‘I’m Very Good at Grass’: Trump Brings Golf-Course Aesthetics to Washington/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump has discussed grass at least 45 times publicly during the first 18 months of his second term, far exceeding his first-term mentions. His interest reflects decades in real estate, ownership of golf courses and an extensive campaign to reshape the White House and Washington’s public spaces. Even as construction removes large sections of lawn, Trump has personally selected a custom grass blend for restoring the White House grounds.
Quick Look
- Trump has mentioned grass at least 45 public events or interviews in 18 months.
- That amounts to approximately one mention every 12 days.
- The count does not include his many social media posts about grass.
- Trump mentioned grass only 26 times during his entire first term.
- He links his knowledge to owning multiple golf courses.
- Trump discussed White House grass with an expert for about 30 minutes.
- He installed a stone patio over grass near the Rose Garden.
- A UFC event damaged large areas of the South Lawn.
- Construction of a helicopter landing pad removed additional turf.
- Trump says the new Marine One helicopters tear grass from the ground.
- Scotts Miracle-Gro donated $1 million toward lawn restoration.
- Trump selected a blend of four tall fescues and four Kentucky bluegrasses.
- Crews have begun replacing grass outside the helipad construction zone.
- The custom seed mixture is expected to be planted next spring.
- Trump wants Washington parks to resemble Augusta National.
- He says Trump National Golf Club would be an even better model.
Deep Look
Trump Frequently Returns to Grass
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has repeatedly discussed grass since returning to the White House, sometimes devoting more attention to lawns than to the Iran war, the economy or the midterm elections.
The subject emerged only five weeks after his second inauguration during an interview with The Spectator.
Trump pointed through an Oval Office window and asked, “You see the grass outside, right?”
He then explained plans to replace much of the lawn with pavement.
“Some people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you can’t.”
President Says Grass Has a Life
Trump continued returning to the topic throughout the following months.
At a White House event with military spouses Monday, he offered a more philosophical assessment.
“Grass is like humans. It has a life.”
The statement was one of at least 45 public references to grass during the first 18 months of Trump’s second term.
That amounts to an average of at least one mention every 12 days and does not include numerous social media posts.
Second-Term Mentions Surpass First Term
Trump has already discussed grass far more frequently than during his first administration.
He mentioned it 26 times publicly throughout his entire first four-year term.
The sharp increase coincides with his expanding efforts to renovate the White House grounds, transform Washington landmarks and make federal spaces reflect his preferred visual style.
Interest Reflects Real Estate Background
Trump’s fascination with lawns reflects his decades as a New York real estate developer.
He has long enjoyed overseeing buildings, landscaping and construction projects.
His interest also reflects the extensive time he spends on golf courses, where turf quality affects both appearance and play.
Trump Connects Expertise to Golf Courses
The White House did not respond to questions about Trump’s interest in grass.
However, the president has repeatedly explained the source of his knowledge.
“I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses,” he said while announcing the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors last August. “And, if you don’t have good grass, you’re not in business very long.”
A week later, during a visit with U.S. Park Police officers in Washington, he made a more expansive claim.
“I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world.”
Turf Expert Meets Trump in Oval Office
Matt Koch, a lawn research fellow at Scotts Miracle-Gro, recently met Trump to discuss replacing grass on the White House South Lawn.
Koch describes himself as a “grass nerd” and concluded that the president deserved honorary membership in that category.
“An amazing dialogue, talking grass for half an hour,” Koch said of the Oval Office discussion. “Going back and forth about grass.”
Grass Appears in Unrelated Events
Trump has raised the topic during events with little apparent connection to landscaping.
He discussed grass while signing an executive order involving TikTok and during the White House’s 2025 Diwali celebration.
He also mentioned it while pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys, addressing the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and signing a directive on quantum technology.
Trump Promises to ‘Re-Grass’ Washington
During a dinner for Republican lawmakers last September, Trump promised to improve green spaces around the capital.
“We’re gonna re-grass them with the best guys in the country.”
Later that month, while announcing plans to rename the Department of Defense, the president assured the audience, “I’m very good at grass.”
Beautification Campaign Drives Interest
Trump most often raises the topic while promoting his effort to transform Washington.
During a May Cabinet meeting, he spent approximately 10 minutes describing plans to repair fountains and renovate parks and monuments.
