How We Got Here
Inspired by the successful opening of Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach 10 years prior, the NCGA commissioned 1995 Golf Digest Architect of the Year Rees Jones to weave 27 holes through the vineyards of Livermore Valley.
On Oct. 1, 1996, Poppy Ridge officially opened for play.
The result was three nines as distinct as the grape varietals they are named after – Chardonnay, Merlot and Zinfandel – sweeping through 277 acres of the toasted, savannah-covered hills that roll through Wine Country.
Did You Know?
It’s snowed at Poppy Ridge numerous times. The course has only closed once due to the white stuff though, for a day in 2009.
Coming Soon! 2026 Pacific Coast Amateur
The 59th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship will take place July 21-24, 2026, at NCGA member course Poppy Ridge.
This marks the first time Poppy Ridge will host the Pacific Coast Amateur. Its sister course, Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach, previously hosted the championship in 1996.
The Pacific Coast Amateur and NCGA share deep ties, and the 2026 championship will mark a significant milestone.
“The Pacific Coast Am is the main reason the NCGA exists,” said 2026 NCGA President Lance Parker. "In 1901, the NCGA was created specifically to send a team to the Pacific Coast Amateur. We are celebrating our 125th anniversary this year and will showcase the new and improved Poppy Ridge. Hosting some of the best amateur golfers in the nation is a true honor, and doing so on one of our two courses makes it even more special.”
The Pacific Coast Amateur is one of seven prestigious amateur championships comprising the Elite Amateur Golf Series (EAGS), where players accumulate World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and vie for the Elite Amateur Cup. It remains the premier amateur championship on the West Coast and is circled on all amateur golf calendars in North America. It consistently receives a strong “Power” rating from WAGR, as assessed by the R&A and USGA.
Jaden Dumdumaya, a former Player of the Year on the NCGA's Junior Tour of Northern California, is the defending champion, having won at Eugene Country Club in 2025. Noteworthy past champions who have gone on to achieve success on the PGA TOUR include Will Zalatoris, Aaron Wise, Andrew Putnam, Jason Gore, and Billy Mayfair, among others.
“The newly redesigned Poppy Ridge is an exceptional championship venue that will attract the world’s top amateurs and deliver a rigorous, fair test to determine the most deserving champion," said Troy Andrew, executive director of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. “We are thrilled to bring the Pacific Coast Amateur to this outstanding venue for the first time.”
The championship test will present challenges like potentially variable winds and a 7,300-yard track that can play as a par 70.
“Players should have the opportunity to use every club in the bag,” said Brett Armstrong, COO of Poppy Holding, of the layout. “The green complexes have a lot of short grass around them that will either feed a ball to the hole or away from the green. Thinking about and utilizing the ground contours on approaches and recoveries will be important.”
Past host sites for the championship have included premier venues in the western U.S. and Canada such as Chambers Bay, The Olympic Club, Eugene Country Club, Seattle Golf Club, Capilano Golf and Country Club, and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, among others.
Look for a preview of the championship in the June issue of NCGA Golf Magazine!