At Poppy Ridge, our mission is to enhance the enjoyment of golf for Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) members and guests alike.
By maintaining outstanding courses and practice facilities, embodying our values of hospitality and personalized service, and giving players a place to enjoy great food and friendship, we aim to provide high-quality experiences that reflect NCGA standards.
The Northern California
Golf Association (NCGA)
Poppy Ridge is the home course of the NCGA.
With over 185,000 members belonging to over 1,300 clubs, the NCGA’s mission is to inspire all to enjoy the benefits of golf by providing engaging and inclusive member services.
The NCGA administers USGA GHIN handicaps for its members, provides training and governance for the Rules of Golf, delivers hundreds of association events, and provides exclusive golf-related benefits and opportunities.
Poppy Hills is another NCGA-owned course, located in beautiful Pebble Beach, CA. Known for its championship-ready turf, flawless bentgrass greens, and perfectly blended surroundings, Poppy Hills is enjoyed by golfers of all abilities and recognized by Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play.
Youth on Course provides young golfers with access to play courses for $5 or less, offering them the chance to not only understand and master the sport, but also to glean life lessons that can only be learned on the green.
Poppy Ridge is proud to offer $5 rounds for Youth on Course members. Rounds are available Monday–Thursday after 12 PM and Friday–Sunday after 3 PM. Call in advance for availability and booking.
The NCGA became the first allied golf association in the United States to own and operate two courses when it opened Poppy Ridge in Livermore in 1996.
Inspired by the successful opening of Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach 10 years earlier, the NCGA commissioned Golf Digest’s 1995 Architect of the Year, Rees Jones, to weave 27 holes through the vineyards of Livermore Valley.
Building a course near the East Bay also allowed the NCGA to serve the majority of its member base. Approximately 110,000 of the NCGA’s 185,000 members live within a 65-mile radius of Poppy Ridge.
“It was an opportunity to build something different,” Jones said. “Dad had the dunes at Spyglass Hill, [my brother] Bobby had the woods at Poppy Hills, and I had the open site at Poppy Ridge. So it gave the NCGA an opportunity to have a different style of golf course.”
“It was a rugged piece of property,” Jones said. “It had fantastic views.”
But it had just one tree — a valley oak near the eighth hole of the Chardonnay nine.
“When you don’t have trees, you need something to define the shots,” Jones said. “You do that with contrasts of grasses. That’s really what the ‘links look’ is about: the brown hues versus the green. The native grasses were out there already, so we just incorporated what was natural, as my father and brother did on their sites.”
Rees Jones has earned the moniker “The Open Doctor” for his redesign of courses in preparation for major championships. His remodeling skills have been applied to seven U.S. Open venues, nine PGA Championship courses, six Ryder Cup and two Walker Cup sites, as well as a President’s Cup site.
Rees has been recognized many times for his contributions to the game, including the John Reid Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the MetGCSA. Presented annually, this honor is reserved for an individual who, through continuing commitment, has shown exemplary support to the game of golf and golf course superintendents.
Alongside the NCGA, Poppy Ridge embraces diversity and celebrates inclusivity. We work to ensure the game of golf is accessible and welcoming to all ages and identities, and all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
Want to learn more about the NCGA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion?
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
Being able to work with — and for — people that share my passion for growing the game of golf. There is no other sport that anyone, of any age, can play.
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
Being able to work with — and for — people that share my passion for growing the game of golf. There is no other sport that anyone, of any age, can play.
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
The guest interactions make every day feel different. It's rewarding to see people enjoy their recreational activities.
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
The guest interactions make every day feel different. It's rewarding to see people enjoy their recreational activities.
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
I like working in the golf industry because I love golf, and every day I am surrounded by what I’m most passionate about. Work doesn’t feel like work!
What I like about working in the golf/hospitality industry:
I like working in the golf industry because I love golf, and every day I am surrounded by what I’m most passionate about. Work doesn’t feel like work!
