Cyclists sped along the circuit at East Potomac Park while the golf course parking lot filled with a mix of luxury SUVs and older, inexpensive economy cars, all set against the backdrop of the Washington Monument. The scene captured what residents describe as the park's greatest strengths: accessibility and affordability in the heart of the nation's capital.

The historic park — particularly its golf course — has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who wants to convert it into a world-class golf venue. Trump, a longtime golf course developer whose family business operates clubs in the United States and abroad, has made the sport a recurring part of his public identity. The plan is part of his broader vision for Washington, D.C., where he has torn down storied structures, remade or renamed others, and deployed the National Guard for more than a year.

But some residents fear that the planned changes to the golf course — which Trump has visited accompanied by a cabinet member, a well-known golf course architect, and blueprints — risk altering the character of a place that has served Washingtonians of every kind for more than a century. They worry that turning the park into an upscale course will mean higher fees and a loss of public space. The courses at East Potomac sit on federal land managed by the National Park Service, which means changes to them run through the Interior Department — the same department whose secretary, Doug Burgum, unveiled the redesign imagery — rather than through city government.

"It takes away the history of the links here as well as deprives people of having a reasonably inexpensive place to play that is readily accessible to everyone," said Joe Foley, who said he was in his 70s and had just finished nine holes of golf for $36, including a cart.

East Potomac Park, including the East Potomac Golf Links, was created by an act of Congress in 1897, which established the park for the "recreation and the pleasure of the people." The course opened in 1919. It is one of the golf facilities on federal parkland in the capital, and the presidential goals cited — the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, and the PGA Championship — are events run by organizations that select host venues years in advance through formal bidding processes, adding a further layer of uncertainty beyond construction itself.

Trump, who has multiple projects underway in Washington — including a $400 million White House ballroom and the soon-to-begin construction of his triumphal arch — began discussing the city's public courses in late 2025.

Two months earlier, debris from the demolished East Wing of the White House was dumped at East Potomac, forming a three-story mound near one of the park's three golf courses, where it remains. The National Park Service has said the debris tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals.

"When completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events," Trump posted on social media in June. He said at the time that work was meant to begin on Sept. 1, but there were no signs of activity on the grounds this week.

An image unveiled in May by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum showed an 18-hole course that he said would deliver "championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates."

A lawsuit challenging the golf course renovation argues that the Trump administration's redevelopment would violate the congressional act that created the park. The government is contesting the plaintiffs' standing to sue. The case is unfolding as courts nationwide weigh how to handle challenges to administration actions, and legal observers have noted that some changes to federal land can be difficult to reverse once made — a dynamic at the center of the plaintiffs' argument.

At the park, people who spoke to The Associated Press noted that in some of Trump's other Washington projects, the administration has moved to make irrevocable changes and act faster than courts can respond.

"The government currently is either playing by a different set of rules or just not playing by any rules at all," said Jason Levitt, 54, finishing an hour of high-speed laps on his bike.

At a court hearing Thursday concerning the park, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes told the government's attorney that she understood the plaintiffs' wariness about changes being made before they received proper approval, although she said she had not seen evidence of that in the golf course case.

The administration has already removed dozens of trees from the park, though it describes that as routine maintenance work.

On a visit this week, the park drew cyclists, retirees, workers on lunch break, and a couple of people who declined to speak to The Associated Press because they were supposed to be at work while they hit the links for an afternoon round. As dark clouds rolled in and patrons rushed to the clubhouse, the demographics were on full display: men and women, Black, Hispanic, and white golfers. They said they visited because of the park's location, cost, and history — and they were aware that the park and its golf courses, as they know them, might be on borrowed time.

Foley, a retired lobbyist, said the region already has many "championship caliber courses" and expressed worry about the president's plans.

"No one knows what he's going to do. Are the incredibly popular bike paths in jeopardy, too? Just look at how many bike riders are coming through Potomac Park and the golf course area at noon on a Wednesday," he said.

Levitt, the cyclist, said he has been coming to the park for 20 years and rides about four times a week. A road that runs the perimeter of the park in one direction offers safe riding away from normal city traffic while still within the city.

"This is seen as a relatively safe place to come and kind of stay out of the way of traffic and everything else," he said. Changes are coming, he added. "Let's just hope that they make changes that are beneficial for everyone rather than just a certain type of golfer."

Washington has long been subject to the whim of the federal government. Congress maintains significant control over the city's affairs, including approving the budget and all laws passed by the D.C. Council. The Home Rule Act of 1973 allows residents to elect a mayor, a council, and neighborhood commissioners.

That autonomy has been squeezed further under Trump, who last year launched a law enforcement surge in the city that briefly federalized the local police force and deployed the National Guard through 2029. His imprint on the city has affected not only iconic landmarks and tourist sites but also places locals frequent, such as East Potomac Park.

Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser said this week that the city could "stand to attract world-class golf." But she told reporters, after an event focused on using sports to draw visitors to the nation's capital, that "we still need public access."

Ryan Bates, 44, said he took up golf as an adult and has been coming to the park weekly for three and a half years. He noted that he holds a membership at a private club but prefers to play at East Potomac, citing its convenient location.

"The most important tenet of it," he said, packing up his clubs after a round, "is that golf should be an approachable game for people that come from all walks of life."

What happens next rests largely on the courts and the Interior Department: whether the lawsuit proceeds past the standing challenge, whether construction begins on the redesigned course, and whether the administration's assurances about affordable rates hold once the project takes shape.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.