Mulligans to Bring Indoor Golfing to South Valley

Golfers in the South Valley will soon have a place to play a full round of golf without having to walk the complete length of a golf course, and without the weather being a factor.

A new 8,500-square-foot indoor golf course is currently under construction inside of the former Main Street Theatre, which for years presented productions by the Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company in downtown Visalia.

The venue will feature seven bays with simulators, which will allow golfers to "play" any one of 92 actual courses on Mulligans' large screens. The simulators will offer views from the most prestigious courses around the world, including Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.

If someone happens to be "playing at" the St. Andrews course in Scotland, for example, they will know if their ball successfully made it over the bridge.

Two of the simulators feature 21-foot-long curved screens. The other five have 16-foot-long standard wide screens. Golfers stand in front of the screens and hit a real golf ball into them.

"The technology will pick up the bend in the shaft and the speed of the swing," said Shane Moss, president of Mulligans, adding that the player will know how far and where the ball would have landed on a real course – even if the ball hit a tree.

One of the bays will be upstairs and feature a 1,000-foot simulator.

"It will fit up to 50 people," Moss said, adding that the bay will be able to accommodate bachelor parties and corporate events.

Mulligans will also include a restaurant and bar.

The downtown Visalia project is "a pilot," according to Moss.

"Our goal is to have four or five locations, including Fresno, Clovis, Bakersfield and maybe Hanford," he said.

As of early May, Moss and his partner, Scott Wright, have applied for a conditional use permit. The chairs of the former theater have already been removed and sand has been brought in to level out the floor.

"We're working toward opening in December," said Moss, but he added that February or March of 2024 might be more realistic. The downtown Visalia location limits the use of trucks in the construction.

"We're forced to do a lot of late night work," said Moss.

The planned construction is limited to the inside of the building. The outside will only have minor changes, such as the marquee.

Moss expects Mulligans to host league nights and tournaments.

"We're definitely open to a senior league or tournament if there are people who are interested," he said.

Memberships will be available and "we'll do discounts for seniors, the military and retired military," Moss said.

Mulligans will be located at 307 E. Main St. in Visalia.