Judge stops closure of East Potomac Golf Links as Trump’s public upgrade plan faces legal challenge
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U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary restraining order preventing the shutdown of the historic East Potomac Golf Links, leaving the public course open while litigation continues over the administration’s renovation plans.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday that blocks the U.S. government from closing East Potomac Golf Links, a 106-year-old public golf course in Washington, D.C. The order keeps the current setup in place while the court continues to consider a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and other groups challenging the administration’s renovation plans.
Reyes said the administration’s justification for the closure was pretextual and that the government had violated at least two federal statutes by seeking an arbitrary deadline. She noted that the government had not shown any specific harm that would result from preserving the course’s current operation.
President Donald Trump, who announced the renovation in October, described the project as an effort to create a world-class venue that would remain open to the public. He posted on Truth Social that the existing course is “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect,” citing concerns about tree safety and a deteriorating seawall.
"The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease-infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall," Trump wrote.
The dispute began in February when the preservation groups sued over redevelopment proposals. In October, the National Park Service began cutting trees at the site, prompting Reyes to order a halt to the work and require advance notice for any further permanent changes. The judge has also opened an inquiry into whether Justice Department attorneys may have misrepresented facts to the court.
East Potomac Golf Links is one of three public courses managed by the National Park Service in the capital, located about two miles south of the White House.