A federal judge in the United States has temporarily stopped President Donald Trump’s administration from closing a historic golf course and park in Washington, DC, for a 15-month renovation project.
US District Judge Ana Reyes issued the order on Saturday, barring the government from shutting down East Potomac Golf Links, which Trump had scheduled for closure beginning November 15.
Reyes, who has been overseeing a legal challenge to the proposed redevelopment for several months, ruled that the administration could not close the park or its golf course, although it was not obligated to actively manage the facilities.
In her 30-page ruling, the judge said the government’s reasons for the planned closure were pretextual and that it had violated at least two federal laws in an attempt “to meet an arbitrary deadline.”
“The Government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely,” Reyes wrote.
She further stated that the proposed closure “runs counter to the public interest in utilising national parkland”, adding that the administration had not “plausibly identified any harm it would suffer from a temporary restraining order that preserves the status quo pending further proceedings”.
The restraining order is expected to remain in force until November 28.
Trump, an avid golfer, had announced the renovation plan in October, describing the existing facility as “Trash Island” and promising to transform it into a world-class golfing destination.
He said the upgrade would create “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.”
The president also stated that the renovated facility “will be open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump justified the redevelopment by describing the existing course as “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease-infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall,”.
The legal dispute began in February when the DC Preservation League and other groups filed a lawsuit challenging the redevelopment plans.
East Potomac Golf Links, located approximately three kilometres south of the White House, is one of three public golf courses managed by the National Park Service in the US capital.
The controversy intensified in October after the National Park Service began cutting down hundreds of trees without notifying Reyes until 15 hours before the operation was scheduled to commence.
Following the tree removal, the judge ordered the administration to suspend further cutting until at least October 26 and required it to provide three business days’ notice before undertaking any additional permanent changes.
Reyes has also launched a separate investigation into whether Justice Department lawyers misled the court or breached ethical rules in their handling of the case.
The inquiry will examine whether the late notification of the renovation plans was “done in bad faith” and whether the lawyers failed to correct earlier false statements or withheld relevant information.
The judge said the investigation would be conducted with the assistance of a special master, an independent third party.
