Donald Trump's Virginia golf course changed history

He changed not only the land itself, but the region's history.

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Conservationists were upset when designers chopped down hundreds of trees to unblock the view of the Potomac River, The New York Times reported.

Now another change is making headlines.

It's a plaque at the bottom of a flagpole, placed between the 14th hole and the 15th tee.

The sign marks the location of "The River of Blood."

It reads: "Many great American soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot. The casualties were so great that the water would turn red and thus became known as 'The River of Blood.'"

But The New York Times reports that the plaque was not fact-checked.

Historians said nothing like that happened at the site.

The Battle of Ball's Bluff, did occur in the area in 1861, but it was 11 miles upriver.

Several hundred troops were killed in the battle.

Trump, during a phone interview, stood by the inscription.

"That was a prime site for river crossings. So, if people are crossing the river, and you happen to be in a civil war, I would say that people were shot -- a lot of them," he said.

Trump said that "numerous historians" said the area was known as "The River of Blood." But he could not remember the people's names, The New York Times reported.