The Poplar Post – November 2024
The Poplar Creek Men's Golf Club Newsletter
November 2024
Issue # 3
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From the Editor
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Welcome to edition number 3. We hope you are enjoying and finding our
Poplar Post useful as we try to keep everyone up to date on what is happening, reporting the
tournament results and upcoming events, testing your rules knowledge with monthly quizzes and
adding in some humor. Our plan is to publish every 40 days or nine times a year-next issue on
January 1.
The grass is growing again. We hope the green's superintendent can find a way to make grass grow
in some of the ugly brown areas around the course. Also, with the rain season coming on, we
caution golfers to take care when using a cart that they don't create ruts in very wet areas.
We have not heard any feedback from the membership after our first two issues. We welcome
comments – good or bad – and what other features you would like to see here. Let us know at
jacioni@yahoo.com.
President's Message
As the winter and rainy season approaches us, we see it as both negative and positive. Hopefully
we get enough breaks in the weather to be able to still play our tournaments, but if not, we will
postpone them if possible. The positive side is that the course will hopefully get significant water to
keep the grass growing in, so we have prime conditions when we get to spring and summer. We will
most likely be playing lift, clean and place throughout the winter, but will make a decision on a
tournament-by-tournament basis. This issue has another update from the GM, Kevin Kobayashi,
which goes into the restaurant "Par 3" and a status update there. As we all know, and for those that
don't, our favorite watering hole has been down since October 11th. Hopefully the city gets
everything together and moves quickly so we can get back to enjoying each other's company there
after tournaments, and also in general. As always, the entire board of directors, along with the other
officers and myself, are always here to listen to any suggestions you might have to improve the club
and tournament experience. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out to any of us. Looking forward
to seeing all of you at the next tournament!
Jason Pollard
Message from the General Manager
The City recently closed the restaurant and banquet space as a precautionary measure while it
investigates the cause of water seeping into the banquet and kitchen facilities. Although there did
not appear to be structural damage, to ensure the building was safe for occupancy and public use,
City staff determined it necessary to close the facilities to ensure public safety while the team
investigated the cause.The Public Works team has developed a plan of action and are working to
make the necessary repairs to restore the building to a safe condition as quickly as possible. In the
meantime, we thank you for your patience while we are doing our due diligence to make the
restaurant facilities safe once again for everyone.
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The golf course and pro-shop remain open, and we hope that you've had a chance to come out and
enjoy the improved course conditions. The recent rain and cooler temperatures have maintained
these ideal conditions without the need of potable water from the on-site fire hydrant. We still have
the hose hooked up in case we need additional water, however, we're confident our operational
needs can be met with the water from the irrigation well throughout the winter season. We are still
planning to move forward with the well drilling project in the spring of next year.
Tournament Results
Senior Championship
Thomas Kmak shot a sterling round of 71 to win the 2024-2025 Senior Championship, punctuated
by an eagle on the 18th hole. He bested runner-up Scott Rehn by 6 shots. Dave Butzman and Marty
Lambrechts finished third, 8 shots behind.
Flight winners were as follows:
Senior Flight Super Senior Flight Legends Flight
1st Joshua Baltor 68 Keith Schumacher 71* Dave Butzman 73*
2nd Scott Rehn 69* Marty Lambrechts 71* Joe Cioni 73*
3rd Manny Casillas 69 Steve Rueda 71 James Abayon 73
*Wins the tiebreaker
NCGA Four Man Team Qualifying Round
The team of Steve Rueda, Kirk Hanson, Mike Sevilla and Joshua Balton shot 14 under par in the
combined 2 best ball of 4 format to earn the right to represent Poplar Creek in the NCGA San
Francisco Zone Four Man Team Championship at Poppy Hills and Del Monte on April 28-29, 2025.
Second place finishers-the team of Paul Karson, Daniel Murray, Brian Cresta and Paul Montserrat-
finished two strokes behind the leaders.
