Trump says East Potomac golf course work to begin Sept. 1
by Darryl Coote · UPIJune 28 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump announced Sunday that work will begin Sept. 1 on the East Potomac golf course, even as his administration's plans to renovate the federally owned public course are being challenged in court.
The golf course is among a series of federally owned sites, landmarks and public spaces Trump has sought to alter, reshape or rename since he returned to the White House, moves that have drawn legal challenges from preservationists and critics.
Trump, a frequent golfer and owner of golf courses, visited the course Sunday as he toured various statues, monuments and other federally owned land, with golf architect Tom Fazio, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and others.
Following the visit, he announced the date for construction to begin on his Truth Social media platform, naming Fazio as the course architect.
"It will be built through the Department of the Interior, and designed to the Highest Standards of Golf, but also in such a way that the General Public will love it," he said in the post.
Trump did not specify the scope, but seemingly suggested that it may be substantial, stating that after completion the site will be "one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the world." It will be able to host "Major Golf Tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship and other top PGA Tour events," he said.
"The Course is in very poor general condition but, after many years of horrendous maintenance, and a little money devoted to the process of upkeep, we have determined that this location can bring tremendous success and prestige back to Washington, D.C.," he said.
Trump made no mention of the lawsuit in his announcement.
His plans to remake the golf course are being challenged in court by the DC Preservation League and two local residents who allege the Trump administration did not conduct required environmental and historic-preservation reviews, while seeking to remake the site for professional tournaments and wealthy users, undermining its status as public land.
The lawsuit was filed in February. The DC Preservation League sought emergency relief, including a stay or preliminary injunction. During an early May hearing on the matter, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes did not grant the preservationists the relief they asked for, allowing maintenance to continue, but warned the Trump administration against undertaking major work at the site.
"If anything happens, there are going to be serious consequences," she told federal lawyers on May 4.
She demanded to be updated of any work at that site, specifically stating she wanted to be informed if more than 10 trees were to be cut down or if they planned to move so-called heavy machinery to the course.
Reyes also focused on work that would require the closure of the course, stating that if there are plans to close the site, the preservationists should be given time to challenge it.
Trump's federal projects have come under criticism from preservationists and other critics as vanity projects aiming to remake Washington, D.C., in his own image.
Earlier this month, the federal government, forced by a court order, removed Trump's name from the building housing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as he sought to rename the iconic facility, which is also undergoing extensive reconstruction.
Trump also sought to restore the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and statues in Lafayette Square, proposed a triumphal arch near the National Mall and demolished the White House East Wing to create a ballroom.
Several of the actions, including the creation of the ballroom, have drawn lawsuits.