A Visalia sports bar built around indoor golf simulators is swinging into north Fresno, taking over the former Lassen's grocery store space near Woodward Park with plans for eight simulator bays, a 46-seat bar and dining area, and roughly 20 new jobs when it opens in early 2027.
Construction is already underway at the planned 12,500-square-foot facility at 9439 N. Fort Washington Road, according to The Sun-Gazette. The outlet reports that officials expect the space to include eight indoor golf simulators alongside the bar and dining setup, with room for private events like birthday parties and fundraisers, league play, and partnerships with local businesses and organizations.
The Fresno build-out will need roughly 20 employees, including a general manager, per the same report. It builds on momentum from Mulligan's original Visalia venue, which has hosted more than 200 competing golfers since it opened in 2024, officials say.
From a Pilot in Visalia to a Statewide Vision
Mulligan's Sports Bar and Indoor Golf first opened its doors in the Main Street Theatre building in downtown Visalia. The Sun-Gazette dates that opening to July 2024, though GV Wire reports that co-owner Shane Moss described the Visalia spot as a pilot before it launched in August 2024. Moss and co-owner Scott Wright have said they eventually plan to open five locations over a five-year span.
Moss said he and Wright agreed that Fresno was a good opportunity after surveying the area and watching worldwide interest in off-course golf grow, a decision he attributed in part to timing that pushed them toward their next move. Wright has called the business a passion project, saying it creates opportunities for community connection through golf. Moss added that the Fresno venue builds on the Visalia concept with dining, leagues, events and game days, aiming to foster the same sense of community.
Mulligan's describes itself on its own site as a tech-powered indoor golf and entertainment venue offering food and drink, and the company has said it supports social events and community give-back nights at its existing location.
Corporate Paperwork and a License in the Window
Behind the scenes, Mulligans Fresno, Inc. was officially filed as a California general corporation on May 9, 2025, according to business records cited by bizprofile.net. Those records list the corporation's principal address as 9439 North Fort Washington Road in Fresno, the same site where construction is now visible. Scott Wright is listed as secretary and director of the corporation, while Shane Moss appears as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and director.
GV Wire also reported earlier this year that a liquor license for Mulligan's Fresno had been posted in the window of the vacant Lassen's grocery store. That outlet described the former grocery site as nearly 13,000 square feet, a figure that differs somewhat from The Sun-Gazette's description of the new facility as 12,500 square feet.
Plenty of Company in Fresno's Growing Simulator Scene
Mulligan's won't be alone in chasing north Fresno's appetite for indoor golf. GV Wire notes that The Fairway Lounge already operates nearby at the Park Crossing Shopping Center, and yourcentralvalley.com reports that venue plans to offer access to more than 250 golf courses year-round through a moving swing plate designed to mimic realistic course undulations and lies. Further out, Chukchansi has partnered with Top Golf to add a couple of simulators at its casino near Coarsegold, according to GV Wire's reporting.
The appetite for simulator golf isn't just a Central Valley phenomenon. The National Golf Foundation describes the simulator niche as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the golf industry, with gains in participation and availability accelerating since the start of the pandemic. Elsewhere in the country, similar venues have cropped up in recent years, including Killers Golf, which opened in McAllen, Texas in 2021, and The Deep End, a bar, restaurant and arcade with golf simulators that opened in Harlingen, Texas in April 2024, according to the RGV Business Journal.
That outlet notes the format's draw: customers can play a virtual 18-hole course from anywhere in the world without leaving an air-conditioned lounge, often with drinks on hand at the bar. The simulators tend to appeal to newer players, people who don't have four hours to spare for a traditional round, and golfers looking to sharpen their skills, the Journal reports, with a newer generation of machines using video cameras and swing-tracking software to deliver precision data that can help lower a handicap.
For Fresno golfers who don't want to drive to Visalia, that trend is about to land a lot closer to home, with Mulligan's aiming to bring its simulators, bar seats and league nights to the former Lassen's building sometime in early 2027.
