If you've been to Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore recently, you probably noticed that grass is starting to come in at what will be the new 18-hole NCGA member course.
The new 18-hole course will feature three different types of grasses.
The tees, fairways and greens-surrounding areas will all be Santa Ana Bermuda grass, which is sod that has been installed.
"We think the Bermuda will love this climate," architect Jay Blasi explained. "The Bermuda loves the heat and requires less water."
On the greens complexes themselves, those will be seeded with a new variety of Bentgrass.
The third and final type of grass will be a hydro-seeded Fescue mix. That grass will be featured in the out-of-play areas.
The Poppy Ridge plans include the creation of a new 18-hole course, a nine-hole composite course with a few new holes and various improvements to its practice areas including the driving range, which is again open for members and public use. The renovation project is anticipated to be completed in mid-2025.
Blasi's previous work includes U.S. Open venue Chambers Bay in Washington and the recently renovated Golden Gate Park Golf Course in San Francisco.
As per the overall design, Blasi has noted that the new 18-hole course will be for players of all abilities.
“Because this is the home course of NCGA members, we want to ensure the course is fun and enjoyable for all players,” Blasi said. “At the same time, we want to make the course thought-provoking and challenging for the skilled players.”
The Poppy Ridge project was initiated when it became mandatory to replace the course’s aging irrigation system, which was installed upon its original opening.
The original Poppy Ridge site, which opened in 1996, consisted of three separate Nine-hole segments—the Chardonnay, Merlot, and Zinfandel layouts.
In 2014, the NCGA performed a full renovation of Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach to rave reviews.