Hadn't played here in years, but thought I'd give it a shot for a tuneup round before my next golf trip.

There had been a frost delay and it stacked up the tenth tee (which was the starting box because of the weather). Disappointingly, the pace of player was slow as molasses, as expected, as its never the fastest course to play. The big issue is that there is zero on course marshalling. Play stacks up and stays that way. After 12 holes, we skipped a group and found 4 open holes ahead of them.

Course itself- Fairways super dormant, not many good lies at all. Rough non-existent. No rough either. Greens were excellent and rolled quickly. Sand traps were good, a rarity for the Sacramento/Central Valley.

I'll play it as a value course if the price is right, that's about it!

Thought I'd give the course a shot since it is a 5 minute drive from my house. Played the morning after Thanksgiving for $52. Overall, this course still needs a ton of work.

Tee boxes are not level with dead spots everywhere. This time of year, with cooler temperatures, this should not be the case. Fairways were in ok shape, with again, more dead spots than expected this time of year. Greens were lush, but soft and slow. Had a difficult time getting a read on speed.

At the cost the course is charging I'd look elsewhere in the Sacramento/Central Valley region.

Had not played this course in years as I felt the conditions were deteriorating with previous management.

The course was purchased by Sierra Golf Management about six months ago and the course looks like a world of difference! Greens were in immaculate shape and lightning fast. Fairways in tee boxes were in good shape for the time of year. I was happy with the course and the fee charged ($39 for a late morning Sat round).

The pro shop and bar staff were friendly as well. I'll definitely return soon!

Played the course on a hot California weekend and was happy about the shape the course was in. They have done a nice job keeping the course green with the unrelenting heat of our Summer. I had not played here in 3 years and was pleasantly surprised at the condition the course was in.

Check in was quick and easy, I took advantage of their "Round Up" special which gets the that day's round plus rounds at Teal Bend and Empire Ranch (their sister courses) for $99. This was a great deal.

The course continues to be a great challenge which puts a premium on good ballstriking. Miss the fairways and you are our hunting for your ball with the wild turkeys, squirrels, and other animals.

The course was in great shape, although the greens were a little slow. They are scheduled for aerification at the end of the month, so I am guessing this would be the reason.

Pace of play was a little slow, but it was prime time - Sat. morning.

Overall, I was happy with the experience and will return if the price is competitive.

Played in late March in a small group outing. Check in was fast and the pro shop staff were very friendly.

Course is in amazing shape after our unusually wet winter. Fairways are lush, rough is distinctive (and difficult), and the greens are in great, smooth shape.

The layout is very tricky, with several target golf holes thrown into the mix, as well as dramatic elevation changes and a few blind shots. It was a bit frustrating to hit a couple of balls that I thought were in good shape and then get over a hill to find out is wasn't.

Nice course that is pretty unique in the East Bay. Worth a play in the rotation.

Played with a group on a rainy March day. Thankfully I was able to obtain the Bay Area rate as it is a significant discount ($92 vs $162). Impressed with the course itself. Despite the continued overabundance of rain (we got about .5 inches the day we played), the course drained fantastically and there were very few soggy spots.

Fairways were immaculately cut, greens were smooth, albeit not fast because of the rain, and sight lines were fantastic. A beautiful track through the Monterey Pines and gentle rolling hills next to Lake Merced, right across the lake from the Olympic Club.

Pro Shop staff were professional, food and beverage staff were fanatastic. Food and beverage prices were decent for San Francisco.

I would definitely play again with the Bay Area rates. Without them its a once every couple of years experience. It was fun to play the host of the 2020 PGA Championship.

I am so disappointed with the direction this course has taken , I don't know where to begin.

First of all, played at 8:30 on Sat. morning and there were very few people there. This should have been my first clue that there were problems. Check in was actually good, as it was one of the few bright spots. The one person working in the pro shop was friendly and helpful. We went to the bar to get a breakfast and some adult beverages and discovered it was closed until 11am. Ugh. The guy behind the desk stated he could get us beer if we wanted it but no mixed or hard drinks. So the choices were beer, soda, or water only. No food. Carts were nice w GPS.

The course itself was the ugliest part. I love the layout but the conditions were the worst of any course I have played in years. Bare spots everywhere in the fairways and rough. The rough was nothing but weeds, with some of them spreading to the fairways. Drainage issues as part of many fairways would be soaked in one place and bone dry right next to it. There were spots that were a messy mush resembling a wet pasture. The bunkers were a chance complete disaster. Either full of water or super dry. Most had very little sand. Some had dirt or worse (pieces of wood, weeds, even concrete chunks.) The water hazard were murky green, looking like they were a health hazard. No beverage cart or course marshals. Needless to say, we had the play preferred lies in the middle of Summer. On the good side, the greens were smooth, soft, and rolled quickly. This was the only positive note on the course.

Sadly, my group (who plays 40+ rounds per year) decided we will not be returning until the management makes significant maintenance improvements. This is a shame as it's such a fun and unique layout.

