Updated

Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 9

Trump Accuses Moore of Blocking 2 Andrews Golf Courses as Maryland Says No Permits Were Filed

Updated

Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 9

Trump Accuses Moore of Blocking 2 Andrews Golf Courses as Maryland Says No Permits Were Filed

Q: With costs undisclosed, who is footing the bill for the elite golf course renovation?

It is not publicly known who is paying for the Joint Base Andrews golf course renovation. The clearest public record is a federal environmental filing stating that financing, timeline and the full project scope remain undisclosed, and that no public cost estimate or confirmed funding source has been released. Base officials have reportedly referred questions to the White House, which has promoted the project but has not identified who will cover the expense. What is known is how military golf courses are usually funded. Courses on Defense Department installations generally fall under the Morale, Welfare and Recreation program as Category C activities, which are expected to be largely self-sustaining. They typically operate with non-appropriated funds generated by user fees, memberships, pro shop sales and food and beverage revenue. Federal law generally bars the use of regular appropriated taxpayer funds to equip, operate or maintain DoD golf courses. That does not answer who is paying for this renovation. A major redesign by Jack Nicklaus, plus expansion plans including an ADA-accessible short course, could exceed what a base course normally finances from operating revenue, but no public documents yet show whether the money would come from existing MWR reserves, future course revenue, private donations, outside partners or another mechanism. So the short answer is that the bill remains undisclosed, and any claim beyond that would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 9

Friday night, Trump said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had “put a halt to all work” on plans to redesign and expand two golf courses at Joint Base Andrews with Jack Nicklaus.
Maryland officials disputed that account, saying they met Air Force officials hours earlier, had been working on permits for two weeks, and had not ordered any stop to the project.
June 15 is the Air Force’s target to start construction, but state officials called that timeline ambitious because no permit applications have been filed and the service has instead sought waivers and exemptions.
July 2027 and July 2028 are the Air Force’s stated deadlines for renovating the North and South courses, part of Trump’s broader push to fast-track projects before his term ends in January 2029.
The clash extends Trump’s running feud with Moore, a Democratic governor seen as a possible 2028 contender, after earlier fights over National Guard deployments, a governors’ event and a Potomac sewage spill.