The Poplar Post – October/November 2025
The Poplar Creek Men's Golf Club Newsletter
October/November 2025
Issue 10
From the Editor
Another tournament season completed. A whole year without rest rooms or a restaurant.
At least some progress has been made with the rest rooms now available. And the golf course has water (See General Manager's comments below). Now maybe somebody can find some room in the budget for grass seed and get those ugly brown spots all over the course green again.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we have the annual Turkey Shoot tournament coming up, followed, of course, by the Santa Ball. With few exceptions, we have had excellent sign-ups for our tournaments. And that gets me to wondering.
As many of you know, I am an NCGA Tournament Official. I also have played in many NCGA tournaments, lately in the Senior Series events, and prior to getting old and shorter off the tee, in many of the net events – Senior Net, Public Links, Senior Four-ball, Net Amateur, etc. What surprises me is that as an official or a participant, I seldom see any Poplar Creek players in NCGA events outside of those for which we have local qualifiers. For those of you who like to compete, I would urge you to consider playing in NCGA events in 2026. In the Senior Series, you will get to play some interesting courses (may require an hour and half drive), and they have both individual and four-ball events.
Two more things. The tournament schedule for the coming year is listed below. I have proposed we have a four-ball match play event. Matches played at the convenience of the four players, over several months during spring and summer. Let me know what you think, if it something we should try or just another dumb idea which should be discarded.
Finally, I am sure many of you have opinions about what is going on and would like the membership to know about them. So next issue, I will open things up for an Op-Ed page. Any member who has a bug up his butt, or a favorable opinion about anything pertaining to Poplar Creek, is invited to submit it to me for publication. Unfortunately, I think the author's name needs to be associated with anything published. Next issue is due around Christmas so if you want to vent or congratulate, send me you piece by December 20.
President's Message
We have officially kicked off the 2025-26 Tournament season and it has already been a strong start with big turnouts at the Senior Championship and the 4-Man NCGA Zone Qualifier. There was a lot of fun had and plenty of food and drinks afterwards to create some great camaraderie amongst all participants. As the restaurant remains closed, we will do our best to continue with food and drink after tournaments in the short term. We hope the weather continues to cooperate and we have no issues getting in our winter tournaments.
Renewals have gone well so far and reminders will be sent out electronically in the middle of the month before we send paper renewals in December for any last minute stragglers.
As always, if you have any questions or need anything regarding tournaments or anything else in general, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Message from the General Manager
The restrooms inside the main clubhouse are now open to the public, and the portable restrooms have been removed from the parking lot. Restroom facilities are currently available in the main clubhouse, near the 4th tee box, and near the 10th tee box. The city does not have any updates on the status of resuming food and beverage service at this time. We will provide updates as they become available.
Work on the new well is moving along nicely! A 12" diameter casing, filter pack, and well sealing was successfully installed. Preliminary testing indicates an excellent potential yield of approximately 500 gallons per minute, exceeding expectations. Pump testing and final water quality sampling are now complete, with results expected soon.
The old inoperable well has been properly destroyed, and crews are finishing site cleanup work this week. Disposal of drilling materials and soil cuttings will continue through mid-November. The next phase of the project will be electrical hook-ups and installing infrastructure to move the well water into the retention ponds. The project is on track with an anticipated completion this fall.
Annual Meeting
Due to the closure of Par 3, the Poplar Creek Men's Club Annual Meeting was held by ZOOM on October 9 with President Jason Pollard presiding. The attendees were brought up to date on the upcoming tournament season, financial situation, and membership information. The following were elected as officers and directors for the coming year:
President – Jason Pollard
Vice President – Joe Cioni
Secretary – Larry Shaw
Sargeant-At-Arms – Kevin O'Malley
Directors-At-Large – Jim Lambrechts, Tim Andersen, Manny Casillas, Greg Cary, Andy Kishore, Randy Guber, Scott Rehn, Walter Koning
Tournament Results
Senior Championship
John Edmondson won the Senior Championship, posting a round of 73, a three stroke margin over Scott Rehn. Keith Schumacher finished third, four strokes behind the leader.
The top three net score finishers in each of three age groups:
55+ 65+ 75+
1st Dave Delbon Keith Schumacher Arthur White
2nd Scott Rehn Sid Shimabuku Al Bogenhuber
3rd Garrett Saunders Howard Stein James Abayon
NCGA Four-Man Team Qualifying Round
The team of Tim Cleary, Brian Cresta, Paul Karson and Daniel Murray will represent Poplar Creek in the NCGA San Francisco Bay Zone Four-Man qualifying round in 2026. In the best two-ball out of four round, they shot a net 15 under par to nose out two other groups by one stroke.
The three top teams were as follows:
First Place Second Place Third Place
Tim Cleary Michael Brosnan Andy Kishore
Brian Cresta Tim Cole Jason Pollard
Paul Karson Dave Koons Scott Rehn
Daniel Murray Steve Rush Artie White
Tournament of Champions
Randy Gubert won the final tournament of the year with a 3-under net round at the recently re-opened Corica North Course, featuring large undulating greens. Walter Koning was runner-up with a round of 1-under net score.
Flight winners and runners-up were:
Flight 1 Flight 2 Flight 3 Flight 4
1st John Edmondson Randy Gubert Stever Mendoza Walter Koning
2nd Arthur White Alex Alvarez Dave Koons Stephen Hillebrand
Two-man Scramble
A tournament which required strategic and tactical planning as well as good shot making, but also required players to read and understand the rules before teeing it up. Four drives and four second shots were required from each player on both the front and back nines. This requirement saw some players sitting out holes while their partner fulfilled his quota of drives and/or second shots.
