Justice Department confirms Trump’s East Potomac golf‑course closure plan

The US Justice Department has filed a notice confirming President Donald Trump’s statements that the East Potomac Golf Course will be closed from 15 November 2026 for renovation.

The filing says the National Park Service will submit a Tom Fazio‑designed rendering for a “World Class, championship‑level” course to the National Capital Planning Commission on 30 October 2026, and will close the park south of Buckeye Drive on 15 November 2026, in line with the President’s directive.

The planning commission is set to consider the proposal at its meeting on 3 December. The notice also details a new lease agreement under which the National Links Trust will cease operating the East Potomac Golf Course by the closure date, while continuing to run two other public courses.

The development follows a series of court hearings after the DC Preservation League and two golfers sued over the plans. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on 26 October, barring the removal or damage of additional trees and requiring ten‑day written notice before any “irreparable modification” to the course while the case proceeds.

Judge Reyes has ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. and a representative from the Interior Department’s Office of the Solicitor to appear for a status hearing, seeking clarification on whether a closure plan exists for the specified date.

Source: ABC News. Photo: jd garrett / Pexels.