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Ruby Hill, Pleasanton: Gated Golf Community Guide

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Ruby Hill is a gated, master-planned golf course community on the east side of Pleasanton, in Alameda County, with 850 planned home sites and a private Jack Nicklaus-designed course that opened in 1996. City records describe the development as about 1,403 acres, of which 1,170 acres were annexed into the City of Pleasanton, so most Ruby Hill homes are under city jurisdiction, with an owners association and architectural rules layered on top.

Buying in Ruby Hill means reading three sets of rules: the city’s zoning and permits, the recorded CC&Rs and development regulations enforced by the owners association, and, separately, the private club’s membership terms. This guide sets out what each covers, along with the setting at the edge of Livermore Valley wine country, taxes, utilities, hazards and what a seller should prepare. For the city as a whole, see our Pleasanton community guide.

Ruby Hill homes for sale

Ruby Hill market report

Where Ruby Hill is and how it came to Pleasanton

Ruby Hill sits on Pleasanton’s eastern edge, reached from Vineyard Avenue, with gated entries at West Ruby Hill Boulevard and East Ruby Hill Boulevard, as the Pleasanton Weekly described them in its 2007 profile. Streets inside include West Ruby Hill Drive, where the club’s address is.

The land started under county planning. A 2013 city agreement recites that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors rezoned parts of the property to Planned Development in 1991, under Ordinances O-91-18 (June 6, 1991) and O-91-989 (December 5, 1991). The Pleasanton City Council approved pre-zoning of 1,170 acres in Ordinance No. 1551 on April 7, 1992. City records give two dates for the tract map: a 2014 staff report lists council approval of Tract 6452 for Signature Properties on April 7, 1992, while the 2013 agreement cites Alameda County Resolution No. 92-16 of October 7, 1992, approving Tentative Map 6452.

The Pleasanton Weekly reported in 2004 that the city annexed Ruby Hill in 1993, and in 2007 that Signature Properties developed it beginning in 1992. Because only part of the 1,403 acres was annexed, confirm that a specific parcel is inside city limits; our guide to city versus unincorporated property in Alameda County shows how.

Homes and lots in Ruby Hill

The city agreement describes 850 planned housing units subject to extensive regulations, and the 2004 and 2007 Pleasanton Weekly reports used the same 850-lot figure. In 2004 the paper reported that the project was about 75 percent complete and that a group of lots had recently been released for sale.

Single-family homes on individual lots, each built to a design reviewed under the community’s guidelines.
Remaining or resale lots, when available, which carry the same design review and construction rules as a remodel.
Homes near the course, where golf frontage, views and errant-ball exposure all affect value and insurance questions.

For broader advice on evaluating high-end homes, see our guide to buying a luxury home.

The owners association, CC&Rs and architectural review

The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Ruby Hill was recorded with the Alameda County Recorder as Record No. 94-082427 and amended by a First Amendment, Record No. 94-143694, according to the city agreement. A 2014 city staff report explains that the CC&Rs provide for an owners association that maintains common areas and enforces many of the Ruby Hill Development Regulations.

Under Article XI of the CC&Rs, an Architectural Design Committee reviews and approves, disapproves or conditionally approves all requests to design and build a residence, the same report says. The city lists Design Review Guidelines dated October 1992 and updated in June 1994, September 1995 and January 2000. Association approval and a city building permit are separate steps: the 2014 report describes a home that received committee approval and then city building permits.

What to ask for in escrow

California’s Davis-Stirling Act, Civil Code section 4525, requires a seller in a common interest development to give the buyer, as soon as practicable before transfer of title:

all governing documents, including the CC&Rs, bylaws, rules and architectural guidelines;
the association’s most recent budget and reserve materials distributed under Civil Code section 5300;
a statement of current regular and special assessments, any unpaid amounts and any board-approved changes not yet due;
any unresolved notice of violation sent to the owner;
a statement of any rental or leasing restrictions; and
on request, approved board minutes from the past 12 months.

Ask also for the architectural approvals behind any additions, pools or landscape changes, and whether any work is pending committee review. We don’t quote dues here, because the only figure we found was from 2007; get the current statement from the association.

Ruby Hill Golf Club membership

The club, now presented as The Club at Ruby Hill, describes itself as a private golf and lifestyle club operated by Arcis Golf at 3400 West Ruby Hill Drive. Nicklaus Design lists the course as a private Jack Nicklaus design opened in 1996, playing over 7,000 yards from the longest tees. The club’s site offers Golf memberships and Social and Athletic memberships, and also links to fee-based public tee times.

