On this page you will find up-to-date information about current work being done as part of National Links Trust’s rehabilitation of Rock Creek Park. We encourage our community to share this page with those who are interested in our work.

Last month, National Links Trust hosted the Rock Creek Weed Warriors - a specialized volunteer group that removes invasive plants throughout Rock Creek Park including the golf course - for a tour of the Rock Creek Park Golf property as we continue through the initial parts of our adaptive management approach. We showed them the areas which are being addressed through the initial parts of the adaptive management process, shared initial thoughts on the future establishment of critical meadow habitat at the facility, and fielded questions about next steps in the project.

We would like to thank the Weed Warriors for their support, engagement, and continued partnership in creating a brighter, more sustainable future of the property.

The 11th hole at Rock Creek Park Golf has already seen quite the transformation as we have continued the initial parts of our adaptive management approach, removing invasive vines, shrubs, and dead wood in the hole corridor. Prior to this work, the uphill par three was shrouded by a thick layer of invasive vegetation and unhealthy forest crowding the corridor and negatively impacting turf health and playability. With our work, the corridor is already starting to look and function far better. We have opened up air flow and sunlight, which will be key for turf health in the future, and we have laid the groundwork for the hole to better tie into the adjacent landscape in the future.

The right side of the hole is bordered directly by Rock Creek Park and its forest. Before our work, there was a clear distinction between the overgrown, invasive-covered golf course property and the forest in the park. In the future, there will be a healthy transition as we will introduce native grasses, shrubs, and trees on the golf course property, preventing the overgrowth of invasives. Achieving the full vision will be a multi-year process, but we are encouraged by these early results.

Above right is a gallery showing the evolution the hole, and below are video clips showing the results of adaptive management on the right side of the hole.

On December 12, 2024,  National Links Trust has entered a new and exciting phase of the adaptive management process at Rock Creek Park Golf as we have begun carefully removing trees from the property. Tree removal is being undertaken to A) promote improved agronomic conditions (increasing sunlight and airflow on turf while reducing required inputs), B) restore the historic landscape of the property as recommended by the National Park Service in its Cultural Landscape Report, which governs the treatment of landscapes at properties like Rock Creek Park Golf, and C) construct a modern clubhouse and maintenance facility. Tree removal between November 1 and March 31 was approved through a multi-faceted compliance and approval process that culminated with a final determination letter recently issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In this first phase of tree removal as part of the adaptive management process, the vast majority of trees removed will be invasive or pose a higher than acceptable safety risk. A small number of healthy native trees will be removed for improved agronomic conditions or to create space for the construction of a modern clubhouse and maintenance facility. After this work is completed, we will pause tree removal for the spring, summer, and fall growing season to observe the effects of all the work on air circulation, turf quality, and forest health. Our observations over the course of 2025 will then inform next steps of tree removal in the project. As a reminder, using this adaptive management process will minimize the number of trees removed while ensuring the necessary conditions for turf heath and improved playing conditions.

Below, you will find  examples of the conditions of trees on the property and the type of evaluation that each undergoes.

On December 10, 2024, National Links Trust learned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has finished their review of the proposed rehabilitation project at Rock Creek Park Golf. This comes after extensive on-site discussions and analysis of the project and its potential impacts on a number of species including the northern long-eared bat, Hay’s Spring amphipod, and monarch butterfly. We are pleased to report that the following conclusion has been reached by the Service:

“We concur that this project ‘may affect but is not likely to adversely affect’ northern long-eared bat and Hay’s Spring amphipod. We conclude that any adverse effects to the proposed endangered tricolored bat from this project would be temporary and discountable. We conclude that any adverse effects to the candidate monarch butterfly from this project would be temporary and discountable and creation of habitat included in the project will benefit the species.”

In plain language, their report indicates that:

• The project avoids critical habitats, as, for example, bats prefer the main Rock Creek Park forest area over the golf course.

• There is no evidence of habitat for the Hay’s Spring amphipod or milkweed for monarch butterflies in the project area. 

• Light and noise impacts from the project will be minimal.

The full report can be read here.

This report from the Service marks the completion of a key regulatory milestone as we begin the initial phases of our project. Since our inception, National Links Trust has been steadfast in our commitment to long term sustainability and environmental stewardship. We are proud to carry this dedication forward as we continue work at Rock Creek Park Golf. We extend our gratitude to the Service and the National Park Service for their invaluable input and expertise, and we look forward to shaping a sustainable future for the facility.

We will soon enter a new phase of our adaptive management process. Currently, we are in the first steps of the process, removing invasive vines, shrubs, and dead wood from the golf course. During this process, we have also noted that at least 26 trees that were surveyed by National Links Trust and the National Park Service in 2022 have fallen. It is clear that these trees, which were all noted as in poor condition or dead in 2022, succumbed to the extensive invasive vegetation coverage and fell. This demonstrates the importance of our work as we seek to improve the long term health of the entire ecosystem at the facility.

With this report from the USFWS, we will soon begin to carefully remove trees. In the first phase of tree work, the vast majority of trees removed will be invasive or pose a higher than acceptable safety risk. A small number of trees will be removed for improved agronomic conditions or to create space for the construction of a new maintenance facility. After this work is completed, we will pause for the spring, summer, and fall growing season to observe the effects of all the work on air circulation, turf quality, and forest health. Our observations over the course of 2025 will then inform next steps in the project.

We are excited to share a look at the progress at Rock Creek Park Golf as we move through the first steps of the adaptive tree management process. In these first steps, we have removed a substantial amount of invasive vines, shrubs, and dead wood - trees that have fallen due to the extremely deteriorated condition of the forest. In some cases, these trees fell recently, such as the large tulip poplar that fell last month. So far, much of the work has been concentrated on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, and 12th holes.

Removing invasive vines, shrubs, and dead wood has allowed National Links Trust and National Park Service staff to physically access a number of trees and evaluate their health. This is time consuming, but this constant evaluation ensures that only the trees that are absolutely necessary to come down will be removed. Another key part of removing invasive vines, shrubs, and dead wood, is that it allows for active management of invasive vegetation in the future. Our initial strategy to keep invasive vegetation at bay will be to plant native grasses along the forest edge areas (which are more susceptible to invasive encroachment) and mow them periodically. In order to mow, the areas need to be free of the layer of invasive vegetation and dead wood that previously carpeted these areas. 

The content below post shows what the adaptive management approach has produced thus far, including before-and-after views of the course and short video clips that illustrate in more detail the extremely deteriorated condition of several areas on the course and the work effort being led by National Links Trust and National Park Service staff.

4th Hole

5th Hole

6th Hole

10th Hole

11th Hole

12th Hole