In any case, flight winners were as follows:
Flight 1 Flight 2
1st Mike Shaffer and Scott Rehn Walter Koning and Andy Maso
2nd Arthur White and Sid Shimabuku Joshua Baltor and Kirk Hansen
3rd Michael Fauss and John Fauss Tim Cole and Alex Alvarez
Poplar Cup – Final Standings for 2024-2025 Season – Top 10 Finishers
Current
Rank Player Number of
Tournaments Number of
Wins Total
Points
1 White, Art
23 4 1,610
2 Cresta, Brian
13 3 1,220
3 Baltor, Joshua
19 1 1,200
4 Koning, Walter
16 3 1,195
5 Cioni, Joe
19 3 1,190
6 Rueda, Steve
18 3 1,175
7 Trapani, Marc
15 3 1,035
8 Evans, Bret
14 0 1,020
9 Rehn, Scott
12 1 1,015
10 Pollard, Jason
10 1 975
Rules Corner
Poser Number 1
In stroke play, a player taking relief from a red penalty area drops their ball three club-lengths to the side of where it last entered the penalty area but not nearer the hole than where the ball last entered the penalty area. They play the ball from there. How many total penalty strokes does the player get?
a. One stroke.
b. Two strokes.
c. Three strokes.
d. Three strokes and they must correct the error by playing from the correct place.
Poser Number 2
In stroke play, a player's tee shot carried 170 yards over a narrow red penalty area into some trees. The ball was not found within three minutes and it could not be determined whether the ball bounced back into the penalty area or came to rest in the trees and rough beyond it. The player dropped a ball under Rule 17.1d(3) and completed play of the hole. What is the ruling?)
a. The player proceeded correctly, no penalty.
b. The player is penalized one stroke under Rule 17.1d(3).
c. The player gets three penalty strokes with the ball played under Rules 17.1d(3) and 14.7 and the score with that ball is the player's score for the hole.
d. The player gets three penalty strokes under Rules 18.2a and 14.7 and must correct the error under Rule 14.7 or be disqualified.
Poser number 3 – This came up during Club Championship play this year.
On the putting green, a player accidentally bumps their ball and moves it when making a practice stroke. What is the ruling?
a. They get no penalty and must play the ball as it lies.
b. They get no penalty and must replace the ball.
c. They get one penalty stroke and must replace the ball.
d. They get the general penalty and in stroke play must play the ball as it lies.
2025-2026 Tournament Schedule
Thu 10/30/2025 Senior Championship
Sat 11/1/2025 Club Qualifier NCGA 4 Man Team
Sat 11/15/2024 Turkey Shoot
Sat 12/6/2025 ABCD Santa Ball
Sat 1/10/2026 2 Man Razzle Dazzle
Sat 1/24/2026 4-Man Scramble
Sat 2/7/2026 2-Man NCGA Qualifier
Sat 2/21/2026 Beat the Pro, Prez & GM
Sat 3/14/2026 Match Play Qualifier
Sun 3/15/2026 Match Play Round of 32
Sat 3/21/2026 Match Play Round of 16/8
Sun 3/22/2026 Match Play Round of 4/2
Mon 3/30/2026 Poplar Green Aeration
Sat 4/18/2026 Individual NCGA Qualifier
Sat 5/2/2026 2-Man Senior NCGA Qualifier
Sat 5/16/2026 5-Club Tournament
Sat 5/30/2026 1,2,3 Best Ball
Sat 6/13/2026 AWAY TOURNAMENT TBD
Sat 6/27/2026 2-Man Chapman Alternate Shot
Sat 7/11/2026 4-Man ABCD Scramble
Sat 7/25/2026 AWAY TOURNAMENT TBD
Sat 8/15/2026 Club Championship
Sun 8/16/2026 Club Championship
Mon 8/17/2026 Poplar Green Aeration
Sat 9/5/2026 2-Man Scramble
Sat 9/26/2026 TOC AWAY TOURNAMENT
Points to Ponder
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. I've needed a Doctor. I've needed a Teacher. I NEED farmers every day. I've needed an auto mechanic, a plumber, an electrician, an EMT and a lot of other everyday people.
But I have NEVER, not even once, NEEDED a pro athlete, a media personality, or a Hollywood entertainer for ANYTHING.
There are two ways of arguing with a woman. Neither one works.
Why do eggs come in flimsy cardboard boxes, yet batteries come in packets only a chainsaw can open?
Studies have shown that 99% of the people who are told to "Hold your horses" do not own a horse. Concurrently, I suspect that all those people who have their "ducks in a row" do not own a duck.
Circuses struggle to find new clowns as top prospects go into politics.
There is a special place in hell for people who take 6 practice swings…and still duff it.
Answers to Rules Posers
Poser Number 1 - Correct answer C. – Three strokes.
He gets two strokes for playing from the wrong place, plus the penalty for relief from the penalty area.
Poser number 2 - Correct answer D. The player gets three penalty strokes under Rules 18.2a and 14.7 and must correct the error under Rule 14.7 or be disqualified.
Since the ball was lost and it was not known or virtually certain to be in the penalty area, player must take stroke and distance. He played from the wrong place with a significant advantage, a two stroke penalty which must be corrected.
Poser number 3 - Correct answer B. They get no penalty and must replace the ball.
Explanation Exception 3 to Rule 9.4b; Rule 13.1d