Ione council approves temporary city management of Castle Oaks Golf Course while owner seeks buyer

The Ione City Council on April 30 approved two related agreements putting the city in interim operational control of Castle Oaks Golf Course while owner Hahn (Shanghai Corporation/Hahn Family Foundation) seeks a new buyer. The council voted to accept a temporary management agreement with the owner’s affiliates and to adopt an amendment to the course’s current management contract with Troon, the club management firm. Both measures passed on voice votes with councilors answering “aye.”

City Attorney Josh Burzynski summarized the arrangements to the council, saying the city will assume maintenance and operational responsibility and will do so through Troon, which currently manages the course. “The city is gonna be paying $10,000 a month for the use of all facilities,” Burzynski said, and the city will be responsible for any Troon termination or cancellation fees if those apply during the interim period. He also said the city would pay for existing clubhouse inventory (an estimate of about $10,000–$15,000) and that, under the agreement, all course income would flow to the city while it covers operating costs.

Why it matters: the measures temporarily shift operating costs and revenues to the city to keep the course open and preserve its condition while prospective buyers perform due diligence. Council members and residents repeatedly raised concerns about water access, course condition and staff continuity; the city acknowledged those issues and said it would work to resolve them during the interim management period.

Key terms and timeline

- The city will assume operations through the existing Troon management framework and receive course revenues while covering operating expenses. - The city will pay $10,000 per month to Hahn’s side for use of the facilities and will be responsible for any early-termination fees tied to Troon’s contract, which Burzynski said runs through March 2026. - If a sale closes earlier, the city’s obligations under these agreements would end at closing.

Public concerns and council responses

Dozens of residents and golfers spoke during the meeting, urging transparency, asking whether employees and restaurant staff would remain employed, and raising immediate operational problems such as watering. Marsha Edick, a resident who spoke during public comment, called for public disclosure of the closed-session negotiations once litigation concerns no longer apply: “The closed session discussions relating to the golf course should be made public once this is finalized,” Edick said.

Multiple residents described brown fairways and said parts of the course had not been irrigated for several weeks; others asked whether the city would owe penalties under its ARSA water contract if it did not take contracted water. Council members said staff is working on Title 22 water approval and other water-related issues and planned to invite the consultant West Yost to a forthcoming meeting for updates.

Employees and operations

Council discussion and public questions centered on whether course employees would become city employees. Council members said the operational arrangement is intended to keep day-to-day management in place; the council will cover operational costs but did not indicate a change in individual employment status beyond what Troon and the parties determine. The city also acknowledged restaurant staffing shortages and said it would try to maintain service during the interim period.

Finances and risk

During public comment and council discussion, speakers offered preliminary revenue figures (one example cited $300,000 in May during a prior year) and noted operating-cost variance across seasons. Burzynski said the city hopes course revenues will cover the monthly expenses during the peak season but acknowledged the city will carry operational risk until a sale closes. The city also noted insurance and other operating costs would be part of the expenses the city covers during the interim arrangement; an insurance figure referenced in the discussion was approximately $5,000 per month.

Next steps

Councilors approved the two items subject to edits and revisions provided to council that morning. The agreements allow time for prospective buyers to conduct due diligence; council members said they expect interest to increase now that there is a clear interim framework and a signed agreement in place. The temporary arrangement’s outer limit was described in discussion as March 2026, after which Hahn would resume responsibility if no sale has closed.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the temporary management agreement between the City of Ione, Portlock International Limited/Shanghai Corporation and the Hahn Family Foundation for temporary management of Castle Oaks Golf Course, subject to revisions provided to council: Approved (voice vote: ayes). - Motion to approve an amendment to the Troon (Indigo Sports LLC) management agreement clarifying termination/cancellation fees and the interim role of the city: Approved (voice vote: ayes).

The council closed the meeting after the votes. Staff indicated they will provide council with further financial projections, an insurance-cost breakdown and consultant updates on Title 22 water approvals at a future meeting.