What DC loses if it loses a major park to Trump’s golf dream

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President Donald Trump’s plans to tear up East Potomac Golf Links and the surrounding park are far more than just the latest obsession of a chief executive looking to put his mark on the nation’s capital.

His proposed makeover of the municipal course into a championship-level course threatens an understanding between the federal government and the residents of the Washington , DC, area that has held for generations and could have massive implications for all Americans.

In a moment when the average American is often priced out of awe-inspiring sights and experiences, DC, is supposed to be a rare exception. The capital city’s grand monuments, world-class museums and scores of parks have always been accessible, allowing them to be completely integrated into the lives of Washingtonians.

It’s the people’s city. It belongs to every American.

East Potomac Golf Links reflected that ethos. Even at a time when golf is exploding in popularity, and greens fees are rising at the same rate, getting in a round at East Potomac is an inclusive experience. Tee times go for less than $50 for a weekend 18-hole round if you’re walking; tack on another $18 if you want to take a cart.

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That affordability has made the course a haven for golfers across the capital region. From total beginners to low handicappers who play every weekend, the course has been open and welcoming to all – even if that made for some five-hour rounds.

It may not be the greatest course, but even if there were some tee boxes that needed to be rebuilt, some bunkers that needed weeding, some patches of fairway that had more dirt than grass, it was still worth the money.

You could aim your tee shot toward Washington Monument, an unreachable target that soars over the course like a beacon. A stroll down the fairway in the fall would show off the incredible foliage across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. In the spring, the blooming cherry trees that line the course’s exterior would take your breath away.

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The course also provided that rarest of things in Washington: Spending a few hours with strangers who’d become friends over the course of a round when you completed their foursome, and never once being asked what you did for work.

Of course, those hacking it up on the course are only half the story.

While the links might be the soul of East Potomac Park, the heart – quite literally – is Ohio Drive SW – the road that starts up at the south side of the Tidal Basin, heads around Hains Point at the island’s tip, and comes back around near the Jefferson Memorial.

When my wife and I lived in southwest DC, this road was a key part of our lives. As runners, the Hains Point loop was a staple of every long run, a place in the district where we could settle into a rhythm and enjoy more than three miles of uninterrupted road.

It’s a key part of nearly every running race held in Washington, including signature events like the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run in the spring and the Marine Corps Marathon in the fall. These races haven’t changed their routes in major ways in decades, and the long stretch to Hains Point and back is a core part of their identities.

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While various versions of Trump’s plans for East Potomac Park have become public in recent months, the latest ones posted by the president on Sunday don’t appear to show Ohio Drive. In fact, they don’t appear to show anything other than a golf course, eliminating the public open space at Hains Point where families get together for cookouts, parties or just letting their kids run around with the expanse of the Potomac as their backdrop.

It would be a major blow to the district’s running, walking and cycling communities, all of whom use Ohio Drive as a gathering point to work out away from the crowds that usually gather on the National Mall. And it would take away yet another affordable spot for families to take their kids in the DC area where they can stretch their legs and play (not exactly the kind of activity readily made for a Smithsonian).

The entire episode should serve as a warning sign to those who love this country’s wonderful public spaces, i ncluding the national parks that have been called “America’s best idea.”

With the seeming disregard for the laws and regulations laid out to govern these special places, let alone the court processes meant to examine the legality of what’s happening at East Potomac, what’s to stop Trump or other presidents from similarly changing other precious parks into expensive retreats for the rich?

The issue at play right now may be Trump’s quest to add a golf course to his list of lasting marks on the capital. But the precedent it sets is worrisome.

Trump’s stated aim is to build a course that could host major tournaments like the US Open, Ryder Cup and others. In his post on Sunday, he said it would remain open to the public.

In theory, that sounds great. A championship-level course available to the everyman and everywoman golfer would be an incredible boon to the district’s golf scene.

But reality can be a tough tonic to those theories.

There are other iconic public golf courses around the country at the level Trump is envisioning – Pebble Beach Golf Links in Northern California, Torrey Pines in San Diego, Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. And to play any of them is going to cost hundreds of dollars.

It costs nearly $700 to play a round at Pebble Beach or The Ocean Course. For non-San Diego residents, it costs more than $250 to play Torrey Pines. It’s more than $700 to play the top course at Whistling Straits. Pinehurst No. 2 might be a public course, but you must book a stay at the course’s resort for at least two nights to be able to get the right to pay hundreds of dollars for a tee time.

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If that’s the level Trump wants for East Potomac, then that essentially prices out many the area’s golfers. Instead, it becomes a destination course for rich people, a fancy bag tag to show off back at the usual home course after an expensive golf trip.

While the Kennedy Center’s future has been the subject of handwringing among DC’s cultural elite, the death of East Potomac Park would be a bigger loss to greater Washington – turning a bustling public space – for golfers, runners, cyclists, walkers and families alike – into yet another playground for the wealthy.

