A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing a historic public golf course in Washington DC, halting plans to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links near the White House.
US District Judge Ana Reyes issued the two-week restraining order on Saturday, 14 November, one day before the East Potomac site was due to shut for 15 months.
The ruling requires East Potomac Park and its golf course to remain open during the hours they operated on 14 November. It will remain in force until 28 November, unless the court issues a further order.
However, the judge did not require the government to continue managing the facilities or guarantee that golf would remain available. Officials may also carry out repairs, provided they comply with notice requirements imposed under an earlier injunction.
Judge blocks East Potomac Golf Links closure
The case was brought by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers, who argue that the proposed redevelopment threatens the historic character of the park and has been pursued without the necessary environmental and heritage reviews.
Judge Reyes said President Donald Trump’s public statements had undermined the government’s argument that no final redevelopment plan existed. She pointed to posts in which Mr Trump announced that the course would close on 15 November and that work would begin on a new championship facility.
“They indicate that the Washington National Plan is final and that NPS will close the Park to implement it,” she wrote, referring to the National Park Service. “Both points favour granting Plaintiffs’ motion for another temporary restraining order.”
The government had said the closure was necessary because of safety concerns and because the lease with National Links Trust, which operates the site, was due to end. The judge noted that safety had not been central to discussions about shutting the park for several months.
The Washington project is intended to replace the existing three-course complex with a single championship-style course. A proposal submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission identified further environmental and historic-preservation reviews that still need to be completed.
The court has separately barred the administration from removing or damaging additional trees at the site without approval. Hundreds of trees have already been cut down, according to court records and photographs from the course.
The Justice Department said the ruling acknowledged that the National Park Service could restrict access to its facilities if there was a risk of harm to the public.
“Nothing in the Court’s order precludes planning for the development of a world class golf course to continue,” the department said. “The Department of Justice will always vociferously defend the Trump Administration’s agenda in court.”
Catherine Carroll, a senior legal adviser at Democracy Forward, which represents the challengers, welcomed the decision.
“We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration’s pursuit of another one of the president’s vanity projects,” she said.
Mr Trump criticised Judge Reyes on his Truth Social platform, describing the existing course as dangerous and deriding the site as “Trash Island”. He said the administration was still making progress and argued that the redevelopment would enhance Washington’s appearance and bring major golf tournaments to the city.
He also promised that people living in the Washington area would receive a 50 per cent discount on all rates charged at the proposed facility.
The temporary order does not decide the wider legal challenge. The administration remains able to pursue the redevelopment through the required regulatory process, but the immediate closure of East Potomac Park and East Potomac Golf Links has been stopped.
