A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s plan to close a historic golf course and park in Washington DC, delivering a legal setback to the US president on the very day the closure was set to begin. US District Judge Ana Reyes ruled on Saturday that the administration cannot shut East Potomac Golf Links or its surrounding parkland, though she noted the government is not obliged to actively manage either facility.
In a 30-page decision, Reyes found the administration’s justifications for the proposed closure were pretextual and that the government violated at least two federal laws “to meet an arbitrary deadline.” She wrote that the government proposed to close “a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely,” adding the move “runs counter to the public interest in utilising national parkland.”
The ruling came as Trump, an avid golfer, vowed to transform the 106-year-old course into “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.” Declaring the existing layout “Trash Island,” he announced in October that it would undergo 15 months of renovations, promising a venue “designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments” while remaining open to the public — despite the ongoing litigation.
Reyes said the government had not “plausibly identified any harm it would suffer from a temporary restraining order that preserves the status quo pending further proceedings.” The order maintains the course’s current status while the months-long legal challenge continues.
The BBC has contacted the White House for comment. The case underscores mounting tension over the future of one of the US capital’s most accessible public sporting facilities, with the judge’s intervention ensuring golfers and park visitors retain access for now.
