East Potomac Golf Course: Government confirms Nov. 15 closure
A new lease agreement with the National Links Trust and a design submission to the planning commission formalize the shutdown order.
By Aiko Petrov ·
The Justice Department filed a notice late Wednesday confirming that the East Potomac Golf Course will close on November 15.
The filing states that the National Park Service will submit a rendering designed by Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. The plan outlines a championship-level facility capable of hosting major tournaments, including the U.S. Open.
Following the submission, the National Park Service will close the park south of Buckeye Drive on November 15. The planning commission is scheduled to review the design at a meeting on December 3.
This confirmation resolves a ten-day period of confusion that began with a social media post by President Donald Trump on October 18. The president announced that the park would close for 15 months for renovation into a world-class facility.
The announcement triggered a series of court hearings in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on October 26. The order stemmed from discrepancies between the president's public statements and testimony from government officials who said they were unaware of the plans.
The current injunction prevents the government from removing or damaging additional trees. It also requires the administration to provide 10 days' written notice before making any irreversible changes to the course while the lawsuit is active.
The Wednesday filing explained that the National Park Service signed a new lease with the National Links Trust. The trust currently operates the East Potomac Golf Course and will cease operations there by the end of business on November 15. The company will continue to run two other public courses.
Judge Reyes ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear in court on Friday or Monday. She also required at least one person from the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor with prior experience on the case to attend.
On Tuesday, Reyes directed the department to clarify whether a plan exists to close the course around November 15. This order followed Trump's post late Monday criticizing the temporary injunction that halted work at the park.
In a Wednesday night post on Truth Social, Trump described the course as highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting. He stated that local golfers had begged for the site to be brought into pristine condition.
The renovation is part of a wider effort to modify Washington's historic landscape, which includes a White House ballroom and a National Garden of American Heroes. The DC Preservation League is part of a coalition challenging these projects.
Another hearing is scheduled for Friday before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Plaintiffs will ask her to halt plans to begin construction on a memorial arch in the Memorial Circle as early as Friday. The administration has announced construction could start as early as November 5, pending planning commission approval.
