Judge demands answers as Trump admin shuts down beloved 124-year-old golf course

The lack of clarity left golfers, course staff and city officials questioning the legitimacy of cited reasons: routine maintenance and tree work.It's kind of baffling if they're using deferred maintenance as a reason to close a golf course, said Tim Zurybida, National Links Trust's agronomy director.Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy nonprofit, filed an emergency motion Sunday seeking to block the administration from proceeding, and U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes demanded an administration response by 7:30 a.m. scheduled an 8 a.m. hearing Monday morning on the matter.Course operations experts dismissed the maintenance justification as implausible. Zurybida stated the facility has never required closure for such routine work. The course comprises three separate tracks — one 18-hole course and two nine-hole courses — allowing maintenance crews to isolate work while preserving public access to other areas, driving range, and amenities including the recently renovated miniature golf course.The takeover follows the administration's December cancellation of National Links Trust's 50-year lease. Court documents reveal the administration intends to raise 150 million for comprehensive renovations, and Trump has expressed ambitions to transform East Potomac into a championship-caliber venue capable of hosting major tournaments.Fundraising renderings obtained by media outlets depict dramatically redesigned grounds potentially replacing much park open space with expanded golf course, raising concerns about diminished public access and recreation opportunities for cyclists, runners and picnickers who regularly use the area.An ongoing federal lawsuit alleges the administration bypassed environmental and historic preservation laws. Plaintiffs cite an 1897 statute requiring the land be forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.The course processed 124,960 rounds last year and hosted nearly 900 Sunday — an unusually busy day — as golfers rushed to play what many feared might be their final rounds under current operations.