A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the planned closure of a Washington-area golf course, delaying the shutdown while President Donald Trump’s renovation proposal faces a legal challenge.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered a two-week pause. East Potomac Golf Links had been scheduled to close Sunday for 15 months.
The course is on federally owned land in East Potomac Park and has been part of Washington’s public golf scene for more than 100 years. Trump announced in May that it would receive what he called a “historic renovation,” aimed at preparing it to host major professional tournaments.
The plaintiffs say the project would alter the character of the public course and make it too expensive for many golfers. Trump has disputed that claim. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has called the course “Trash Island,” including in a Truth Social post on Saturday, when he described it as the world’s “worst” course. He also criticized its condition as dangerous and shared images that appeared to show areas in disrepair.
“The Fairways are far too close together. When you walk down the corridors of Trash Island, you don’t hear the sound of the running Potomac, all you hear is the sound of people screaming, ‘FORE!,’” Trump wrote.
Reyes said Trump’s public comments raised concerns for the government’s position in the case. His posts, she wrote, suggested the redevelopment plan was final and that the National Park Service would close the park to carry it out—points that supported granting the plaintiffs’ request for another temporary restraining order.
The golf course project is among several initiatives Trump has backed to reshape the capital, including a large memorial arch, a ballroom at the White House and changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Reyes, who was nominated to the court by former President Joe Biden, had resisted requests from the plaintiffs to halt work while the lawsuit proceeded. That changed in October, after the administration cut down trees over a holiday weekend with little notice to the judge or the plaintiffs.
Government officials and attorneys said the tree removal followed a plan dating to 2019. Reyes challenged the administration’s handling of the project and what she described as misleading conduct about its intentions. She has also voiced frustration with being asked to rule on detailed planning issues, including the removal of trees at the 106-year-old park.
