Airways Golf Course has been a Fresno institution since 1952. Here’s why it’s closing

The sound of airplanes roaring from the neighboring runway would briefly halt play at Fresno’s Airways Golf Course.

Golfers, though, rarely viewed it as a nuisance even if the sport’s etiquette always has emphasized silence.

If anything, the sights and sounds of planes flying nearby long became commonplace for generations of those who learned and played golf at Airways.

“Seeing the planes, hearing them take off, it’s never been a big deal,” said Erick Costa, who is the head profession and Director of Golf at Airways. “No distraction. It’s just always been part of what it’s like to play here since I was a little kid.”

However, those days of mixing a round of golf in Fresno amid the overhead noise of air traffic are coming to an end.

Projects to expand and renovate Fresno Yosemite International Airport are about to set a domino effect that city of Fresno officials confirmed will lead eventually to permanent closure of Airways Municipal Golf Course.

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.”

Looming closure, present sadness

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.

“We’ve been playing here since I was about 13 years old,” Fresno resident Louie Rodriguez said. “My cousins and I would come out here and play during the summer.

“I’m 76, and me and my cousins are still playing here.”

According to Costa, Airways has attracted more than 60,000 golfers per year since 2023. That’s twice the size of what most other golf courses typically average.

And moderate pricing to play 18 holes at Airways certainly has helped simmer complaints — as has its central location that provides easy accessibility from all parts of Fresno.

Its par-69 course (most are par 72) also helps players finish their round of golf in a more timely manner.

Airways, once part of military lands and known as Hammer Field, simply has been a popular place to golf since 1952.

Not the most luxurious but good-value golfing.

For much of its existence, Airways also had a swimming pool and offered low-cost swim lessons next to the golf course. That combination attracted many families to Airways over the years during the summer.

“This is where we grew up,” Rodriguez said. “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 woud’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.”

The Fresno golfing community had already shrunk in 2018 when the semi-private Fig Garden Golf course in northwest Fresno closed.

A city official confirmed there are no current plans to build a new golf public golf course.

The city does still own Riverside Golf Course in northwest Fresno.

Why Airways will close

With a record 2.7 million travelers passing through Fresno Yosemite International Airport in 2024 and more expected in the coming years, the airport has been in need of expansion.

More passengers has meant more flights and more planes, as well as a need for more land.

The airport is in the process of its first major expansion in more than 20 years with a $150 million terminal expansion set to be completed in November.

In addition, there are two other major projects scheduled in the next couple of years.

But it’s the airport’s long-term plans — which are being devised, but with nothing scheduled to break ground in the near future — that will eventually force Airways to shut down.

Here’s how it’s set to play out.

The Fresno airport knows it’ll need more space for potential parking, hangars, maintenance facilities.

The land it needs to use for growth is currently used by the 144th Fighter Wing, a unit of the California Air National Guard that’s at the neighboring Fresno Air National Guard Base.

But Fresno doesn’t want to lose the national guard base.

And the 144th Wing would like to expand itself, with the base set to get newer, larger aircraft in the coming years.

So the city has worked out a trade of sorts to allow both Fresno Yosemite International Airport and the 144th Wing to grow.

“We are beginning the planning discussions on how and when to relocate them,” Thompson, the airport’s director, said of the 144th Wing.

The airport will take over the lands currently used by the national guard.

In turn, the 144th Wing will take over the space currently known as Airways.

“Existing lands that the military is on will allow expansion of the airport,” Thompson said. “The existing base could expand our terminal in that direction, could be additional parking or aircraft parking. Anything to support the (airport’s) growth.

“The military is interested in the move for several reasons. The existing base, which has been in place since the 1950s, is undersized for them. In today’s military, they need more space for aircraft to operate.

“In order for them to meet the standard for a military facility and keep them in Fresno, a relocation is necessary. And Airways, that’s the only available property.”

When will the game of musical chairs occur, leaving Airways without a seat?

“Right now, we’re in initial discussions of what the move will look like,” Thompson said. “And we’ll start initial discussions on the phasing of the move, which will occur over many years. Like 10, 15 years before the base is completely moved onto the golf course.

“April 2027 is the absolute earliest it could happen. But more than likely, it’ll become much later.”

Could Airways end up sticking around longer than April 2027?

Thompson said it’s possible.

Could Airways survive and allow golfers to continue to play there for many, many more years?

“No,” Thompson said. “But it does take a lot of time to plan and get the funding.

“We’re talking many years out before we see it all fully develop.”

This story was originally published May 18, 2025 at 5:30 AM.