Flight winners were as follows:
Flight 1 Flight 2 Flight 3 Flight 4
1st Paul Karson Joseph Canapa Kirk Hansen Steve Rueda
2nd Brian Cresta Steve Moore Rob Carballar George Kellner
3rd Paul Montserrat Bradley Thaute Joshua Baltor Dennis Reiser
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Turkey Shoot
A chilly morning to start the day with frost on the ground. Joseph Canepa and Felila Esikia both shot
a net 68 to win their flights. First three finishers in each flight were as follows:
Gobble Gobble Flight
1st
2nd
3rd
Joseph Canepa
Joe Cioni
Steve Mendoza
Upcoming Events
December 7 – ABCD Santa Ball
Turkey Flight
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70
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Felilia Esikia
Timothy Farr
Michael Sevillia
December 13 – Holiday Party – Postponed until Par 3 is back in business
January 11 – 2 Man Razzle Dazzle
January 25 – 4 Man Scramble
Rules Corner
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72
74
The answer to last month's poser – B. Scott scores a 7 on the hole. Tee shot into penalty area (1).
Second shot further into penalty area (2). Stroke and distance to where second shot was played (3).
Further stroke and distance to where original shot was played (4). Shot to green (5). Two putts (7).
This month's question comes from a recent exam of the New York Metropolitan Golf Association.
Marty is playing a short dogleg right Par 4 with a maple tree at the corner of the dogleg and a nearby
penalty area. Marty's drive goes into the tree. Marty then changes to an iron and plays a provisional
ball into the fairway, short of the maple tree. His second shot with the provisional ball goes into the
maple tree and bounces backwards into the fairway. Unbeknownst to Marty and his caddie, Jim, at
the same time another ball falls from the tree and rolls into the penalty area. Marty plays the
provisional ball onto the green and starts walking to the green. Jim, the caddie, walks toward the
other ball and prior to a three-minute search time expiring, picks it up, sees that it is the original ball
and puts it back. Jim informs Marty that the original ball has been found. In the meantime, Marty
has reached the green, holes out the provisional ball with two putts, and then returns to play the
original ball. Marty chips out of the penalty area, pitches onto the green and holes out in two putts.
Marty's score on the hole is:
A. 6 B. 7 C. 8 D. 10
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Chip's Corner – Grammatical Mischief
By, Chip DePlume
There have been reports that my literary career is on life support. It was further reported I was
transferred to Grammatical I.C.U. for terminal violations and abuse of the written language. These
statements are largely untrue and mostly false. Sure, I took some literary liberties, but I am no Yogi
Berra or Casey Stengel. I use commas!
The courts and a very angry SFSU English Department have alleged my prose incited others to
bastardize the language. My detainment was brief. I found and sobered up my attorney Blue Moon
Retainer in time for lunch. Who eats at noon? ( I eat a light repast at three in preparation for diner at
eight) He quickly chopped and carved up the defense when he reminded them that to be
slanderous or was it liablious, someone had to read those stories. He used our holiday party as his
argument. "Your honor, he has been advocating the revival of the ascot, a comfortable and
fashionable alternative for the neck tie, for 10 years. The party saw only one member wearing one. I
rest my case".
With this brilliant summation I returned my orange striped overalls and hideous ankle bracelet. The
judge thanked me for pressing my uniform and apologized for my readership.
I, like our website, have been forced into a state of limbo. Some of my finest scribbling have been
lost in the ether, black hole or cloud. You pick. Rest assured I will not use any of that highly
technical space talk. I will simply confuse my readership with plain speak. Prison changes a man.
Stogie Joe, our resident expert on Cohibas and Montecristos , has started a newsletter for the
pressing issues at Poplar Creek. He asked me to do what I do best, fill space. I will offer timely and
somewhat unvarnished reporting from the halls of PCGCHQ. Those allegations of my making the
facts to fit the stories or events were never proven. If it ain't broke. Chip is back!
Points to Ponder
They don't make yardsticks any longer.
Procrastination is a dish served eventually.
If money doesn't grow on trees, why do banks have branches?
Once you understand why Pizza is made round, packed in a square box, and eaten as a triangle,
then you'll understand women