Merlot/Chardonnay at Poppy Ridge Golf Course

We arrived at the course and the staff was very welcoming and for the price it really felt like a private country club atmosphere. The starter asked if we needed snacks, scorecards etc.... and then gave us directions to the first nine which was Merlot. Wide open fairways and the elevation changes added a bit of a challenge as to which clubs to choose and the course was in great condition including the greens. Chardonnay IMO was the better of the two nines. The two tiered greens and interesting bunker placements in the fairways added to the shot challenges and the majority of the pins were in the back of the greens. The 18th was a great closing hole with a small gallery of folks watching from the restaurant and cheering us on. I’m so glad to see this course looking so well after all these years and I wouldn’t hesitate to tell folks to come on out and play this gem.

weather was good just a little chilly, greens where rolling ,course is in great shape and finished in under 4 hours

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

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!

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...

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. .

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.