Donald Trump and his love of golf has never been a secret. From the moment he returned to the White House, the fairways have once again become a familiar backdrop to his presidency. But as 2025 unfolded, so did the mounting estimates of what those outings may have cost taxpayers, and the numbers are drawing renewed scrutiny.
Reports suggest that the president spent more than $71 million on golf-related travel and security during the year. That figure, described as conservative by some observers, is significantly lower than the tally maintained by DidTrumpGolfToday.com. The website, which has tracked Trump’s golf trips since his return to office, places the total cost to taxpayers at a striking $110,600,000 in the first year of his second term alone. The discrepancy between estimates has fueled debate, but even the lower figure underscores the scale of presidential travel expenses associated with the sport.
The Price Tag Behind the Presidency’s Tee Times
Presidential travel is never cheap. Security details, aircraft operations, motorcades, and logistical coordination combine to create high costs whenever a sitting president leaves the White House. In Trump’s case, frequent visits to golf properties, many of them bearing his name, have amplified attention on how often and how expensively those trips occur.
Supporters argue that presidents are entitled to downtime and that travel costs are an unavoidable reality of modern executive security. Critics counter that the frequency of golf outings, paired with the high-end destinations often selected, warrants closer public scrutiny. The debate is less about the sport itself and more about optics, transparency, and priorities at a time when federal spending remains a flashpoint issue.
A Legal Fight Over D.C.’s Historic Fairways
The controversy has now shifted from travel budgets to local turf in Washington, D.C. Trump has signaled plans to take over and redevelop two public golf courses in the nation’s capital, including the historic East Potomac Golf Links. The proposal envisions transforming the aging course into what Trump has described as a “beautiful, world-class, U.S. Open-caliber course.”
Two individuals identified as frequent patrons of East Potomac Golf Links, Robers and Dickson, have partnered with The DC Preservation League to file a lawsuit to stop the overhaul. According to reports, the suit seeks to halt the project, vacate federal approvals, and block any reassignment or termination of the existing lease until a comprehensive review is conducted.
The legal challenge alleges possible violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. These federal laws are designed to ensure that projects involving public land undergo environmental review, protect historically significant sites, and adhere to established administrative procedures. By invoking these statutes, the plaintiffs frame the dispute as one rooted in preservation and due process rather than politics alone.
Trump Pushes Back With Vision of “Glamour and Prestige”
The administration has responded firmly. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended the president’s record, stating that Trump has “built some of the greatest golf courses in the world” and is now applying his “unmatched design skills and excellent eye for detail” to Washington’s public courses.
Rogers described the existing properties as “decrepit” and argued that redevelopment would restore “glamour and prestige” to the capital’s golfing scene. The vision presented is one of transformation, elevating municipal fairways into destinations capable of hosting elite competition.
As the lawsuit proceeds, the clash goes beyond a dispute over landscaping and design. It reflects broader tensions surrounding executive power, taxpayer spending, historic preservation, and the stewardship of public land. Whether the courts allow the project to advance or press pause, the battle over these fairways has become a high-profile test of how ambition, law, and public accountability intersect in the nation’s capital.
