East Potomac Golf Course: Federal Courts Block Closure as Renovations Loom

The Justice Department filed a notice on Wednesday confirming that the National Park Service will close East Potomac Golf Course on Nov. 15. The agency will submit a design by Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. The filing describes the project as a world-class, championship-level golf course capable of hosting major events like the U.S. Open. The planning commission is scheduled to review the plan at its Dec. 3 meeting.

The closure aligns with the directive issued by President Donald Trump. The Park Service signed a new lease with the National Links Trust, the operator of the course. Under the agreement, the trust will stop running East Potomac Golf Course by the end of business on or before Nov. 15. The trust will continue to operate two other public courses.

This filing concludes a tense ten-day period that began on Oct. 18. Trump posted on social media that the park would shut down for 15 months for renovation. His posts triggered a series of court hearings in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers. The plaintiffs argued the government acted without proper notice.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 26. The order stemmed from conflicting testimony. Officials from the National Park Service, the Interior Department, and the Justice Department initially claimed they knew nothing of the renovation plans. Reyes ruled that the government could not remove or damage more trees at the course. The injunction also requires ten days' written notice before any irreversible changes to the site's forms or features.

The situation placed Justice Department lawyers in a difficult position. They had to determine if the president's social media posts constituted official policy. On Tuesday, Reyes asked the department to clarify if a plan existed to close the course around Nov. 15. She ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear in court on Friday. An Interior Department Solicitor's Office representative with prior experience on the case must also attend.

Trump responded to the legal proceedings on Truth Social late Wednesday night. He described the course as highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting. He stated that Reyes would be responsible for anyone injured or killed at the site. Trump added that local golfers would be pleased with the renovation.

Plaintiffs maintain that the work is causing irreversible damage. Critics argue the new plan will make the course unaffordable for the public. They also contend the project will eliminate other uses for the historic site. The filing confirms the timeline for the closure despite these objections.

The golf course project is one of several initiatives aimed at altering Washington's historic landscape. The administration is also building a White House ballroom, a large arch, and a National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park. Multiple judges have issued injunctions or restraining orders as the administration has pushed these projects forward despite pending lawsuits.

A second legal battle over the landscape is moving through the courts this week. Judge Tanya Chutkan will hear a motion on Friday to halt construction of the arch at Memorial Circle. The administration has said construction could start as early as Nov. 5, pending planning commission approval. Arlington County, Virginia, has also sued over the arch. It is the first government body to take legal action against the project.