Chardonnay/Zinfandel at Poppy Ridge Golf Course

Nice course. Fair. Can put up a good score if you hit the fairways. Shot an 81. A little disappointed that the greens had been aerated, but didn't find out until after I had paid - that said, they had mostly recovered. If I had played a week earlier, I would have been truly upset.
Weather was perfect. I walked. Course is a little hilly, but not too bad. There are a few holes where the walk between the green and tee is 3-4 minutes - a little too far. Overall, a good experience - check in was efficient, practice facilities good. A little bit of a haul from where I live (about 1.25 hrs drive), so I'll play every so often here, but not regularly.
I would say that this course must cook during the summer, and I bet it gets very windy too. The day I played, the wind was moderate, not much of a factor.

I came from the Bay Area to play this course because I am sick of being stuck on courses where they jam people out so fast, it takes 6 hours to play... Yes, I'm talking about you Tilden, Franklin Canyon... And a host of others... I immediately knew I was at a properly run golf course when the bag was taken from my car and put on the cart. Such a seemingly simple task is nonexistent at most Bay area courses I play. From there, it just got better. I scored on the 50‰ off rack outside the door, and it just kept getting better! When I went in to pay, I asked the guy(Mike) if he had any putters because I needed to buy a new putter. He listened to what I had to say regarding which kind of putters I liked and steered me toward the right putter for me, then mentioned that if I bought the putter he would include a free round, which I could use that day... how awesome is that?!!! then I started thinking "I think I need another club" ! So, he said "every time you buy a new club you get a free round"... I walked away with 3 new clubs and my buddy and I golfed for free with a voucher for another day as well! Awesome so far! The Course: It was a bit windy here, built into the hillside like it is with no trees to speak of, it really can add 5 to 10 strokes to your normal game very easily. The fairways are not overly generous with real estate due to bunkers plopped about everywhere, but that does force a cautious player to play smart and an aggressive player... to start drinking... Cause that's the only way to make it through the front 9. I think I hit sand on 7 of the first 11 holes, sometimes twice! 2 bad shots but the rest was all wind. If you're off the fairway, be prepared to have to swing hard to get outta that rough... And just off the rough is a nightmare! Very thick stuff. Keep your eye on the ball off the Tee and don't stop till the ball comes to rest... That wind is the worst... I'll stop complaining about the wind... after I tell you about hole 12. It's 193 from blue T's.. it was 197 where the pin placement was... I used a 9 iron off the T and got lucky.. I ended up 1' from the pin.. but I used a 9 iron off the tee!!!! 191 yards ball flight!!! that's my 150 club! So, when I tell you its windy, you figure it out. Going against the wind is.. What's the word.. Treacherous... The greens are smooth and firm, not overly hard but you have to hit the ball well to see any action on them. 2 or 3 greens were a little bit less firm but for the most part, very consistent from front to back 9's. There seemed to be a lot of hidden undulation that I couldn't figure out even when I took practice putts after holing out. some call it challenging, I call it irritating. Bring someone along who plays the course or you'll end up making up a whole dictionary of new words, trust me, I'm on my fourth book.. So, I end up shooting 48/41 on a windy day on a downright beautiful course.. A triple to start and two quick doubles made me adapt to playing somewhat smart and not risking long shots to recover from front 9. Stay in the fairway at all cost! I would say this course is a poor man's TPC.. And worth every penny! I can't wait to come back after this 4 hour round on a Sunday with a 1pm T time, that's unheard of. This course is comparable to Yocho Dehe... Except harder. Staff is filled with top notch professionals from pro shop to the concession stand. 5 stars!!!

Green was quite fast due to college tournament. I love it.
Overall condition was good except some empty water bottles, and 1st tee box close to practice green was somewhat noisy.

Unfortunately, we played on one of the windiest days of the year, which made an already difficult links course nearly unplayable. I gave the course an excellent rating because it shouldn't be penalized for a "one off" weather day.

For an NCGA member or a golfnow hotdeal you would be hard pressed to find a better value than poppy ridge. Course is in excellent condition from tee to green. Staff is great. Practice greens are true. Can't mail it in either you need to hit quality golf shots, and miss on the correct side.

Had a good round, the weather was terribly cold that day. Nice course for the amount at that time. will be back again.

