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3.9
379 Reviews (379)
5 Stars
194
4 Stars
141
3 Stars
27
2 Stars
10
1 Stars
7
Conditions
4.3
Value
3.3
Layout
4.1
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
2.8
Amenities
3.4
73.8%
Recommend this course
346 out of 379 reviews
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5 Stars
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4 Stars
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3 Stars
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2 Stars
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1 Stars
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Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
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Average Rating
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0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
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Conditions
0
Value
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Layout
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0%
Recommend this course
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About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 7106 yards
Slope 135
Rating 74.8

Course Details

Year Built 1996
Golf Season Year round
Architect Rees Jones (1996) Steve Weisser (1996)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
GPS Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes - "Poppy Ridge Golf Academy"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Appropriate golf attire

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in California (2014 #15)

Reviews

3.9
379 Reviews (379)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 28
Patio Dining 24
19th Hole Scenic Views 23
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 48
Elevation Changes 46
Undulating Greens 36
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 39
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 33
Locals 25
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 50
In the 'Burbs 15
Convenient to the City 13

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 76
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Cart path only...

Love this course, well known for having the best drainage system in the bay area. So it saddens me when I get there and see the sign CART PATH ONLY TODAY. Sure there are some wet areas on half the holes on the course but this can easily be managed by surrounding them with stakes. If I quantify this I think 40% of the value goes away due to the cumbersome and energy draining task of leaving the cart 50 yards to hit a ball and walk back 50 yards again. I caught myself actually aiming my ball next to the cart path just to lessen the ordeal. Ha ha ha. Winter golf...

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 20
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

One tough course

I have played many courses and I’m not a pro but the layout is great and I hope everyone get a chance to play golf here

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

My Home Course is Hidden Bay Area Gem

As someone who works and lives in Livermore CA, Poppy Ridge is my go to course. So much so that I'm a member of the NCGA through their Men's Club. So this is my home course. I play it 20+ times a year and at this point know the course like the back of my hand. The Ridge is one of the gems in the Bay Area that doesn't get as much talk as other courses; especially a certain other course in Livermore's wine country. But it should.

27 holes of links style perfection nestled in the Livermore wine country hills. The course's main defense is the wind that kicks up in the afternoon; especially in Spring and early summer. The course plays so much different and harder in the wind.

The course is a challenging but fair test of golf for the mid to low handicap golfer (High handicappers might find the course too difficult). The course is designed to punish errant tee and approach shots but isn't unfair. Fairways are wide enough to hit with good tee shots and greens while protected can be hit with adequate to good approach irons. But, a bad shot right or left of either will typically be punished by a lost ball or O.B. Add the wind to this, and it's a mix that could punish even the most experienced golfers.

Each of the three 9's offers it's challenges and although NCGA rates each about the same, my experience DOES NOT bear this out. Easiest of the 3 9-holes is Zinfandel. Next hardest is Chardonnay and by far the hardest is Merlot; which I have nicknamed The Beast. Merlot's starting hole #1 tells you all you need to know about this 9. It is a 385 yard par 4 (from the white tees) that plays uphill and INTO a stiff prevailing wind. When the wind is blowing I find it nearly unreachable in 2 shots. Add brutal fairway and green side bunkers as well as OB to the right of the fairway, and this hole will get your attention really fast. I feel pretty good getting away with bogey on this hole. Merlot #3, #5, #6, #7 and #9 all are similarly difficult. I have a love hate relationship with Merlot.

Overall you can't go wrong at Poppy Ridge. Play it!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap Don't know
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Poppy Ridge

Practice and warm up before playing - it will pay off! I went out cold without either and the Chardonnay & Zinfandel 9's were having none of that nonsense. Of course my playing partner was a regular and wanted to play from the black tees. I believed it a great idea because distance hasn't really ever been an issue but spraying to both right & left and trekking up hill after hill almost did me in. Or so my playing partner thought. When I spied a few errant balls for the shag bag, my partner thought I had fallen down with a heart attack. No such luck, I had to play another 4 or 5 challenging holes with a broken chaotic swing. Golf is the game of life, and I am the Unforgiven. I did manage to hit the Zinfandel 9th in two so, like Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back' - very good courses in good to average shape. Greens are still fast. .

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great course

Great course, very helpful staff and pace of play was excellent for Saturday we’re finished in four hours and 10 minutes.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Fantastic Experience

This is my favorite course in the east Bay Area! The course is always in great shape and the golf course staff are extraordinarily friendly and helpful! They really go out of their way to make sure you have the best time possible.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Poppy Ridge gets a mulligan

Played this course many time. Course conditions were not very good except for the tee boxes. Fairways were not mowed well, had many holes and some were soaking wet. I had several balls plugged. The greens were horrendously slow. One would have to hit it about 3x the normal strength for most putts. I know what the course could/should be like, so I’ll give it a mulligan...for now.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/09/2019

We're sorry to learn you did not enjoy your round with us, we hoe you'll give us another shot in the near future.

Played On
Reviews 44
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

The only disappointing part is the greens should be a bit faster

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/05/2019

Thanks for the 5 stars! We hope you'll give our greens another shot soon!

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Difficult course in the wind

Played in calm conditions and found it plays a little short off blues. Layout is fair, it didn’t feel crowded. Starter moved people along nicely. My main issue was that all greens were punched recently and they were very slow and uneven. Course was over-watered in a few places so ended up hitting a lot of fat shots. I’m told it’s gets very windy around the course in pm. I’m thinking it would be a very challenging course in a strong wind.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/09/2019

We appreciate you taking the time to give us your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the layout and the pace the starter set. We hope you'll come back again soon when the course is fully recovered.

Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Great as always!

First time I played here this year but it’s always one of my favorites! The holes are interesting and challenging but not punishing and the conditions are always great. I’ve never had a bad experience here, the staff are great from the pro shop and starters through the cart girls, halfway house and restaurant. With 3 nines, there is plenty of variety. The Chardonnay 9 I think is the most challenging, but they are all fun.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/05/2019

We're glad you had a great first time playing Poppy Ridge Golf Course! We hope to see you more often this season!

Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/23/2019

Hello, marcuszuercher. Thank you for your 5-star rating! Please book another round with us soon at Merlot/Chardonnay at Poppy Ridge Golf Course!

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/19/2019

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to see that your overall experience was anything short of 5 stars, but we hope you'll give us another try in the near future.

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