The Ione, Calif. property features a Brad Benz-designed golf course situated on the historic Preston Farmlands and overlooked by Preston Castle, built a century before the course in 1894 and now a California State Historical Landmark. Castle Oaks was named “Best Public Golf Course in Northern California” when it opened in 1994.

A survey by The Sacramento Bee found that of 34 18-hole courses in the area, 15 were not planning to “punch” their greens this spring, and several were also not planning to do so in the fall. The change is often being driven as much by financial reasons as by weather conditions.

Of the 35 public 18-hole golf courses in Sacramento, Calif., 10 aerify once a year, scaling back from twice a year in the past. Golf courses cite economics as the reason for skipping the process, with one property reporting a cost of $30,000 for each aerification, including labor, material, and lost revenue.