East Potomac Golf Links is one of the locations where National Golf Day attendees will participate in a service project on Friday, May 2.Photo courtesy of the National Links Trust
Between the sweet smell of cherry blossoms in the air and a stunning view of the Washington Monument, there are few courses more picturesque than East Potomac Golf Links. One of three golf courses within Washington D.C., East Potomac is home to two nine-hole courses, one 18-hole course, and a miniature golf course that originally opened in 1930 – making it one of the first of its kind.
East Potomac is operated by National Links Trust, a nonprofit with a mission to promote affordable, accessible golf and protect golf course architecture at municipal facilities across the United States. According to Timothy Zurybida, Director of Agronomy for National Links Trust, the three courses at East Potomac Golf Links recorded more than 127,000 rounds of golf in 2024.
“East Potomac Golf Links is a very magical property,” said Zurybida. “With where it’s situated in the city, and the notorious D.C. rush hour traffic, we’re usually busiest at the end of the day. Around 5 p.m., the parking lot is typically without an open spot – as folks prefer to hit a bucket of balls, walk nine holes, or grab a beer by the clubhouse as opposed to sitting in traffic.”
The original, reversible 18-hole course was designed by Walter Travis, a well-known name in golf course architecture. Travis was responsible for designing at least 50 golf courses across the nation, all without having any formal education in landscape architecture. His design for East Potomac Golf Links was inspired by the world-famous Old Course at St. Andrews.
GCSAA staff, Grassroots Ambassadors, and volunteers are headed to Washington for National Golf Day April 30-May 2. National Golf Day is the premier advocacy event of the year for coalition representatives and the golf industry. A large group will be on-site at East Potomac for the annual Community Service Project May 2, aimed at beautifying the grounds and supporting ongoing maintenance of the course.
“The community service project will aerify tees and approaches on the par 3 Red Course. This type of operation has not been done in decades, to my knowledge,” said Zurybida. “We also will be fixing cart paths on the course by adding stone to low spots that are prone to flooding and organizing a trash pick-up around the perimeter of the property.”
The National Links Trust offers caddie programs and internships aimed at high school students to help them learn core golf knowledge and gain real-life world experience in golf course maintenance. They also frequently partner with local organizations to do regular invasive plant removal and trash clean ups.
“Community outreach is a key component of the mindset of National Links Trust,” said Zurybida. “We are very appreciative to have the volunteers here to help us provide better conditions for our patrons.”
At the same time, a second Community Service Project will take place at Old Soldiers’ Home Golf Course, a volunteer-run nine-hole golf course adjacent to the Armed Forces Retirement Home four miles north of the National Mall. Roughly 100 National Golf Day volunteers will plant 25 trees, perform work on existing trees, clear out a maintenance shed and perform aerification and topdressing.
Leah Hallstrom is GCSAA's senior manager of marketing