Petaluma mini golf plan hits funding snag

The dream to open a Petaluma mini golf center has met the reality of a funding gap.|

When things get tough and the vision for Free Range Miniature Golf gets murky, Kelly Valera tells her husband, Jeff Valera, that “this is all going to be part of the story one day.”

The couple has been pouring nearly all of their personal capital into making their longtime dream for Petaluma’s first mini golf complex a reality, but now a $160,000 funding gap stands in the way of closing their small business loan.

In a last-ditch effort, months removed from their initial targeted opening in July, the Valeras have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo this week, something Kelly Valera said she’s extremely reluctant to do.

“The thought of it is just so not my style. My husband and I just don’t like to ask for things,” she said, joking that she never asks her dinner party guests to bring anything. “I’m not asking for me, I’m asking for the business, which is for the community. That’s how I have to think about it.”

The Valera family is constructing a recreation facility at 5101 Montero Way that will feature an 18-hole outdoor mini golf course, an arcade, snack shop and an indoor playground.

The project would transform the 4,800 square-foot building – visible from the Highway 101 northbound onramp by Old Redwood Highway – into a family fun center that would be the first of its kind in Petaluma.

However, the loan they signed requires a 20 percent personal injection of the $1.2 million cost for the project, Valera said. They later learned that their monthly rent payments of more than $7,000 could not be used toward that amount, leaving them about two-thirds shy of fulfilling their obligation.

The continuous cost of the project has never ceased, either. To get approval from the Petaluma Planning Commission in February, Valera and her husband spent an estimated $12,000 on a conditional use permit, on top of the capital exhausted on architectural and site plans required for a municipal process.

“It’s all for a good reason and we totally understand it,” Valera said. “It’s just that the loan itself has taken us this long (to get closed).”

Initially, the family sold their house for seed money, which is “long gone,” Valera said. With two children at home, she went back to work as Jeff Valera continues to work in San Francisco hosting trade shows.

The Valeras’ relentless pursuit of the project stems from its inspiration. Kelly Valera’s first job was at a family fun center in New York, and one of their most memorable dates as a young couple was at a mini golf course.

When it’s complete, Valera hopes Petaluma’s teenagers and young couples will visit Free Range for a night out just like they did.

“It just makes sense,” she said. “It’s going to be a great place for families but it would also be good for a date or to have a corporate event.”

Since the process has taken longer than expected, they’ve also been able to refine their offerings. The indoor playground has replaced the initial concept for inside the building, which was first slated for an additional 8-hole course.

Three party rooms will be available to book and, when they’re not in use, will remain open for customers.

Free Range will also be pursuing an alcohol permit to sell craft beer and wine. On busier nights and weekends, food trucks from local vendors will be parked outside.

Valera also has multiple ideas for different themed events to encourage visits on weeknights.

Crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo offer donors a chance to make monetary pledges that come with various tiers of rewards. Smaller donations will come with a commemorative golf ball and a free visit. Larger ones include exclusive shirts and membership discounts, grand opening passes and free mini golf for fixed periods.

Anyone that pledges $5,000 or more gets a name plate, a free party for 40 guests, T-shirt memberships and free mini golf for life.

Failure is not an option, Valera said, and she’s optimistic the community and family-oriented intent for Free Range will inspire Petalumans to open their checkbooks and become a part of their story.

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, very roller-coaster like,” she said. “I think we’re just so excited about our plan and we know how incredible it’s going to be once it happens. What a fun place it’s going to be to go to for people that live here. That’s what keeps us moving forward when things don’t go our way.”

(Contact News Editor Yousef Baig at yousef.baig@arguscourier.com or 776-8461, and on Twitter @YousefBaig.)

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