Planes making their approach at Fresno Yosemite International Airport often fly directly over Airways Golf Course, a popular municipal track that has been as busy as ever in recent years, one of many that have taken advantage of the post-COVID golf boom.
The course saw 60,000 rounds in each of the last few years, according to a story at the Fresno Bee, and with green fees that sneak under $30 during the week, it’s easy to see why seniors and youth players make the 6,900-yard course a part of their daily itineraries.
But thanks to an upcoming airport expansion, it’s expected that Airways will soon be shut down for good. The course, which has been open since 1952, has two years left on a lease that is unlikely to be renewed.
Here’s more from the Bee:
The golf course, located just west of the intersection of Clovis and Shields avenues along the eastern edge of the Fresno airport, is owned by the city of Fresno. “The golf course sits on a site that’s always been designated for future development of the airport,” said Henry Thompson, Director of Aviation at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. “There’s a future need of the airport to grow in that direction. “And it’ll restrict the airport’s growth if we don’t plan now and grow.”
Closure could come in as soon as two years when the course’s lease expires in April 2027. Sadness surrounding Airway’s looming future, meanwhile, is already taking place. Airways might have fallen short of providing a ritzy country club-like experience for golfers. But its imperfect conditions — from the occasional dry spot on the course to large, fallen trees creating obstructions around the fairways — seldom turned off folks from golfing at Airways.
Traffic at Airways picked up in 2018 when the semi-private course Fig Garden closed its doors. And while there are no plans to close the city’s Riverside Golf Course, there are also no plans to add any new courses to the municipal circuit.
“This is where we grew up,” Fresno resident Louie Rodriguez told the Bee. “Had a lot of tournaments here. Had a lot of family tournaments out here, too. Like 150 players in our family for a tournament. “It was a lot of fun.” Airways Pool closed in 2017 due to issues with its foundational infrastructure that would’ve cost $450,000 in renovations.
Regulars at Airways can’t help but feel emotional about the memories they’ve made at the golf course and the golfing moments they won’t be able to make there in the future. “From a recreational standpoint, it’d be a big impact on the seniors and younger kids,” Rodriguez said of Airways’ pending closure. “These people have nowhere else to go really.”
Read the full article here