This article originally appeared in the July issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
By Neal Hotelling with Jerry Stewart
When NCGA member course Poppy Hills first opened its fairways on June 1, 1986, it became the first course in the U.S. to be owned and operated by a golf association.
Since then, the course has hosted a slew of big-time events, including the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (1991-2009), the Spalding Pebble Beach Invitational (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993), the PGA Tour Champions First Tee Open (2014-2019) and the 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
So how did it all come together? What made Poppy Hills happen in the first place?
In the mid-1970’s, the Pebble Beach Company evaluated their land holdings and determined the tax burden on undeveloped land made the selling of large parcels the most practical solution. One of the parcels was 164 acres, located just below a rock quarry near the top of the main hill in Del Monte Forest.
Also facing a big question was the NCGA, who had become so popular by 1973 that board members began considering the feasibility of creating a course they could call their own. At the time, the NCGA home course was Spyglass Hill, still owned by Pebble Beach Co.
After its own discussion and analysis, the NCGA decided that the Monterey Peninsula was still the best place to be.
And that is when the Pebble Beach Co. and the NCGA met in the middle. The NCGA, under the leadership of then-president Richard Ghent and longtime executive director Bob Hanna, purchased the 164-acre site, tentatively calling the future home of a golf course (and NCGA headquarters), Hilltop.
Due to drought, the need for water and regulations of the Coastal Commission, the project would stall for a few years. But under John Zoller, who arrived at the NCGA after being at Pebble Beach Co. and nearby Monterey Peninsula Country Club, the course began to become more of a reality.
In mid-1979, the NCGA chose Robert Trent Jones, Jr., who had helped his father, Robert Trent Jones Sr. in the creation of Spyglass Hill GC, to design Hilltop as a championship course for NCGA championships and members. The change of the Land Use Plan for the Hilltop site was approved in 1982, and a year later the County Planning Commission approved the project. In 1984, the Coastal Commission approved the project in what was a narrow 7 to 5 vote. Soon after, construction began on what would become Poppy Hills. The name would switch from Hilltop to Poppy Hills after the NCGA held a contest with its members—the winner was a submission from Chuck Twichell of Santa Rosa.
“In preparing for construction, Jones Jr. noted: “Design is not something that is finished prior to construction… it is virtually impossible to foresee and anticipate in all cases the “best” solution to advance. Many design decisions can best be made (in some cases, can only be made) in the field during the construction process.”
Trees were cleared, fairways were shaped and drainage and irrigation were installed throughout 1985. On June 1, 1986 Poppy Hills opened, the course at the time featuring four sets of tees.
While the course was under construction, the NCGA also built a large clubhouse with adjoining offices to be NCGA headquarters. The move of the NCGA offices from Spyglass Hill to Poppy Hills came in April 1986, just prior to the course opening.
Forty years after its original construction, Poppy Hills remains in pristine conditions and continues to challenge and delight golfers of all types everyday.
