WASHINGTON, Nov 15 — A US federal judge yesterday ruled a park in the heart of Washington must remain open to the public, after President Donald Trump’s administration sought to close it for a planned renovation of a golf course.

An avid golfer who owns courses around the world, Trump aims to turn Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links, a public course with affordable rates, into a facility capable of hosting major championship-calibre events.

To that end, the Trump administration called for the November 15 closure of East Potomac Park, a 395-acre park where the golf course is located, to begin construction.

But a lawsuit filed by an environmental group against the project blocked the closure, with US District Judge Ana Reyes granting a temporary restraining order that required the park remain open for now as the lawsuit works its way through the courts.