Trump to close D.C. public golf course for 15 months

President Donald Trump said Sunday that East Potomac Golf Links, a public golf course in Washington, will close Nov. 15 for about 15 months of renovations, even as a federal court fight over the site continues.

The announcement came after the National Park Service cut down hundreds of trees at the course and a federal judge blocked further tree removal, Forbes reported.

Trump announced the plan on Oct. 18 in a Truth Social post that included a map of the redesign. He said the course would be “open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments.” He said the current course will close when work starts and reopen in “approximately 15 months.”

The judge’s name and the full reasoning for the order on tree removal were not available in the reporting reviewed by Canada News Media. Forbes said the judge also criticized lawyers for the administration. The project’s cost and the design firm were not stated.

The closure follows a lawsuit, DC Preservation League v. Department of the Interior, filed Feb. 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the plaintiffs’ case page, the DC Preservation League and two local residents are suing the Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service. They filed a motion for a preliminary injunction on Feb. 24 and an emergency motion on May 3.

The plaintiffs allege the government dumped about 30,000 cubic yards of debris from the White House East Wing excavation on the course in October 2025, that the debris may be hazardous and that it was apparently not tested for contaminants. They also allege the government ended the lease of the nonprofit National Links Trust and began converting the park without reviews they say are required, including under the National Environmental Policy Act. The government has not been quoted responding to those claims in the sources reviewed.

In an April 30 court filing, the government said “no formal decision has been made regarding the nature and scope of any renovations.” Trump’s announcement came about six months later.

East Potomac has 36 holes: an 18-hole Blue Course, a nine-hole Red Course and a nine-hole White Course, plus a miniature golf course and a driving range, according to Wikipedia. The first nine holes opened March 15, 1921. The National Park Service signed an agreement with the National Links Trust in 2020 to redesign and rebuild the Red and White courses, and that lease was terminated at the end of 2025.

The dispute is one of several court fights over Trump administration actions in the capital, including the D.C. National Guard mission and a $20-million ad campaign that a judge halted last week.

The case is developing, and details of the court order may change as more reporting becomes available.

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Via Forbes, with court details from the plaintiffs’ case page.