Justice Department files plan to close East Potomac Golf Links by mid-November
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The Interior Department is preparing a plan to shut the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., by Nov. 15 following President Trump’s announcement of a redesign, while litigation over the project continues.
Washington — The Department of the Interior is drafting a plan to close East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., by Nov. 15, after President Trump announced on Truth Social that the historic course will be shuttered for a redesign. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward told a U.S. district court that the administration is working “to develop a plan to implement that direction and will provide this Court with notice.”
The closure follows a legal dispute brought by a local preservation group and two golfers challenging the proposed overhaul. Although officials have said only a “possible project” is under consideration, President Trump said the Interior Department, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, and architect Tom Fazio have “developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course” at the site, with the new course expected to reopen in about 15 months.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who is overseeing the case, previously issued an order temporarily blocking the removal of trees after more than 500 were cut down over a weekend. Reyes later extended the order, prohibiting any further tree removal or damage while the litigation proceeds. In her 70-page decision, Reyes noted that “rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting President.”
The Justice Department has appealed Reyes’ decision, and a further hearing is scheduled for later this week to determine how the case will move forward. The plaintiffs have not yet filed a motion to block the course’s closure and redesign.