The United Auburn Indian Community, a tribe that owns the Thunder Valley Casino near Sacramento, Calif., acquired the Whitney Oaks Golf Club, which is six miles away. The tribe acquired the course from BrightStar Golf Group for $3.95 million.
“Whitney Oaks rounds out the resort aspect of Thunder Valley,” a spokesman for the tribe told the Sacramento Bee.
The golf club will help lure out-of-town guests to the casino, which already features a spa, poll and hotel. The course opened in 1997 and was designed by Johnny Miller and Fred Bliss. It includes a 15,000 square foot clubhouse.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the course “had been neglected in recent months by its previous owner.”
The tribe plans to upgrade the golf car fleet, purchase new equipment to make course maintenance more efficient and upgrade the clubhouse.
“Anyone who has been to Thunder Valley knows the tribe only does things first class,” Elmets said.
Elmets told the Sacramento Bee that the tribe had been approached about buying Whitney Oaks in the past, but the price recently dropped.