Court Forces Clarity on Golf Course Plans

The Justice Department confirmed Wednesday night that the East Potomac Golf Course will close on Nov. 15, validating President Donald Trump’s recent public statements regarding the site’s renovation.

A filing by the department states that the National Park Service will submit a design rendering to the National Capital Planning Commission on Oct. 30. The rendering, created by golfer and course designer Tom Fazio, depicts a championship-level facility capable of hosting events such as the U.S. Open. The planning commission is scheduled to review the proposal at its meeting on Dec. 3.

The closure of the park area south of Buckeye Drive will take effect on Nov. 15, in accordance with the president’s directive. This announcement follows a contentious 10-day period that began on Oct. 18, when Trump posted on social media that the park would close for 15 months to undergo renovation.

Legal challenges arose when U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 26. The order stemmed from a discrepancy between the president’s announcements and testimony from officials at the National Park Service, the Interior Department, and the Justice Department. Those officials stated they had no prior knowledge of the plans Trump was promoting publicly.

The current injunction prevents the government from removing or damaging additional trees on the course. It also requires the administration to provide 10 days’ written notice before making any irreversible modifications to the course’s features while the lawsuit remains active. Reyes had planned a hearing to question why the president continued to announce plans that his own officials said were unknown to them.

In its Wednesday filing, the Justice Department explained that the National Park Service entered into a new lease agreement with the National Links Trust. The trust, which currently operates the course, will cease operations there by the close of business on Nov. 15. The company will continue to manage two other public golf courses.

The legal dispute placed Justice Department lawyers in a difficult position as they explained whether to rely on the president’s social media posts or the testimony of agency officials. On Tuesday, Reyes ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear in court to clarify if a specific plan existed for the Nov. 15 closure. She later ordered Woodward, along with a representative from the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor with experience on the case, to appear on Friday.

These orders followed a social media post by Trump on Monday criticizing Reyes’ temporary injunction. The president had previously announced that construction would begin immediately, though he had also suggested a 15-month timeline. The rapid legal activity this month accelerated after the government gave plaintiffs short notice of plans to cut down hundreds of trees at the course.

Plaintiffs, including the DC Preservation League and two golfers, argue the work is causing irreversible damage. Critics of the project contend that the renovation will make the course unaffordable for the general public and diminish the site’s other uses. On Wednesday night, Trump described the course as highly dangerous and dilapidated, stating that Judge Reyes would be held responsible for any injuries or deaths at the site.

The golf course is one of two major projects facing imminent construction deadlines in court this week. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will hold a hearing Friday on a motion to halt construction of a 250-foot memorial arch in Memorial Circle. The administration plans to begin work as early as Nov. 5, pending approval by the National Capital Planning Commission. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin filed documents Wednesday supporting the president’s comments that the arch will include defensive structures to combat drones.