Housing & Development · Washington, DC
Judge Orders DOJ to Clarify East Potomac Golf Course Closure Plans
U.S. Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction Monday halting work at East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C., after at least 400 trees were cut over a holiday weekend with little notice to plaintiffs. On Tuesday, Reyes ordered the Justice Department to clarify whether any plan exists to close the course on or around November 15, 2026, and directed Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear for a status hearing Friday or Monday. The injunction bars removal or damage of additional trees and requires 10 days' written notice before any "irreparable modification" to the course. Plaintiffs DC Preservation League and two golfers argue the renovation inflicts irreversible damage and will make the facility unaffordable for the general public.