East Potomac Park’s public golf course in Washington, D.C. is scheduled to close on November 15. The National Park Service (NPS) plans to shut the entire park, including all 36 holes of public golf, more than two weeks before the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is even set to review the plan meant to replace it.

East Potomac is a public course, open to anyone in the city who wants to play. Its three courses sit beside the Potomac River with the Washington Monument in view, and losing them would leave golfers with far fewer public options in the capital.

National Links Trust, the nonprofit that runs the course, will stop operating East Potomac by the closure date under a new deal with NPS. That doesn’t have to mean the end of public golf there. Preservation groups have asked a federal judge why the government can’t keep the course running itself or bring in a new operator.

NPS points to a crumbling seawall, with over 80 holes and sunken spots along the waterfront walkway and frequent flooding. Those hazards deserve repair. But preservation groups argue the unsafe stretches could be closed off while the rest of the park stays open. The park hosted the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25, just days before the closure was announced.

The administration wants to swap the 36 public holes for a single 18-hole championship course, and hasn’t said what that project would cost or how long it would take. Golfers deserve answers before their course disappears.

Acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have the power to delay the closure, find a new operator and keep all 36 holes of public golf open while the review plays out.

Sign the petition to keep East Potomac’s public golf course open before the gates close on November 15.