NPS Confirms East Potomac Golf Course Will Close for Renovation

The National Park Service has confirmed it will close East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., moving forward with President Trump's plan to rebuild the 36-hole municipal course as an 18-hole layout capable of hosting Ryder Cups and major championships. The acknowledgment, filed in federal court Wednesday, ends weeks of conflicting statements about the project's status.

What did the government's filing say?

The Trump administration had publicly set a Nov. 15 closure date and a 15-month renovation timeline, even as its own lawyers and Interior Department officials had previously told a federal judge they knew of no such plan. Wednesday's filing resolved that contradiction, confirming the Park Service will shut down East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, the park's mini golf course and Ohio Drive.

Fazio's design for the rebuilt course is due to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday, with the commission scheduled to review it Dec. 3. The filing pledged that the administration will follow standard procedural requirements as the plan is finalized.

What happens to the legal fight over the course?

Judge Ana C. Reyes, who is overseeing the case, has said she will not shape the government's redevelopment plans but will rule on whether they comply with the law once a formal proposal is in hand. On Monday, she barred the administration from removing more trees from the park without a court order, a win for preservationists who oppose the project.

Trump has framed the rebuild as a fix for a facility he called "highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting," and has said the finished course will remain affordable for local golfers.