Poppy Hills Golf Course

Pebble Beach, California

Poppy Hills Golf Course may not be the pick of the pros, but for amateur/recreational golfers (like me and probably like you) it's widely considered the best value at Pebble Beach and even in the whole state of California.

Poppy Hills Golf Course replaced Cypress Point Club in 1991 in the PGA rotation after Cypress Point did not immediately admit an African-American member to its private club. Cypress Point Club is viewed as one of the best golf courses in the world by pros and amateurs alike, so any replacement would be considered a let down. But that's like eating food at 5-star restaurants your entire life, and then suddenly having to eat 4-star quality food. Sure, it's a step down, but you're still eating choice filet mignon and lobster for dinner.

Many pro players, however, had a bad taste left in their mouth after playing Poppy Hills in 1991 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament. They complained about the course's poor drainage, overly wavy greens, and an overabundance of dogleg fairways. And again, they said it's just not Cypress Point.

For amateur/recreational players, it's an entirely different story. Golf Digest ranks Poppy Hills Golf Course in the "Top 20 in California," and the Zagat Survey ranks it as the "12th Most Popular Golf Course." Poppy Hills is hundreds of dollars less than its neighboring courses Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course, making it a superb value dollar for dollar.

Poppy Hills Golf Course is set inland among the serenely wooded pines of Del Monte Forest. The tree-lined fairways offer a pleasant, protective contrast to the gusty conditions along the Pacific coast. The course has 5 par-5 holes and 5 par-3 holes, though the undulating greens can make putting a challenge to bag birdies and pars.

The 2nd Hole, a 142-yard par-3 (from the middle blue tee), features two greens. The front green is a little smaller and just beyond a bushy ravine. The back green is elevated and larger, but fronted by bunkers and backed by a wall of pine trees. The varying pin locations make this hole a fun one to play on return visits.

The 7th Hole, a 351-yard par-4, doglegs left after about 200 yards from the tee. A well-placed tee shot easily puts you within reach of the green, but be careful not to carry the front of the green too much. A deeply sloping front of the green could easily roll your ball into a bunker, so go for the back.

The 10th Hole, a short 472-yard par-5, presents a rare straight fairway but then a 45-degree left slant at the green. A picturesque forest lake protects the left-front of the green along with bunkers in the front and back (pictured above). A few well-placed shots on this relatively easy par-5 could earn you back some strokes lost on earlier holes.

Poppy Hills Golf Course may be considered the "ugly step-sister" by pros when compared to Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Club. But, it consistently ranks as one of the more popular golf courses in Pebble Beach among regular golfers and the best dollar-for-dollar value in California. A date with Cindy Crawford would be great, but if she's not available I'll gladly go out with her sister.

This is Article #4 in a series on Pebble Beach Golf Courses.

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