Poppy Hills Golf Course

I was looking forward to this course more than any other on our golf trip up the California coast. The course was beautiful and in great condition. But the day was spoiled by an excruciating 5:20 pace of play (10am on a Sunday). Aside from the lack of anyone monitoring or enforcing pace of play I found the staff to be very helpful. I'd come back only if I could be sure of a faster round.

Aside from the outstanding course conditions, For a Pebble Beach and NCGA golf course, the attitude and vibe from the employees is mediocre at best. First, as an NCGA member, I was charged 25$ more for a cart. The total was $115. This was NOT stated in the reservation process. The Pro even mentioned that they do not mention the cart fee on purpose. Having said that, as a member, I love the discount.
Secondly, we arrived early for our tee time so the girl at the bag drop said we would get a cart 30 minutes before the time. We left our bags on the grassy knoll by the putting green. 20 minutes till the time I had to go to the bag drop to get a cart. Overall the service and attitude from the shop to the tee box was just met with an indifferent attitude. I guess I expected more.

pace of play was slower than 4.5 hrs, but the quality of the conditions and the feeling of the course were both second to none and worth coming back for more rounds.

I can't stress enough how manicured this course was, consistency in grass cuts was immaculate, greens had some spots where grain was slightly different, but for me on the day, my putter was the strongest club in my bag, which means they rolled true and rolled fast enough. Fairways looked unreal, simply pristine; it looks like the course is barely used! Bunkers were also without faults... Plus the environment is really unique. Bring an extra 2 layers since this course can go from sunny and comfortable to foggy with a chilly breeze. I donned the thermal base layer without a jacket after a couple holes and that helped big time.

Just an FYI: for COVID reasons they don't allow ride-alongs or spectators to accompany players. I wish Golfnow had told me beforehand since my wife and I booked a weekend around this assuming she could join me but no go and she had to kill 5 hours by herself.

Poppy is still 3 great course to play, but the staff at the pro shop give the impression that they are doing you a favor by letting you play the course if you booked through Golfnow, maybe if you pay the rack rate they would be courteous. Sad, terrible service, but a really good course.

Love hitting off the fairways here, so smooth the club cuts through like butter. Extremely well maintained, beautiful golf course. Would play here all the time if I lived just a little closer.

Wonderful round of golf. All staff were top notch. The course was well kept and in great condition. It was a great day!

front 9 went well. seemed like a foursome cut in front of our foursome on the back nine and slowed the pace to a crawl , the ladies behind us left because it was too slow.

The course is in perfect condition, probably best condition I’ve ever experienced on any golf course. Fairways are lush and even, as though they went out and measured each blade of grass... tee boxes were great, all the different cuts of grass were clear and consistent. Greens had small patches of inconsistent grain but I felt they rolled very true and indeed my putter was the best club in my bag that day. I’ll definitely be back. I can’t stress enough how well maintained the course is.

Very disappointed in how course enforced COVID guidelines. Shut down Clubhouse yet would not allow me to ride alone in my cart despite charging each rider $25 for the cart. I don't have a problem with the fees just find it ridiculous that I was forced to ride with another player despite 6 foot social distancing signs posted throughout the course. Think this decision is more revenue based and done so with complete disregard for the players safety.

Played front 9 in 2-1/2 hours. Played 10-13 in 2-1/2 hours at which time I gave up. Group in front of me also left and 2 people playing in my foursome also gave up. On way back to clubhouse, saw foursome holding everything up with empty holes in front of them. No marshalls. I did talk to a marshall halfway through the front 9 who advised “whole course was jammed up”. I hesitate to play here again after this.

This was by far the most poorly managed and run golf course I've ever been to. The people who work here clearly have an inferiority complex with some of the other courses in this area. Rude staff, no customer service or appreciation... they won't even let a solo rider take a golf cart (during COVID-19).... they force you to ride with another person in your golf cart, clearly violating the CDC rules and California guidelines for COVID-19. They even had signage which said "only 1 person per golf cart".... but for some bizarre reason they refused to adhere to their own signage and force you to jam into a cart with another person.. . The funniest part, there was no one else even playing the course and the golf carts were lined up like it was an abandoned muni course... I guess all of the other golfers in the area have learned their lesson as well and avoid this place at all costs. Do yourself a favor and go play some other great courses in the area at the same price point (with very friendly staff) like Carmel Valley Ranch and Quail Lodge.

Great time to come and golf In Carmel area
The weather still good and the greens are rolling well and the fairways are in great condition

After playing this course for the first time all I can say is wow! The Layout is fantastic, Course conditions are great, and the greens are fun with huge undulations. No rough, except for near the bunkers, means you can get away with some errors off the tee, but your irons and wedges need to be dialed in, as the greens are a great challenge. Fairways are wide and sloping, but tend to narrow down to try to discourage from simply hitting bombs all day. There are several holes that offer risk-reward from the tee where carrying certain bunkers or hills can result in getting an extra 30-50 yards of roll. Pay attention to the pin position and the shape of the greens, as simply hitting the middle of the green might leave a slippery putt that can easily end in frustration as it runs off the green. Several holes have slopes to the side of the green that you can use to run the ball towards the hole, depending on the hole location. I found most bunkers to be a decent miss, as they were in great condition with consistently soft sand that made them easy to play out of, so long as you aren't plugged.

Something that can't be quantified is the atmosphere at Poppy Hills. I found myself at peace as I meandered through the course, masterfully woven into the transcendent Del Monte Forest. With the quiet of the forest and the company of resident deer, I felt like I was in another world as I watched the shadows slowly dance their way lower and lower until I teed off on 18 in near darkness. After not finding my approach to the green and I guessed where I thought it went and gave myself a free drop. I chipped onto the green and two putted to finish with par and said out loud to my audience of nobody "Wow, what a great course".