Poppy Hills Golf Course

3200 Lopez Rd,

Pebble Beach, California 93953

  • Office

    +1 (831) 625 1513
  • Pro shop

    +1 (831) 622 8239
  • Fax

    +1 (831) 626 5018
  • Golf pro

    Cole Handley (PGA, Head Golf Professional)

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Woodland.

  • Designer:

    Original design by Robert Trent Jones Jr; renovated by RTJ Jr & Bruce Charlton (2013).

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
7002
5799
5215
Par
72
72
72
SSS or slope
74.4
68.6
70.1

Location

Latitude:

36.582504

Longitude:

-121.938173

How to get there:

4 miles N of Carmel-By-The-Sea

From Hwy 1 (Cabrillo Highway) just north of Carmel-by-the-Sea, take exit 399A and follow the 68-West direction Pebble Beach / Pacific Grove. After approx 2 miles turn left onto SFB Morse Drive. After gatehouse, follow SFB Morse Drive. After o.7 miles turn left and head south on Congress Road. After approx 1.5 miles turn left on Lopez Road (17-Mile Drive). After o.5 miles Poppy Hills is on your right.

Poppy Hills Golf Course

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.

Est. 1986

Poppy Hills Golf Course: Located in the heart of the Del Monte forest on the Monterey Peninsula, Poppy Hills is not just home to the Northern California Golf Association, but also to a stunning tree-lined golf course. Laid out over undulating, forested terrain, Robert Trent Jones Jr. has sculpted an A-grade course that will test and enthral in equal measure.

Each of the holes at Poppy Hills elegantly weaves its way between avenues of tall Monterey pines and cypresses. Within this wonderfully natural woodland setting you'll not be disturbed by traffic noise or invasive real estate, but the occasional golf ball knocking on wood is not unheard of. Although Poppy Hills is located just over a mile back from the ocean, the sea can be glimpsed through the trees on several holes, especially on the higher elevations.

There is generally a good-width of fairway to aim at from the tee; your biggest test will come in judging the elevation changes and staying out of the excellent bunkering. Coping with the large and undulating greens may also have some influence on your final score. The par-4 5th and par-5 10th are the only two holes where water threatens.

There is always something rather magical about a Robert Trent Jones course laid out in a wooded, undulating environment. Poppy Hills is a great example of RTJ Jr's work in this regard. To discover where his influences came from, you need look no further than the course next door - Spyglass Hill, designed by his father, RTJ Sr.

List of courses: Monterey / Carmel

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes: $225 (all days).

Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].

Other information

Walking permitted. Golf carts available to rent. Caddies available if pre-booked.

Practice facilities

Excellent

Did you know?

Poppy Hills is the home of the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA), the first course in the USA to be owned and operated by an amateur golf association.

The course has hosted many top level tournaments, including several California State Amateur Championships and the early rounds of the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Published ranking

California: 44th best course in California (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA: 87th best public course in the USA (Golf Digest, 2023).

Where2Stay

  • Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

    400 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940

    +1 (831) 646 1700

    Visit website

    Dramatically perched over Monterey Bay, the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa combines elegant European architecture, wide-sweeping coastal views and sophisticated style to create a perfect vantage point from which to enjoy the gentle sounds of the surf, the scent of sea air and the sight of otters at play.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Pacific Grove; Del Monte; Bayonet; Black Horse; Links at Spanish Bay; Monterey Peninsula; Spyglass Hill; Poppy Hills.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Pebble Beach; Cypress Point; Quail Lodge; The Preserve; Carmel Valley Ranch.

  • Carmel Village Inn3-star

    Ocean Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

    +1 (831) 624 3864

    Visit website

    Located on Ocean Avenue in downtown Carmel, across from Carmel Plaza and Devendorf Park. With available off-street parking, you can park and walk to world-class shopping, restaurants and Carmel's beautiful white sand beach.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Pebble Beach; Cypress Point (private); Poppy Hills; Spyglass Hill; Monterey Peninsula (private); The Links at Spanish Bay; Del Monte; Quail Lodge.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Pacific Grove; Bayonet; Black Horse; The Preserve (private); Carmel Valley Ranch.

Find a course

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Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

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Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

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Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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