In a court filing Friday, the agency said it will remove more than 500 trees "that do not contribute to the historic landscape." Crews will take down 169 starting Saturday, with 90 more slated for later. The park service says no healthy trees that contribute to the historic course, including historic cherry trees, will go.
The Interior Department, which oversees the park service, said Saturday the agency is "finally implementing a 7-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth." It says the work will restore the course's historic character and reopen views toward the Washington Monument, National War College, Potomac River and Washington Channel.
Some residents see it differently. They fear the changes will alter a place that has served Washingtonians of all income levels for more than a century. An upscale course will mean costlier fees and a likely loss of public space. Trump has visited the course with a cabinet member, a well-known golf course architect and blueprints. The project fits his wider vision for Washington, where he has torn down storied structures and remade or renamed others.