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唐纳德·特朗普总统拆除东波托马克高尔夫球场及其周边公园的计划，远不止是一位首席执行官想要在国家首都留下自己印记的最新执念。

他提议将市政球场改造成锦标赛级别的球场，这威胁到联邦政府与华盛顿特区居民之间维持了几代人的默契，并可能对所有美国人产生巨大影响。

在如今普通美国民众往往因高昂的物价而无缘欣赏令人叹为观止的景点和体验之际，华盛顿特区却被认为是一个罕见的例外。这座首都城市的宏伟纪念碑、世界一流的博物馆和众多公园一直以来都对公众开放，使它们能够完全融入华盛顿居民的生活中。

这是人民的城市，它属于每一位美国人。

东波托马克高尔夫球场体现了这种理念。即使在如今高尔夫运动蓬勃发展、果岭费也随之水涨船高的时代，在东波托马克打一场球仍然是一种包容性很强的体验。周末步行打18洞，开球时间不到50美元；如果想乘坐球车，则需另加18美元。

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亲民的价格使这座球场成为首都地区高尔夫球手的天堂。从完全的初学者到每个周末都来打球的低差点球手，球场都对所有人开放且热情欢迎——即使这意味着有些球局要打五个小时。

虽然它可能不是最好的球场，但即使有些发球台需要重建，有些沙坑需要除草，有些球道上泥土比草多，它仍然物有所值。

你可以将开球瞄准华盛顿纪念碑，这座高耸于球场之上、如同灯塔般遥不可及的目标。秋季漫步球道，可以欣赏到波托马克河对岸弗吉尼亚州北部令人叹为观止的秋色。春季，球场四周盛开的樱花树定会让你屏息凝神。

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这条球场还提供了华盛顿最难得的体验：与陌生人一起打几个小时球，在与他们的四人组打球的过程中成为朋友，而且从来不会有人问你做什么工作。

当然，那些在球场上大放异彩的人只是故事的一半。

虽然高尔夫球场可能是东波托马克公园的灵魂，但它的心脏——毫不夸张地说——是俄亥俄西南大道——这条路从潮汐盆地的南侧开始，绕过岛屿尖端的海恩斯角，然后绕回杰斐逊纪念堂附近。

我和妻子住在华盛顿特区西南部时，这条路是我们生活中不可或缺的一部分。作为跑步爱好者，海恩斯角环线是我们每次长跑的必经之路，在这个区域里，我们可以找到自己的节奏，享受超过三英里不间断的跑步乐趣。

它几乎是华盛顿州所有跑步比赛的关键组成部分，包括春季的信用社樱花十英里跑和秋季的海军陆战队马拉松等标志性赛事。这些比赛的路线几十年来都没有发生过重大变化，往返海恩斯角的漫长路程已成为其核心特色。

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近几个月来，特朗普关于东波托马克公园的各种规划方案陆续公布，但总统周日发布的最新方案似乎并未包含俄亥俄大道。事实上，方案中除了高尔夫球场外，似乎没有其他内容，这意味着海恩斯角（Hains Point）的公共开放空间将被取消。海恩斯角是家庭聚会、举办派对或让孩子们在波托马克河的壮丽景色中尽情奔跑玩耍的地方。

这将对该地区的跑步、步行和骑行爱好者造成重大打击，他们都把俄亥俄大道作为锻炼的聚集地，避开通常聚集在国家广场的人群。这也将使华盛顿特区又一个适合家庭带孩子去活动筋骨、玩耍的场所消失（这可不是史密森尼博物馆适合的活动）。

整个事件应该给那些热爱这个国家美好公共空间的人们敲响警钟，其中包括被誉为“美国最伟大的创意”的国家公园。

鉴于特朗普似乎无视管理这些特殊场所的法律法规，更不用说旨在审查东波托马克事件合法性的法庭程序了，有什么能阻止特朗普或其他总统将其他珍贵的公园也变成富人的昂贵度假胜地呢？

眼下最引人关注的问题或许是特朗普试图在首都留下更多“永久印记”，比如建造一座高尔夫球场。但这开创的先例令人担忧。

特朗普明确表示，他的目标是建造一座能够举办美国公开赛、莱德杯等重大赛事的球场。他在周日的帖子中表示，该球场将对公众开放。

理论上来说，这听起来很棒。一个面向所有高尔夫球手开放的锦标赛级球场，对该地区的高尔夫运动来说将是一大福音。

但现实往往会给这些理论带来沉重打击。

全国各地还有其他一些标志性的公共高尔夫球场，其水准与特朗普设想的相符——例如北加州的圆石滩高尔夫球场、圣地亚哥的托里松高尔夫球场、威斯康星州的呼啸峡高尔夫球场、北卡罗来纳州的松林2号高尔夫球场以及南卡罗来纳州基亚瓦岛的海洋球场。在这些球场打球，无论选择哪一个，都需要花费数百美元。

在圆石滩或海洋球场打一轮球要花费近700美元。对于非圣地亚哥居民来说，在托里松林球场打一轮球也要花费250美元以上。在呼啸峡球场打一轮顶级球场则要花费700美元以上。松林2号球场虽然是公共球场，但你必须在球场度假村预订至少两晚的住宿，才有资格支付数百美元的开球时间。

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如果特朗普希望东波托马克的高尔夫球场达到这个水平，那么该地区的许多高尔夫球手基本上都会被拒之门外。相反，它将变成富人的专属球场，成为他们在昂贵的高尔夫之旅后，回到自己常去的球场炫耀的精美行李牌。

尽管肯尼迪中心的未来一直是华盛顿特区文化精英们忧心忡忡的话题，但东波托马克公园的消亡对大华盛顿地区来说将是更大的损失——它将把一个熙熙攘攘的公共空间——高尔夫球手、跑步者、骑自行车者、散步者和家庭——变成富人的又一个游乐场。