Poppy Hills is back, after closing for 12 months for a redesign and renovation, and its is a beautiful and much more difficult golf course. The highlight of the redesign was removing the rough, creating a single cut layout with native areas bordering all fairways. This is similar to other world class courses such as Chambers Bay and Pinehurst #2. The entire course is now firm and fast and very, very difficult.

Arrival/Check-In. The pro shop and restaurant are as nice as ever at Poppy Hills. Check-in was a breeze for my 3PM tee time. Since the pace of play was slow and staff was concerned that we may not finish by sunset, I was charged $95 (the NCGA member rate-a great deal on 17 Mile Drive) and they comped our cart fee of $25.

Practice Area- Beautful practice area, grass hitting spaces, plenty of target flags to aim for and gauge distance. Practice green was the same speed as the course, which was super fast. Nice practice bunker and chipping area as well.

Course- Much tougher than the slope would indicate. Played the 3-Poppy Tees (Blue) which have a slope of 126. Much more difficult than I expected. Next time I would play up to the 2-Poppy Tees. Super firm conditions, many target tee short. Miss the fairway you are hitting between Monterey Pines and native brush. Ball would roll quite a bit on the firm conditions, so placement was a must. Bunkers were immaculate.

Greens- Firm and not receptive at this point since they are less than 12 months old. Balls that hit the green often ran off the back. By the end of the day we were playing all holes to the front yardage. Super fast, probably 11-12 on the stimp.

Overall- Loved the experience, felt like I was playing a PGA Tour quality course and conditions. Will return when I am in the area. Must-Play in Monterey!

Played on 7/26/14 as I wanted to try a new course and avoid the Summer heat in Sacramento.

Course was originally a private club, but went public recently since the economy tanked.

They were running a $75 PM special (normally $100 for twilight) so I made the 100 minute drive to try it out. I was glad that I did!

Pro Shop: Nice Selection of equipment and apparel, although a little on the smaller side. Full locker facility for members (Course still offers a membership plan).

Bar/Restaurant: Beautiful facility, nice place to spend time after a round.

Layout: Challenging and long (7000 yds from blue tees, 6300 yds from white tees), but since the course is at 6000+ feet in elevation it doesn't play long. Beautiful mountain layout with several options for risk/reward shots. Course had its share of elevation changes, but was much flatter than I anticipated. Challenging from the blue or white tees.

Maintenance: Course was in exceptional shape. Greens rolled true and fast. Fairways were mowed to tight lies. Bunkers were full of fine-grained sand. A+ practice facility. Definitely has the feel of a high end course/resort.

Even though green fees are on the expensive side, I found the course worth the experience and will add it to my list of courses when I'm in the Truckee/Tahoe area.

Decided to play the semi-private Catta Verdara earlier this month. Course is closed Mondays, allows only member play on Saturdays, but allows public play Tues-Fri and Sundays after 11AM.

Beautiful facility and layout in Lincoln, former home of the LPGA Longs Drugs Championship (back when the course was named Twelve Bridges GC).

Beautiful, although smaller pro shop. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Made me feel at home even though we weren't members of the club. Nice practice facility, including driving range, putting and chipping greens, and practice bunker. Practice balls included in green fees of $60. ($70 at peak times)

Course is a challenging, target golf layout with rolling hills, oak trees, and lots of wildlife (turkeys, deer, etc.) out on the course. Condition was top notch, fairways nice (not tight lies). Bunkers were well groomed sand. Rough challenging as it grabbed clubs during swings. Greens were on the harder side, rolled perfectly true and were quick.

Enjoyed the challenge and will add this to my rotation!

First time I'd been here since early Spring.

I was pleasantly surprised that the course was in GREAT shape despite the hot, dry year we have had weather-wise.

Pro Shop: Well-stocked, ProV1 Special for $39 per dozen. Staff was super friendly.

Bar/Restaurant: Nice selection of food, beverages, full bar. Cart girl was working even in 100+ heat. Friendly service.

Golf Course: I was very surprised that the greens were so soft in 100+ heat. I was able to be very aggressive with approach shots, got plenty of backspin. Greens rolled true, fairly fast. Fairways were in good shape, decent roll. Sand traps were decent for the Central Valley.

I'll definitely be back soon!

Played twice in the past three weeks here, latest time 10AM shotgun on Sunday, February 23.

Check in was a breeze, even picked up a new Taylormade Stratus golf glove at 50% off. Range balls free for warmup. Nice Range. Slight annoyance that thee teeing are is an uphill lie.

Course itself is in excellent shape. Fairways immaculate. Tee boxes are in great shape. Plenty of soft sand in the bunkers. Numerous environmental areas surrounding fairways are a bit difficult. Shotmaking and thinking are definitely key.

Only complaint is a personal preference. Poa annua greens made putting very difficulty for me. Couldn't gauge speed at all.