Poppy Ridge Golf Course

California-based architect Jay Blasi distilled this public, Northern California Golf Association-owned 27-hole course set amid vineyards southeast of Oakland into a burly, exciting and more cohesive 18-hole adventure strung across the site’s prominent ridges and ravines. The reconstruction layout created a walk that knocked off several hundred feet of elevation change and more enthusiastically embraces the site’s scale and slope of the land. The greens come in all shapes and sizes—some are bowled, some crowned, some cocked at angles and partially hidden from view—and Blasi set them up to receive shots that bounce and rebound off the tight turf. The par 3s are especially dynamic, with flexible yardages and green shapes that force players to change clubs and tactics day to day. Opened in 2025, this Best Transformation candidate plays normally as a par 72, 7,010-yard layout, but if major tournaments come to Livermore it can easily transition into a par 70, 7,345-yard course, and there room beyond that if needed.