Justice Department confirms Nov. 15 closure of East Potomac Golf Course

The federal government confirmed Wednesday night that the East Potomac Golf Course will shut down on Nov. 15. A notice filed by the Justice Department stated that the National Park Service will stop using the site south of Buckeye Drive on that date. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s earlier directives regarding the park’s renovation.

The timeline for the closure began on Oct. 18. On that date, Trump posted on social media that the park would close for 15 months. He described the facility as a world-class site under renovation. This announcement contradicted previous testimony from officials who said they had no knowledge of such plans. The discrepancy led U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to issue a preliminary injunction on Oct. 26. That order temporarily bars the government from removing or damaging additional trees on the course.

The Justice Department’s filing details a new lease agreement between the National Park Service and the National Links Trust. Under this deal, the National Links Trust will cease operating the East Potomac Golf Course by the close of business on or before Nov. 15. The company will continue to operate two other public golf courses. The filing also notes that the National Park Service will submit a rendering designed by Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Oct. 30. The commission will review the plan for a championship-level course at its Dec. 3 meeting.

Legal proceedings have accelerated in the ten days following the initial announcement. Judge Reyes ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear in court on Friday. She also required at least one person from the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor to attend that hearing. This follows a Tuesday order in which Reyes asked the department to clarify whether a plan to close the course exists. Trump criticized Reyes’ temporary injunction in a social media post late Monday. He argued that the work should proceed immediately.

The closure is part of a wider effort to reshape Washington’s historic landscape. The DC Preservation League and two golfers filed the lawsuit challenging the plans. They claim the renovation will make the course unaffordable for the general public and destroy other uses of the site. Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday that the course is highly dangerous and dilapidated. He stated that local golfers have begged for the facility to be brought into pristine condition.

A separate legal battle concerns a planned arch in Memorial Circle. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will hold a hearing Friday on a motion to halt construction. Plaintiffs argue the project requires congressional approval. The administration has announced plans to begin construction as early as Nov. 5. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin submitted court filings supporting the addition of defensive structures to the arch. They cited the threat of drones as a reason for the design changes.

The Arlington County Board in Virginia filed its own lawsuit earlier this month. It became the first governmental body to take legal action against the planned monument. The suit criticized the speed of the project’s development. The board argued that the project moved forward without a full review process. These legal actions occur alongside the golf course case, creating a busy schedule for federal courts this week.

The National Capital Planning Commission remains the final step for the golf course design. The commission’s review is scheduled for Dec. 3. The current lease terms dictate the exact date of operational cessation. The National Links Trust will hand over control of the East Potomac site to the park service. The court status hearing on Friday will determine if further restrictions on the renovation process are needed.