A federal judge in Washington issued a temporary restraining order to block President Donald Trump’s administration from closing the East Potomac golf course for championship-worthy renovation for three and a half years.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes’ restraining order came on Saturday, hours before the proposed closing on Sunday.

The Justice Department argued that the recent termination of the lease of the golf course operator made it impossible to keep it open.

Ms Reyes countered that the administration cannot use that as an excuse to deprive Washington residents access to the Hains Point park.

“The government’s hands are tied. But the government tied the knot itself,” wrote the Biden-appointed judge.

Mr Trump’s administration further argued that the golf course’s seawall had become dilapidated to the point of requiring emergency repairs.

But Ms Reyes said if that were true, the administration would not have allowed about 30,000 runners of the Marine Corps Marathon to use the park in October without raising safety concerns.

“It cannot be that NPS permitted thirty thousand runners to risk – as Government counsel described it – ‘life and limb’ by running on a road near the seawall,” Ms Reyes said.

“To be sure, all agree that the seawall is deteriorating and needs repair. But the government does not explain how the seawall’s condition … requires closing the entire park – for potentially as long as three and a half years – instead of cordoning off areas that create safety concerns.”

The justice department said it will continue to defend Mr Trump’s administration.

“The court has acknowledged that the National Park Service can limit access to its facilities where the public is at risk of harm,” a justice department spokesperson said.

“Nothing in the Court’s order precludes planning for the development of a world-class golf course to continue. The Department of Justice will always vociferously defend the Trump Administration’s agenda in court,” the spokesperson added.