The club’s materials present membership as its own set of categories and do not describe it as part of owning a Ruby Hill home. Treat club membership, its initiation fee and dues as a separate decision from the association’s assessments, and ask the club directly about current categories, waitlists and whether any membership can transfer with a sale. The 2007 Pleasanton Weekly profile listed the gated entry, a community center, tennis courts, sports fields and open space as items covered by the association fee, separate from the club.

Wine country setting

Nicklaus Design describes the course as following natural arroyos and contours in the Livermore Valley wine country. Vineyard Avenue continues east from Ruby Hill into the South Livermore Valley, where much of the land is unincorporated county agricultural land under Measure D and the South Livermore Valley Area Plan.

That neighboring land works under very different rules from a Ruby Hill lot. If you are comparing a home here with a vineyard estate nearby, read our guide to Livermore Valley vineyard and rural land and our Livermore community guide.

Taxes, utilities, hazards and getting around

Item	Ruby Hill (City of Pleasanton parcels)	Where to confirm
Transfer tax	Alameda County’s $1.10 per $1,000 only; Pleasanton is not on the county’s city transfer tax table	Alameda County Clerk-Recorder; see our Alameda County transfer tax guide
Water	The City of Pleasanton is one of four retailers that buy treated water from Zone 7 Water Agency	Your water bill and the city’s utility billing office
Sewer	Ask which agency serves the parcel	Seller’s utility bills
Planning and permits	City of Pleasanton, after association approval of any design	City permit records and the association’s architectural files
Fire hazard zone	Check the parcel on CAL FIRE’s maps	CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal; Natural Hazard Disclosure report
Schools	Pleasanton Unified School District serves the city	Confirm the assignment for a specific address with the district

On hazards, the seller’s natural hazard disclosure report pulls together the state’s fire, flood, earthquake fault and seismic hazard maps for the parcel. Sloped lots raise drainage questions, so a geotechnical review is worth considering for any planned addition.

For transit, Pleasanton has an ACE train station on the Stockton to San Jose line and two BART stations it shares with Dublin, West Dublin/Pleasanton and Dublin/Pleasanton. Our Alameda County guide lists the full station network, and nearby Dublin covers the area around the BART terminal.

Selling a home in Ruby Hill

Buyers at this level ask early for the paperwork, so assembling it before listing shortens escrow.

Order the association documents required by Civil Code section 4525, and check for any open violation notices.
Gather architectural approvals and city permits for every addition, pool, outdoor kitchen and major landscape project.
Complete your seller disclosures, including the Transfer Disclosure Statement and natural hazard report; our guide to California seller disclosures lists them.
Clarify the club question for buyers: whether you hold a membership, and what the club’s rules say about it on a sale.
Price from comparable Ruby Hill sales with similar lot position, course frontage, views and age of systems.

Pleasanton adds no city transfer tax, so the county tax is the only one; who pays it is negotiable. Diamond is a member of the area MLSs and also reaches likely buyers through its own client database and targeted off-market campaigns, within NAR Clear Cooperation rules. See our Alameda County seller services, and Diamond may refer you to partners we work with, such as stagers and inspectors; you’re free to choose any provider.

This summary of city, association and club records is general information, not legal advice. A California real estate attorney can review the CC&Rs, development regulations and any pending architectural matters before you remove contingencies.

Questions people ask

Is Ruby Hill in the City of Pleasanton?

Mostly. City records describe Ruby Hill as about 1,403 acres, of which 1,170 acres were annexed into Pleasanton, and the Pleasanton Weekly reported annexation in 1993. Confirm city limits for a specific parcel.

How many homes are in Ruby Hill?

The development was planned for 850 housing units, according to city records and Pleasanton Weekly reports from 2004 and 2007.

Does buying a home in Ruby Hill include golf club membership?

The club’s own materials present membership as separate categories, Golf and Social and Athletic, and don’t describe it as included with a home. Ask the club and the seller before you write an offer.

Who approves remodels and new homes in Ruby Hill?

The association’s Architectural Design Committee reviews designs under Article XI of the CC&Rs, and the City of Pleasanton issues building permits. You need both.

Is there a city transfer tax in Pleasanton?

No. Pleasanton is not on Alameda County’s list of cities with their own transfer tax, so only the county’s $1.10 per $1,000 applies.

Who supplies water to Ruby Hill?

The City of Pleasanton retails water it buys wholesale from Zone 7 Water Agency. Check the seller’s bills for the sewer provider and any other services.

How does Ruby Hill compare with Blackhawk?

Both are gated golf communities, but Blackhawk is in unincorporated Contra Costa County, while most of Ruby Hill is inside Pleasanton, so permits, taxes and services differ.

If you are thinking of buying or selling in Ruby Hill, start with a home valuation request or tell us what you are looking for.

Sources & notes

Association dues, club fees and current architectural guidelines were not available from public sources we could open; get them from the association and the club.

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.