Trump plans 15-month closure of East Potomac Golf Links amid court challenge
The president says the public Washington course will close on November 15 for a championship redesign, while a lawsuit over the project remains before a federal judge.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday, October 18, that he plans to close East Potomac Golf Links, a public course in Washington, D.C., from November 15 for about 15 months of redevelopment. The announcement sets a proposed timetable for a project facing a federal court challenge over work at the site.
Trump said the redesigned course would remain open to the public and be built to host major tournaments, naming the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. CBS News reported that he identified golf course architect Tom Fazio in the plan. The Associated Press said the announcement included an artist's rendering of the redesign.
Court challenge to the East Potomac redesign
The announcement follows the cutting of hundreds of trees at the course. The Associated Press reported that more than 400 had been removed. As covered in an earlier NewsJaws report on the tree clearing, the work had already drawn objections from people seeking to preserve the public course.
The Associated Press reported that a judge had halted redevelopment plans until at least October 26. CBS News described an earlier order barring tree removal through October 16 and requiring three business days' notice before any proposed irreparable change to the course. Those accounts describe different restrictions, so the precise scope of the current court order remains unclear.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered administration officials to testify at a hearing scheduled for Monday, October 19, about the recent tree cutting and whether it was connected to Trump's redevelopment plan, according to the Associated Press. The administration has asked for Reyes to be replaced; the AP reported that the court was expected to address that request at the hearing.
Why the public course is contested
Trump called the existing course deteriorated and unsafe, pointing to trees and what he described as a hazardous seawall. He said the redesign would create jobs and an economic opportunity for Washington, according to CBS News. Those are the president's assessments of the course and the proposed project's benefits.
The Associated Press described the course and park as 106 years old and said Washingtonians across income levels have used it. Opponents fear a championship redesign could change its character and affordability. Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs, said it would continue the case to protect a public recreation facility intended for everyone.
The plaintiffs include the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers. Their attorneys welcomed the court's intervention and said they were seeking more lasting relief, CBS News reported. Whether Trump's announced November 15 closure can proceed depends in part on what happens in the continuing litigation.
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Sources and context
- Trump says he will close historic D.C. golf course for 15 months of renovationsAssociated Press, republished by PBS NewsHour
- Trump says construction at historic Washiongton, D.C. golf course will start next monthCBS News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.