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By Chris Matthews
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President Donald Trump's plans to close a historic public golf course in Washington, D.C. face a last-minute legal challenge after preservation groups asked a federal judge to block the shutdown.
The groups, including the DC Preservation League, filed an emergency motion on Thursday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park, including its golf course and surrounding recreational areas, on November 15.
They asked U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes to issue a temporary restraining order or a 14-day stay while the court considers a broader preliminary injunction.
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The National Park Service says the park needs to close because of safety concerns, including deteriorating seawalls and flooding along the Potomac River.
But opponents argue that the problems do not justify shutting the entire park and accuse the administration of using safety concerns to clear the way for Trump's proposed redevelopment.
The closure would affect the golf course, as well as Ohio Drive, a popular route for runners and cyclists around Hains Point.
According to a declaration from acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron, officials have identified more than 80 holes and depressions along the seawall promenade, while sections of the shoreline walkway are regularly flooded.
The preservation groups argue that dangerous sections could be fenced off without preventing access to the wider park.
They also pointed to the Marine Corps Marathon, which passed through East Potomac Park on October 25, just days before the administration announced the closure.
Opponents questioned why the park was considered safe enough to accommodate thousands of runners and spectators but now needed to be closed entirely.
The administration has also cited the departure of National Links Trust, the nonprofit organization that operates the golf course.
Under a new agreement with the National Park Service, the organization will stop operating East Potomac by November 15 but retain responsibility for Washington's two other municipal golf courses, Rock Creek and Langston, under a 50-year lease.
The preservation groups questioned why the government could not continue operating East Potomac or find another operator.
Trump wants to replace the existing 36-hole public facility, which comprises three courses, with a new 18-hole championship course designed by golf architect Tom Fazio.
The administration submitted its proposal to the National Capital Planning Commission on October 30, with the commission scheduled to consider it on December 3.
That means the park is due to close more than two weeks before the proposal is considered by the commission.
The redevelopment plans also include a $304.5 million project to repair the seawall around the Hains Point peninsula.
However, the submission does not specify how much the golf course redevelopment would cost or how long construction would take.
The proposed layout would extend towards the southern tip of Hains Point, taking over areas currently used for walking, cycling, fishing and picnicking.
The administration has acknowledged that some existing recreational activities would be displaced and says it intends to provide alternatives nearby.
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Opponents have also raised concerns about the project's environmental and historic-preservation requirements.
The administration says the historic-preservation review process began in July, although no meetings had taken place by the time its latest proposal was submitted.
The legal dispute intensified last month after National Park Service workers cut down more than 400 trees at East Potomac.
Reyes subsequently issued a preliminary injunction preventing further tree removal without court approval and requiring the administration to provide advance notice before closing the course or making irreversible changes to the property.
The administration has appealed the ruling.
The case took another turn on October 30 when Reyes opened a formal inquiry into whether Justice Department lawyers and administration officials had misled the court about Trump's redevelopment plans.
The inquiry followed conflicting accounts of whether a plan existed to close the course, despite Trump publicly announcing the November 15 date.
Reyes said she would appoint a special master to investigate possible misconduct. No finding of wrongdoing has been made.
Trump has repeatedly defended the redevelopment, describing the existing course as dangerous and badly maintained.
In a Truth Social post last month, Trump said he would hold Reyes responsible if anyone was injured or killed at the site.
The latest emergency motion now puts the planned closure back before the judge, with a hearing scheduled for November 13.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Emma Lee-Sang
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