Buyer in escrow says Castle Oaks can be saved if city secures reliable irrigation; council awaits state sign-off on Title 22 report

At the Ione City Council meeting on June 3, 2025, Jeff Christiansen, owner of Sierra Golf Management, told the city he is in escrow to buy Castle Oaks Golf Course and urged the council and city staff to secure a reliable water commitment so his company can close and invest in the facility. Council staff and outside counsel updated the council on the city’s tertiary wastewater plant and the Title 22 engineering report now under review by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water.

Christiansen said the course is “distressed” and that his group is operating under a short due‑diligence window. “It’s a beautiful golf course. I played it for decades,” he said. “It’s a little, obvious, a little distressed right now…we’re very desirous of making a deal. We want to go quick.” He said his plans for the first year included bunker work, irrigation fixes and purchasing equipment, adding he expected to bring roughly “three quarters of a million dollars worth of equipment” to restore the course’s condition.

City wastewater staff told the council the city has been redirecting well water to the golf course while the tertiary plant remains offline pending regulatory approval. Justin, a city wastewater representative, said the city has delivered about 5.8 million gallons to the course since May 7 and that recent lab results show the irrigation water is “of excellent quality and possesses no health risk.” He also described…