A federal judge in Washington has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing the East Potomac Golf Links for a planned renovation, issuing a restraining order that delays the shutdown by two weeks. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, issued the order on Saturday, one day before the course was scheduled to close for an estimated 15 months.
The order does not require the government to keep the course open. It simply postpones the closure while the court weighs the legal challenge against the redevelopment. The outcome after the two-week period remains unresolved, and it is not yet clear whether a longer injunction will follow.
The renovation was announced in May by President Donald Trump, who described it as a «historic renovation». The stated goal is to make the course capable of hosting major professional golf events. The course sits on federal land in East Potomac Park and has served the public as a golf course for more than a century. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs argue that the redevelopment would fundamentally change the character of the course and make it unaffordable for many of the people who use it. They also contend that the administration pressed ahead with work even though a lawsuit was pending. In Reyes's view, Trump's public statements suggested the plan was already final. Trump has referred to the course as «Trash Island» in posts on his Truth Social platform, and has claimed that conditions are dangerous and that fairways are too close together.
Reyes also pointed to the National Park Service's planned closure as weighing in the plaintiffs' favor. She had been reluctant for months to halt the work. That changed in October, when tree cutting took place over a holiday weekend. The administration said the tree work followed a 2019 plan. Reyes, however, accused the administration of having deceptive intentions in how it carried out the project.
The park redevelopment is one of several Trump-backed projects in the District of Columbia. Others include a memorial arch, a White House ballroom and work involving the Kennedy Center. Together, these projects have drawn scrutiny over how federal land and public spaces in the capital are being altered. For now, the golf course's future depends on what the court decides after the current two-week order expires.