Poppy Ridge Golf Course

Poppy Ridge Golf Course underwent one of the most significant transformations in Bay Area golf history when the NCGA commissioned architect Jay Blasi to completely reimagine the property. The original Rees Jones design had served the Livermore Valley for nearly three decades, but the NCGA — which also owns Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach — decided that an entirely new course was needed rather than incremental improvements. What Blasi delivered when the all-new 18-hole layout opened in 2025 has been widely celebrated: a walking-friendly, panoramic layout that feels like it belongs in Livermore's wine country setting rather than merely sitting next to it.

The redesign introduced six tee box options on every hole, making the course genuinely playable for golfers of all abilities while maintaining legitimate tournament challenge from the back tees. The routing winds through golden, savannah-covered hills with the vineyards of the Livermore Valley visible from much of the course — on clear days the contrast between the green fairways and the surrounding wine country landscape is striking. Wide, contoured fairways encourage strategic play rather than simply rewarding length, and the greens have the subtle undulations that Blasi is known for: readable, but rewarding of local knowledge. Golf Digest praised the redesign as one of California's standout new public courses, and Golf Pass called it a course worth driving to from anywhere in Northern California.

In addition to the 18-hole championship layout, Poppy Ridge offers The Ridge 9 — a shorter par 34 course incorporating several modified holes from the original Poppy Ridge design alongside three newly built holes. The Ridge 9 is a genuine alternative for golfers wanting a faster round, beginners building confidence, or anyone who wants to play the property twice in a day at a lower price point. The NCGA connection means members get preferred tee times and rates, but the course is open to all golfers.