With each passing day, the grass is coming in more and more at what will be the new 18-hole course at Poppy Ridge Golf Course.
As part of the design of the new course, the tee box areas, fairways and greens-surrounding areas all now feature Santa Ana Bermuda grass.
The Santa Ana Bermuda was the optimum choice due to its outstanding playing conditions, as well as sustainability and the Livermore climate. It is one of the most drought tolerant hybrid Bermuda grasses, and is very tolerant to high traffic. Among the courses using Santa Ana Bermuda are the esteemed Valley Club of Montecito in Montecito and The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel.
As noted by architect Jay Blasi, whose previous work includes the recently highly acclaimed renovation at Golden Gate Park Golf Course in San Francisco and being a design associate for U.S. Open venue Chambers Bay in Washington, the Santa Ana Bermuda was the optimum choice.
"We think the Bermuda will love this climate," Blasi explained. "The Bermuda loves the heat and requires less water."
We recently caught up with Blasi to have him talk about some of the decision-making and technical precision that went behind the design and size of the new course’s fairways.
What kind of turf was used in the fairways and why?
Santa Ana Bermuda is featured on the tees, fairways and green surrounds. Given the climate at Poppy Ridge, including the hot summers, we felt this would be the ideal turf moving forward. Santa Ana Bermuda requires far less water than the old, cool season grasses that previously occupied the site and it offers wonderful playability year-round.
What kind of turf was used on the greens and why?
The greens were seeded with Prestige Bentgrass (a 50/50 blend of Pure Distinction and Pure Select). This newer bentgrass tested really well in the region and is a strain that the agronomy team felt very comfortable with. This bentgrass likes to be maintained tight and that works well with the design of these greens.
In general, how wide are the fairways, and how was that determined (regular play vs. championship play)?
The fairways will vary in width from hole to hole based on the individual setting as well as the length and difficulty of the shots. Given the windy nature of the site and the big elevation changes the fairways are quite wide. Most fairways will range from 40-60 yds in width with certain spots being as wide as 100 yards. We designed the fairways to make them playable for all NCGA members while still being able to “test the best” so the fairways are wider allowing the everyday player to get around, but at the same time they have lots of contour that the best players will need to assess and attack strategically.
What is the benefit of using these types of grass?
We believe the grasses used at Poppy Ridge give us the best chance to present high quality surfaces year-round. The grasses allow us to provide firm and fast conditions which make the course more fun and playable for a wider audience. The Santa Ana Bermuda requires far less water making it a great, sustainable choice that will keep operating costs manageable and in turn keep green fees desirable.
