It was not par for the course. Word started to spread when golfers in D.C. noticed trees being taken down at a beloved public golf course, East Potomac Golf Links—especially a distinctive and much admired cherry tree on the 14th hole.

Cherry trees are iconic in the nation’s capital. When a number of them had to be removed two years ago from the nearby Tidal Basin, a scraggly survivor, dubbed Stumpy, won the nation’s hearts, to the point where its cuttings were used to grow genetic clones.

Two large sycamores were also reported downed at the fourth hole, and things “snowballed” on social media, says Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, the group that is suing to stop President Trump’s takeover of the golf course—which he wants to renovate for his rich friends’ championship tournaments. The president had already consulted with a well-known golf course architect, Tom Fazio, and was seen waving his plans around as he toured the course, rhapsodizing about how great it would be after his renovation.

The Washington Post has reported that more than 60 trees had been taken down. Golfers and other course lovers are on alert to detect activity that is more than........

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