As always, Poppy Ridge is in pristine condition. Great staff and the greens are rolling true. The nines are some of the best in the area and as an NCGA member you get a break at one of the best tracks.
Little to no wind today made the course a little easier.

Excellent facility all around, can't go wrong with this selection.

The weather was perfect, next to no wind....the pace of play on the front 9 was great, finished in 1:45, but on the back, it slowed down, ended up finishing the entire 18 in 4 hours. Love the course, and for once, the driver was working :-)

Had a great round. Quiet day so no one behind us. Merlot was more challenging than Chardonnay.

Wonderful course meandering through the foothills of Livermore. 3 championship 9 hole tracks provide a challenging layout with elevation changes and memorable holes. Greens were fast but fair. We played on a Sunday when there were playoff football games so that may have influenced the pace of play, but it felt like we had the course to ourselves. Conditions were excellent. If you are an NCGA member you get a discount. The only drawback is that this course is a bit off the beaten path, but otherwise a must play.

Poppy Ridge is in great condition for a public course and the greens were taken care of. The only negative I have about this course is that it is very hilly and there are VERY FEW distance markers. There are several holes where the green/flag are not visible, but you have to hunt for a 200 or 150 marker on the cart path.

If you play the course often, this probably isn't an issue, but they need to add distance markers on the fairway. The hilly layout does make this a tough course, but it was still fun to play.

I like this course so much I joined there club last year. Great course, great conditions and great customer service. The course marshals do everything they can to keep everyone moving!

Poppy Ridge is a great all around course for the price....it is in pretty good cond even after a lot of rain past few weeks....smartly lates out and challenging without being overbearing...such a fun course.

This golf course is currently in excellent condition following all of the rain we have received as of late which has undone the damage done by the drought to most of our California courses these past several months. From the multilayered tees, to the immaculate greens which allow a smooth roll of your ball, no one can claim that the course condition had a negative effect on their score here. The green fees here are a little steep considering this is a public course, but obviously they are being well used as this facility is well groomed in every area. Splurge a little and play here and you will not be disappointed. As a side note while I was playing the 8th Hole of the Chardonnay 9, where the one lone Oak tree that was present when the course was designed and built still remains, I hit a fine 240 yard drive up near the cart path that runs along the left edge of this hole, and moments before we loaded into our cart I watched a very large bird set down on the top of a little mound not more than 15 feet or so from where my ball was sitting. A few moments later as we approached my ball we had to slow way down so as not to disturb the magnificent regal looking eagle which had chosen that place and time to set down right near my ball. We waited a minute for the bird who was staring at us to take flight, but as he remained rooted to where he was I finally reluctantly got out of our cart to hit my next shot. Just as I got to my ball however, I saw out of the corner of my eye his wings suddenly spread out and then he glided right towards me, turned just slightly, and passed by me so close at waist high that I literally could have reached out and touched him without even stretching. He stayed low to the ground for a few more yards but upon reaching the middle of the fairway with just a couple of flaps of his powerful wings he took off skyward and slowly circled us as we completed the hole. It was a beautiful experience that I will not forget anytime soon if ever and without question this course will remain etched in my mind as well. It is my understanding that a few such animals have been released into the wild in the Livermore area within the last couple of years so I wouldn't be surprised if this happened to others who play this venue. So if you love these raptors like I do, go on out and play here and maybe you will get as lucky as I did and see one of these birds in the wild at a mere arms length.

This 27 hole course is the home of NCGA. Has several sets of tees for all skill levels, some water, several bunkers and can get windy. The greens are normally pristine and they keep the course in great condition all year. You will not be disappointed with any of the nines.

This course is definitely worth playing. That said, you might want to book a morning tee time. The wind comes up in the afternoon and can make this a very challenging layout. Greens are fair but not easy. This is one of my favorite tracks.

Moderately challenging golf course with good elevations. Blind shots on a couple of holes and a couple of par 3 you hit from elevated tee deck.

The last time I played Poppy was about 4 years ago and I was very disappointed for the money I spent and the course was in poor condition. This time around the course was in great shape. Bunkers have plenty of sand, fast greens and nice fairways.

This was my first time playing this course and I wasn't disappointed. The course was in great condition and was just challenging enough but not too difficult. The staff was friendly and helpful and the food in the grill was very good. No complaints. Will come back.