A new operator means Valley Children’s legacy par-3 golf course and driving range will remain open, but a Fresno councilmember fears it could affect city plans for Riverside Golf Course.

Potentially hanging in the balance: the wildly popular Top Golf brand.

CourseCo, the operator behind Riverside Golf Course in Fresno and Valley Oaks Golf Course in Visalia, will take over Valley Golf Center, according to a news release from Valley Children’s, which owns the property along Highway 41.

With negotiations on a new contract — including a major expansion — between CourseCo and the city of Fresno ongoing, Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi didn’t want the deal affecting the golf course.

“I think they’re a great operator and I think they’re doing great work at Riverside,” Karbassi said of CourseCo. “I worry this is going to create more contention given the fact that the Valley Children’s project already undercut Top Golf out of my district.”

Tom Bugbee, chief of operations with CourseCo, however, told GV Wire there’s plenty of golf to go around and the company still wants to go through with expansion plans. He said he had heard similar rumors about Top Golf going to the Madera location.

The 18-hole course at Riverside and the 9-hole course in Madera provide different opportunities and experiences for golfers.

“I can’t emphasize our excitement both at the new opportunity at what will be called Highway 41 Golf Center, but also our history continuing to build into the future at Riverside and ability to continue to build affordable, accessible public-access golf and programming in the Fresno area,” Bugbee said.

New Name for Valley Golf Center

Come Aug. 1, Valley Golf Center will rebrand as Highway 41 Golf Center, Bugbee said.

The contract with Valley Children’s comes as the 9-hole golf course and driving range were set to close July 29 due to the previous business owner’s plans to retire.

“When the longtime operators shared their retirement plans with us, our priority was simple: keep the facility open and preserve it as a community asset,” said Valley Children’s Vice President of Facilities and Construction Kellie Dyer. “Our new agreement with CourseCo allows us to build on a great legacy while ensuring the golf center continues to serve families throughout the Central Valley for years to come.”

Conversations to take over operations began about six months ago, Bugbee said. CourseCo previously provided agronomical consulting at the course.

Eighty percent of their 48 courses are owned by a public agency, so having “community-based” golf fit their model nicely, Bugbee said.

“There’s a really good reputation, a real connection from the residents and the surrounding community, and we can build on that with additional programming, more youth golf, more introduction to golf,” Bugbee said. “And also partnering with the hospital to hopefully bring some patients, some employees, some of their families for additional introduction to golf and family fun at the golf course.”

Deal Expands First Tee Program

CourseCo taking over operations at Valley Golf and the Riverside expansion mean good things for the First Tee-Fresno program, executive director Morgan Berling told GV Wire.

First Tee, a youth development nonprofit, currently has about 40,000 children ages 4 to 18 in the area enrolled, Berling said.

They teach life lessons through golf, including a proper handshake — which resembles the correct grip on a golf club — and how to be honest even if no one is watching, such as being out on the fairway, Berling said.

CourseCo helped found the Fresno chapter back in 2006.

Berling said one girl in foster care found First Tee gave her the support she needed as she grew into an adult.

After her stepfather burned down the mobile home where she lived, she went into foster care.

“She ended up coming back to golf and being like, ‘This is what I want to do,” Berling said.

She later became one of the top community college golfers in the area.

“Together, we’re expanding access to the game while helping build confidence, character and life skills for the next generation,” Berling said in a statement. “With CourseCo’s longstanding presence in Fresno, we’re excited to see another local facility become part of its commitment to making golf more accessible and creating new opportunities for youth and families throughout our community.”

Could Valley Children’s Golf Course Compete With Fresno?

In recent months, Fresno’s municipal golf course, Riverside has been a hot topic at city council meetings.

Fresno has tried to court Top Golf, with Riverside Golf as a prime location, said Karbassi.

Karbassi said that plan fell through about a year ago after the brand was “persuaded to go elsewhere.”

CourseCo has operated Riverside since 1985. It is one of the few courses in the region that does not require a membership.

The contract came up when the company expressed interest in expanding operations at Riverside that Karbassi during a meeting described as “Top Golf Lite.”

While Riverside operates a complete 18-hole course, Bugbee said the company wants to expand the driving range, including adding TopTracer technology — owned by Top Golf — similar to the Visalia and now Madera locations.

Karbassi during the April 23 meeting said the additions could make the golf course a significant revenue generator for the city.

The details of the improvement are not finalized, Bugbee said, but project costs will likely be in the $1 million to $1.5 million range.

“We are prepared and excited to use our own money to make a significant investment in the facility,” Bugbee said.

City Adds Wants $1 Fee at Riverside Enforced

One of the conditions of the new contract requires a $1 fee charged for each round of golf played.

City Manager Georgeanne White said the fee should have been collected in the past as it would have helped offset “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in deferred maintenance.

During the April 23 meeting, city parks director Aaron Aguirre anticipated raising about $40,000 a year through the fee for the Riverside capital fund.

At the time, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said the fee should fund facility improvements there.

“Every time I see an increased fee from the city, whether it’s directly from our master fee schedule or indirectly through our private operators, I like to see what is the public going to get in exchange for that,” Arias said.

Valley Children’s Aggressively Pursuing Development

A Valley Children’s spokesperson declined to comment on Top Golf coming to the property.

Valley Children’s owns the golf course’s land but not the business. The hospital has aggressively expanding commercial operations as alternative revenue sources.

In 2024, the public got its first taste of the hospital’s plans for “The Hill” — a 220-acre development that would bring housing, retail, hotels, and office space to the complex.

In 2020, golf giant Callaway merged with TopGolf, completing the company’s investment in TopGolf that began in 2006. Known for its entertaining driving ranges, the brand has also operated alongside traditional golf courses, such as in El Segundo.