Judge blocks planned closure of Washington golf course and park

US District Judge Ana Reyes issued the order on 14 November, a day before the Trump administration planned to close East Potomac Golf Course and much of the surrounding park. Her order keeps the course and other areas south of Buckeye Drive, including Ohio Drive, accessible through 28 November, unless the court issues a further order sooner.

The ruling protects public access but does not require the government to operate the course for golf or hire an operator. Authorities may temporarily restrict access near active seawall repairs or to address a specified imminent safety threat. Repairs can continue, subject to the notice required by an earlier court order.

Trump said in October that the course would close for renovation on 15 November and that a new course would open in approximately 15 months. Reyes described the planned closure of the wider park, which includes paths, picnic areas and fishing spots, as indefinite.

The National Park Service cited safety concerns, including the deteriorating seawall, and the end of the course operator’s lease. Reyes found, based on the record before her, that those explanations were pretexts for closing the park to advance the redevelopment.

She noted that the agency had ended the operator’s agreement in line with Trump’s directive. The judge also acknowledged that the seawall needed repair, but said unsafe sections had previously been fenced off and the government had not adequately explained why a broad closure was necessary.

Reyes said the administration had likely violated federal environmental and administrative procedure laws. She found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on those claims and would suffer irreparable harm from losing access to the park. The ruling is temporary, not a final decision in the case.

The Justice Department told the Associated Press that planning for the golf course development could continue and that the park service could restrict access where the public was at risk.