Valley Golf Center Driving Range

Summary: Nestled in the foothills of northwest Fresno just below Children’s Hospital lies a 9-hole Par 3 golf course off the 41 Freeway with an on site driving range, well maintained putting and chipping green, a cute full service clubhouse, members only area, and ample seating area for those who want to chill out and enjoy the scenery.

Address: 41445 Ave 9, Fresno, CA 93720 (Madera County)

Major Cross Streets: Avenue 9 and 41N Frontage Road

Phone: 559-439-2712

Ranking System: There are three basic factors I will be ranking Driving Ranges on: Fun, Affordability, and Challenge. For me, these are the existential encounters I want to experience when engaging with this type of golfing environment. The criteria is based on a three point scale represented by a stack of range balls for each point. One stack of range balls is the lowest rating while three stacks of range balls are the highest. It’s pretty simple; let’s keep it that way;)

Breakdown: Valley Golf Center Driving Range is an interesting mix of formality and ambivalence. There are several areas where the average to below average golfers can work on their game, and for those who want a little privacy; the members only area should meet the needs of the above average golfer. There is a covered area to hit under if you need protection from the sun or rain and an open driving range area when the weather agrees with you. I have lived off and on in Fresno/Clovis for the past 25 years, and I’ve learned that Valley Golf Center is not one of those golf destinations that are discussed in depth when having a conversation with other golfers about where they like to golf. Instead, it is an afterthought. Think of it as though you are driving down the 41 Freeway at 70MPH (more like 90MPH) and you see massive black driving range nets jutting up from the side of the road. As you pass by, you think to yourself that you would love to see what’s down there and as quickly as that thought is there, it vanishes in the rearview of your memory because there are no signs indicating what the golf mirage was that you drove past.

Within the past year, I have tried to pry information about this golf course “unicorn” from my golfing buddies through direct questioning or listening to snippets of conversation. At one point in my travels, I became friends with a guy who worked at Valley Golf Center who was not very open about what happened there. Every once in a while he would tell stories of youth summer camps they (Valley Golf Center) sponsored, but he always trailed off to more interesting topics. I finally concluded that no-one really knew what the place was, and if they did, they hadn’t golfed there in years. Some people told me it had changed names several times and others said they heard the course wasn’t well maintained. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking none of this made sense because we all went to Hank Swank’s when we were in a pinch. I finally came to the conclusion that it was located in an area that was not easily accessible which led most people to drive past it to DragonFly Golf Club or they headed to Hank Swank’s to satisfy their golfing itch.

Armed with this accumulated knowledge, I decided to take the plunge and explore Valley Golf Center for myself. I left my house on a beautiful crisp November morning and merged onto the 41 North Freeway from the 180 West Freeway. Once I cleared Fresno, I started looking for the Avenue 9/Children’s Hospital off ramp. The driving range nets along the 41 South side are a good indicator you are close at which point I located the exit, and made a right at the first stop light. The tricky part is you have take the frontage road heading south along the 41 North Freeway and then make a right under the bridge to arrive at the destination. There are no signs, there are no markers, there is nothing to assist you in finding this place except whatever navigation tool you use on your cell phone or in your vehicle, so come prepared or hop on the Hogwart’s train and that might be a little easier.

Being this was my first time here, I started towards the clubhouse and realized that I had to check in at the front kiosk which was located on the exterior of the clubhouse. I don’t know if this was due to COVID restrictions or the typical way to pay for services, but it was quick, easy to find, and the prices were posted on a large sign next to the window. The young person behind the counter was nice and informed me that they normally take reservations for tee times and/or a spot on the driving range. I responded to this information by peeking my head around the corner and observed there were only a couple people hitting golf balls on the range. When I turned back, the employee informed me that she would “fit me in”, and I paid $11.00 for 50 range balls. She handed me an empty green plastic bucket with a number affixed to the handle, a receipt with a code for filling the bucket and directed me to the range ball dispensing machine located around the corner.

After filling my bucket with yellow range balls, I strolled to my reserved driving range #10 tee box and noted half the driving range was covered to protect from the elements and the other half was not; the tee box I was assigned too did not have an overhead covering and there was an artificial turf pad with a small plastic tube representing a tee protruding from one side. Looking out over the sprawling range, the rolling hills lulled me away from the hustle and bustle of Fresno. The 41 South freeway bordered the east side of the range, and the nine hole golf course carved its way along the westside of the driving range. The driving range itself contained several tires propped up at approximately 50 yards for chipping targets and there were target greens at 100 yards, 150 yards, 200 yards, 225 yards, 250 yards, 275 yards, and the range abruptly ended at the base of the hill measuring at 300 yards. Each target green had a colored flag for practice purposes which added to the challenge and fun of the overall experience. Within a half hour of being at the driving range, I had hit all fifty balls and came to the conclusion that I should have upgraded to the larger bucket containing 100 balls. I walked back to my car feeling good that I had found a new place to relax, have fun, and provided a safe space to explore the game of golf.

Final Thoughts: I am finding that no golf course or driving range is perfect. Valley Golf Center has artificial turf hitting mats versus lush green Bermuda grass, but the trade off is that you are hitting solid range balls onto visible greens or at functional targets. There is plenty of room to practice chipping or take the driver out and try to launch balls 300 yards. The clubhouse area is clean, the public chipping and putting areas are well maintained, and there is a 9-hole Par 3 golf course waiting to be conquered. Overall, I have found a little gem nestled in the foothills of Fresno where people can go to escape the fast paced Fresno environment and chill out for an hour hitting golf balls. Does it get any better?