomac?
East Potomac Golf Links is not part of the new lease. NLT says its role as the course's operator will end on or before November 15, 2026. That change in management must not be confused with confirmation that every proposed construction activity has been authorised, that a closure has already occurred, or that separate court proceedings have ended.
The verified development is a 50-year agreement for Langston and Rock Creek. Permits and actual construction milestones will require their own confirmation.
Primary source: National Links Trust announcement, October 29, 2026.
