Trump pushes luxury golf makeover at East Potomac Golf Links while lawsuit drags on
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President Donald Trump announced a plan to turn Washington, D.C.'s East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-caliber course, even as a federal judge continues to scrutinize the project and preservation opponents challenge it in court.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday that the administration, working with architect Tom Fazio, has drafted a plan to convert the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., into a "World Class Championship Golf Course" that would be open to the public and capable of hosting major tournaments such as the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup. The renovation is slated to begin on Nov. 15 and last about 15 months.
The proposal has been contested in federal court by a preservation group and two D.C. residents, who are trying to stop a project critics view as another top-down political vanity move. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has ordered the administration to clarify whether the plan constitutes a final agency action or remains a preliminary concept. She previously barred further tree removal on the course until Oct. 26 and required the government to give three days' written notice before any irreversible changes.
The Justice Department has maintained that the redevelopment ideas are hypothetical and not based on a formal plan, a view echoed by National Park Service officials who said they have not seen a definitive renovation proposal beyond the president’s social-media statements. On Friday, the administration asked Judge Reyes to recuse herself, alleging bias stemming from her prior remarks. A hearing on the request is scheduled for Monday, with the acting director of the National Park Service, the Interior Department’s chief of staff, and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward expected to testify.