When it came to the plans — or lack thereof — for the future of East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C,. a federal judge said last week that she didn’t know who to believe: President Trump, who said that the course would close Nov. 15 for a 15-month renovation, or his lawyers and Interior Department officials, who said they knew of no such roadmap.
Turns out, the judge should have believed the president.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration filed legal notice that for the first time acknowledged that the National Park Service “will close East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the Golf Course, consistent with the President’s directive.”
The directive includes plans to transform the 36-hole golf facility, where fees now top out at $48, into an upscale 18-hole golf course that can test elite players and host Ryder Cups and major championships.
The filing said that the NPS will on Friday submit a design from golf-course architect Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission, and that the commission will review the plan at a Dec. 3 meeting. According to the New York Times, Trump has “stacked the board with loyalists, and it has reliably voted to approve other proposals that he has sent.”
The government’s filing pledges that “with respect to the ongoing planning process to renovate the East Potomac Golf Course itself, Defendants will follow all relevant procedural requirements in finalizing and implementing the Fazio plan.”
Among other park attractions that will close during the renovation are the miniature golf course and Ohio Drive, the road that encircles the perimeter of the peninsula and is a popular destination for walkers, joggers and cyclists.
On Wednesday evening, in his latest of several Truth Social posts related to East Potomac, Trump characterized the golf course as “highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting.” In particular, he called out the double-decker driving range for its “exposed nails and disintegrating wood.” He added, “The current condition of the golf course is a National Disgrace, but we will make it a WORLD CLASS PUBLIC Golf Course that is AFFORDABLE for locals — Just like the Great and Historic Public Courses of Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black, only better.”
Judge Ana C. Reyes, who is overseeing the East Potomac case, has said she is not interested in shaping the government’s plans for the property — but only that those plans follow the rule of law. On Monday, she prohibited the administration from removing more trees from the park without first obtaining a court order. This was considered a victory for preservationists and locals who fear Trump’s vision for the golf course will rob the city of one of its most vital and historic recreational outlets.
Now that the government is on the verge of delivering a formal plan for the property, Reyes likely will have to rule on the legality of the plan.