The extended discussion resembled the concerns of a municipal leader directly overseeing landscaping and public works projects.
Trump Removes Grass for Construction
The president often discusses the value of grass while defending decisions that eliminate it.
He replaced the lawn beside the White House Rose Garden with a stone patio.
Trump said the grassy area became difficult to use for events.
“Problem with the grass, you couldn’t do anything with it,” he said during a 2025 Oval Office tour for hosts of the “All-In” podcast.
Trump Says Heels Sank Into Lawn
Trump frequently recounts complaints from women whose high-heeled shoes became stuck in mud around the Rose Garden.
He has said journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials raised the issue.
“The women would be lifting up their shoes, saying, ‘You’ve destroyed my shoes,’” he said during a luncheon last fall.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House in July, he said women wearing heels “would go down like quicksand.”
UFC Event Damages South Lawn
A UFC octagon installed to mark Trump’s 80th birthday in June damaged large portions of the South Lawn.
After the event, broad areas of turf were reduced to dry, exposed soil.
The damage created the need for a substantial restoration effort involving the White House, National Park Service and private support.
Helipad Removes More Turf
Crews later began building an expansive helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn.
That project removed additional grass.
Trump said the structure was necessary because the more powerful helicopters in the new Marine One fleet damaged the existing turf whenever they landed.
Trump Describes Marine One Damage
Trump said the helicopters did more than temporarily change the lawn’s color.
“When you land on the grass, it’s not that the grass gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” he said in June.
He described pieces of turf flying “all over.”
“Half of the grass was sitting in front of the Oval Office front door.”
Company Donates $1M for Restoration
Scotts Miracle-Gro provided $1 million in money and products to the National Park Service.
The donation was intended to help restore the South Lawn following the UFC event.
James Hagedorn, the company’s former chief executive, is a Trump supporter.
Trump Selects Custom Grass Blend
During his June meeting with Koch, Trump chose a custom turfgrass mixture.
The blend contains four varieties of tall fescue and four types of Kentucky bluegrass.
Koch showed the president sample sections resembling carpet swatches so he could compare each grass variety.
Trump reportedly asked detailed questions before making his selection.
Expert Says Trump Knows Turf
Koch said Trump’s familiarity with golf courses was evident during their conversation.
“You can tell he spends a lot of time on golf courses,” Koch said. “He obviously owns courses, and he knows grass from being around it.”
The expert returned to the White House last week as crews began replacing turf in areas outside the helipad construction zone.
New Grass Planned for Spring
The White House plans to plant seeds from Trump’s selected blend next spring.
Growing conditions should be better at that time.
The helipad is also expected to be completed, making it easier for crews to restore the surrounding lawn without further construction damage.
Golf Helps Explain Trump’s Fixation
Trump’s passion for golf is another major factor behind his interest in grass.
Bert McCarty, a Clemson University professor of turfgrass science and management, said golfers often pay close attention to playing surfaces and course design.
Top courses provide different challenges depending on whether they use coastal scenery, mountain slopes or other natural features.
Trump Resembles Other Golfers
McCarty said Trump’s attention to golf-course conditions was not unusual among dedicated players.
Trump is “like most golfers. He likes the challenge of the course and the differences of the course to add variety.”
A course’s turf affects the speed and direction of the ball, the difficulty of individual holes and the overall visual experience.
Trump Wants Washington to Resemble Augusta
Last August, Trump said Washington’s parks would “look like Augusta” after his administration completed its improvements.
Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, is known for carefully maintained fairways, landscaping and flowers.
Its organizers place so much emphasis on appearance that merchandise bags and food wrappers are green, helping any litter blend into the grass during television broadcasts.
Augusta Appearance Comes at High Cost
McCarty said many visitors see Augusta’s flowers and striped fairways as an ideal landscape.
Most people “look at the beautiful flowers and the striped-up fairways, and they just think it’s heaven.”
But creating and maintaining that appearance requires extensive resources.
“Augusta basically spares no expense to achieve the look they’re after,” he added.
Municipal governments “can’t compete with that.”
Trump Says His Course Is Better
The cost of achieving golf-course-level landscaping across Washington could be substantial.
Trump nevertheless suggested that Augusta was not his ultimate standard.
He instead pointed to Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia.
“It’ll look like, more importantly, Trump National Golf Club,” he said. “That’s even better.”
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