Trump unveils ‘world-class’ DC golf course plan as judge challenges administration’s court position

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 18, announced plans to transform Washington, DC’s historic East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course, saying that restoration work would begin as soon as November 15 despite an ongoing legal challenge and a federal judge’s order halting tree removal at the site. 

Trump said the redesigned facility could host major tournaments, including the US Open and Ryder Cup, and reopen in approximately 15 months. However, just hours after his announcement, US District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the government to clarify whether the president’s plans had advanced beyond the preliminary stage described in a recent court filing.

Trump announces November start for ‘world-class’ golf course overhaul

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the Department of the Interior, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, was working with golf course architect Tom Fazio on the redevelopment of East Potomac Golf Links, which sits along the Potomac River near the National Mall.

“When completed, it will be open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf,” Trump wrote.

The president said that proposed course would be designed to accommodate tournaments including the US Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He added that the United States Golf Association, PGA of America and PGA Tour had been notified of the plans.

Trump described the existing course as “old, broken, dilapidated” and cited what he characterized as dangerous and diseased trees and a deteriorating seawall. The president said that the project would create jobs, boost the regional economy and restore views of Washington, predicting the redesign would produce “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.”

East Potomac Golf Links is part of a federally owned park that has served the public for more than a century. Opponents of the redevelopment have raised concerns that converting the public facility into a high-end championship course could change its character and make it less affordable for local residents.

Judge demands clarification as legal challenge continues

Reyes took judicial notice of Trump’s Truth Social announcement and ordered the government to tell her by 8 pm on the same day, whether it still stood by a court filing issued on Friday, October 16,  stating that “there is no final agency action” and that Trump had given, at most, “preliminary thought” to rebuilding the course. She also ordered two government attorneys involved in the case to attend an evidentiary hearing in person on the morning of Monday, October 19.

The dispute stems from earlier court directives concerning construction and tree removal. Reyes had required the government to provide notice before substantive construction could proceed and recently ordered a halt to further tree cutting during the legal challenge.

In February, the DC Preservation League filed a lawsuit alleging that the administration’s plans would violate environmental laws and “irreparably destroy a priceless piece of American history.” The administration has sought dismissal, arguing that the project remains at an early conceptual stage.

After the government removed about 500 trees from the site, saying that the work would improve safety and restore the park’s original design under a 2019 plan, Reyes ordered the removals to stop. She also directed administration officials to testify about the tree-cutting and whether it was connected to Trump’s redevelopment plans.