National Links Trust

National Links Trust (nlt) operates three municipal golf courses in Washington, dc east potomac golf Links, langston golf course and rock creek park golf. These properties generate revenue through regular golf course operations; however, as part of the organization's mission to provide accessible, affordable golf to local communities, the rates are well below market value. To better serve the community of golfers in Washington, dc, nlt invested in course improvement projects including:a. Continued improvement of course conditions through improved agronomic practices.b. Expansion of greens and fairways at langston golf course to make the course more playable for novice golfers and more engaging for advanced golfers while returning portions of the course to their historic intents.c. Significant planning, consultation, design, and refinement of future plans for large-scale capital improvement projects at the three courses to transform them into true community assets that benefit both golfers and non-golfers in the community.d. Extensive planning and review for the renovation and restoration of east potomac golf Links' historic miniature golf course.the jack vardaman workforce development program was conducted at langston golf course where thirty adolescents and young adults were taught valuable job and life skills while earning an income and building eligibility for college scholarship. To improve program operations, nlt renovated the 'langston community classroom' to provide a dedicated headquarters for the program equipped with high-speed internet access. Through participating in the program in 2022 and 2023, one vardaman intern earned a full college housing and tuition grant.through strategic partnerships, dedicated maintenance practices, and a growing community of volunteers, nlt continued its commitment to long-term environmental sustainability at the three courses. In 2023, nlt organized over 50 volunteer events, resulting in more than 650 volunteer hours across our three facilities. These events were conducted both independently and in partnership with organizations such as the rock creek conservancy and the anacostia watershed society. Volunteer projects included habitat restoration, trash collection, wild rice planting, and freshwater mussel release. Over three acres of invasive vegetation were removed to restore native habitats at the golf courses. Volunteers collected 185 bags of trash and cleared over 50 pounds of bulk waste from the courses and surrounding environmentally-sensitive areas, including the banks of kingman lake and the anacostia river near langston golf course.