The manicured greens of East Potomac Golf Links are currently the most contested real estate in Washington. After an emergency hearing on Monday, a federal judge refused to stop the Trump administration from beginning work on a sweeping redesign of the public course, according to Axios. The plan is to transform the affordable local favorite into a Veblen good of national prestige.

Rebecca Miller, president of the DC Preservation League, told reporters that the closing of such a public space sets a dangerous precedent for the city's recreation. But the administration has grander visions, funneling energy into the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation. The new plan includes a fully redesigned course and a monument space that effectively gates the park for the elite.

It is neoclassical monumentalism at its finest. While the rest of the country deals with payroll defaults and water rationing, the capital is busy building gold-plated shrines to itself. The East Potomac links are no longer for the casual golfer; they are becoming the backdrop for a new era of imperial spectacle. In the Hedonist’s world, a public park is just a wasted opportunity for a private view.