Golf-crazy Trump to appeal ruling keeping Washington park open

A judge keeps East Potomac Park open for now, blocking plans to shut the public space for a golf course renovation.

16 Nov 2026 02:18AM

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump criticised a judge's ruling that a park in the heart of Washington must remain open to the public, after his administration sought to close it for a golf course renovation.

An avid golfer who owns courses around the world, Trump aims to turn Washington's East Potomac Golf Links, a public course with affordable rates, into a facility capable of hosting major championship-caliber events.

"Why would a judge want to delay taking a terrible and very unsafe golf course, one that is mocked all over DC (and far beyond!), instead of quickly turning it into a great and admired one?" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The US president added that his administration will appeal the "highly destructive and political decision of the judge."

The Trump administration has called for the Nov 15 closure of East Potomac Park, a 160-hectare expanse where the golf course is located, to begin construction.

But a lawsuit filed by an environmental group blocked the closure, with US District Judge Ana Reyes on Saturday granting a temporary restraining order that required the park remain open for now as the lawsuit works its way through the courts.

"The Government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely," Reyes wrote in the 30-page ruling. "This closure would irreparably harm Plaintiffs, who use the Park regularly for recreational activities."

She had previously ruled against the early demolition work conducted for the project, including the cutting down of more than 500 trees along the course.

The golf course is one of several projects launched by Trump in a bid to put his personal stamp on the US capital, such as the White House ballroom and a massive triumphal arch, despite fierce local opposition and multiple legal challenges.