Golf -18 Hole
The 18 Hole Golf Activity home course is Boundary Oak Golf Course in Walnut Creek and the group plays weekly at many courses in the bay area. To see a complete listing of the courses, make a tee-time reservation, or for other golf information, click on the appropriate link in the menu on the right-hand side.
If you have and questions or would like to join us, please contact David Platter.
Golf Committee Members:
Chairman – David Platter
925-283-9146
golfplatter@Hotmail.Com
Membership / Handicaps / Data – Buddy May
Treasurer – David Green
Special Tournaments – Frank Bosworth
Golf Course Manager – Don Dennler
Marshals Director – Kevin Winkler
Communications Director –
Advisor – Pat Hoy
Website Coordinator – Buddy May
Current golf outing results, schedules and photos follow:
March 2025
Monday March 24 the eighteen Hole Golf group held a scramble tournament. Six teams of 4 ( an a, b, c, and d player) played a best ball format. Scores were adjusted by the group handicap.
Jeff Martin, who just joined our group played his first game at this tournament. He, along with team members Arte Chan, Ray de Wit, and Frank Bosworth walked away with the coveted first-place prize.
Jeff, congratulations and welcome to the group.
February 2025
New talent can be seen in the winner circle. Rick Trudell took first place in the Rancho Solano tournament with an 84 raw score giving him a net of 68 [ Along with ten pars.] He is an athlete with many talents brought to our group by the famous Peter Jordan who also is one of our top player. These are remarkable scores when one considers the amount of rainwater that has hit the golf course. Perhaps, Rick should develop a sparkling swimming activity for our branch.
For the second time this year, both Rich Knowles and humble Mike Furtado took first place in separate tournaments. These men are avid golfers with a knack for achievement.
Questions about Diablo Creek Golf Club future. In interviews with management it was clear their club will remain as an important 18 hole golf course. In fact, they are planning to improve their course as well as expand their facilities. The first order of business is to consolidate control under one authority. As of now it has a split ownership with US Government and the City of Concord. Eventually the City of Concord will acquire all the property.
Then a look at some of the details.
- The state of California is expected to build a service road parallel to the north side of highway #4. This is necessary to enable cars to exit onto to an overpass which will guide travel into the proposed 22,000 homes on the south side of the freeway..
- Golf holes #6 and #7 will be either altered or relocated to other places designed by the golf course..
- The golf range will double its capability by adding a second deck over existing tee slots.
- Since covid, Diablo has increased usage. The break-even is 60,000. They now are playing 73,000 golfers per year. Parking on weekends now is at full capacity.
- Redesigning the playing facilities with the hope of becoming one of the best courses in the state.
On another note: Golf equipment manufactures only makes small changes each year and get away with jacking prices into insane heights on these ‘new’ products. Desperate golf shops consistently violate California criminal code #1723 by not inform the buyer of their’ ‘no return policy’. The law sates it must be clear before a sale is completed. ‘There will be no refund’. [Even if it is a demo product, faulty equipment, or you are a nice person]
Golf shop are required to parrot these criminal codes to employees. The District Attorney has been informed of existing violations and have pledged to take action .
January 2025
- New member Carl Sand finished first net posting [71] while low handicap Steve Burrows used professional talent to score a 79 gross at Blue Rock East.
- During the Diablo Creek tournament, Rick Knowles and Garry Palhegyi [also new] tied [71] at Diablo creek. The great Don Dennler[72] finished one stroke behind.
- Boundary Oak golf range will be completed by April of this year. They believe everyone will be pleased.
- Apparently, all legal avenues attempted by the city of Hercules have been exhausted. The 162 acres Franklin Canyon 18 hole golf facilities will be eliminated. Only the driving range will remain. Date for the innovative construction will be announced within a couple of months. Then the new owners will assemble a 60 placement locations for recreational vehicle. The value of the RV park will be enhanced by its neighbor John Muir’s 484 acres open space reserve. This open sanctuary will be altered to add trails, bungalows and overnight tents. Traffic speed on highway #4 will be slowed to 55 mph upon the completion of this vocational area. Swimming pools and cleaning facilities will be included in this project. It shall be called an RV resort. This will be our area’s 13 golf club closing within the past decade.
- Phil Philpot discontinued his SIR membership. He has been an active participant in both the 18 hole and the 9 hole that he directed at one time. A painful hip problem dictated his retreat from golf. We will miss this good friend.
- Kepler’s golf shop in Walnut Creek has smothered any normal approach to helping. I would not recommend embracing this shop as long as they keep promoting their strange system of selling.
December 2024
On December 16th during the Boundary Oak tournament it rained all day. In spite of wet conditions, Branch #8 players were ready for the challenge. The tournament was hotly contested. Media reported: Peter Jordan receiving first place, Mike Furtado took the applause for second and Garland Bell became a strong third. The tournament Director, Jim Shrha, decided NOT to present the fourth place medal since only three showed up to compete.
A word on conditions:. Imagine standing out in the open, holding a steel club high above your head and just as you start to swing this electric storm crashes down on your game…. Think about dodging deadly lightning flashes hitting the hills, trees, sometimes just screaming a short distance away. [It was not that bad, but I just wanted you to think about it.]
Rick Trudell is one of our up and coming stars. His putting at San Ramon was specular. In addition, he was sinking several shots from the high grass fringe along with placing in the hole immodest 30+ putts.
Carl Sand finished first at Shadow Lakes with a 89 gross and 69 net. Carl also won the closes to the pin contest. [Next to PGA tour]
Don Dennler took honors at San Ramon with a below par 70 net. While in late November, Pat Hoy was the best at another Boundary Oak contest.
With winter biting at our heals, we find our best scores usually come during the bright warm summer. Yet, with the index assignments, players are equal and our tournaments become score-tight. We play a serious-fun type of game. However, most important is comradeship. That alone takes us out on the course.
November 2024
The Eagle Vines Golf Course prepared itself for an invasion of Sir superior athletes from the legendary Branch #8. Mythical Garland Bell was ready to accepted the challenge aware 11 out of 18 holes do cuddled up to lakes and creeks. These liquid lagoons are known to show defiance. Aware of all inheriting dangers, Garland Bell pushed forth and grabbed the winning score of 70 net.
Golf’s naughty words usually are expressed while digging one’s golf ball out of the bottom of a lake. It creates anxiety knowing the lake-ball is not clinically washed a then comes the need to publish an advisory to everyone in the Napa area.
A golfer must be aware of the playtime perils. For example: While setting up a shot to the golf-green while standing in a deep water lake, one must explore several opposing options. First, the rules states a ball may be hit while covered with water. However, if the ball is camped below 9 feet, then those using the 6 inch bump rule must except a one stoke penalty on their score card. There is logic behind this rule because of the need to protect the environment. It also is needed to promote world peace and give a better understanding of our water birds friends not forgetting the need to eliminate outer planet who are harboring too much CO2.
Then there is a local problem. Our very own BEC reminds us that swimming in a lake blurs our Sir image as well as the very spirit of golfing. Too many golfers have drowned because they had a mental tie to our old format. Even tolerant Buddy May voiced concerned when posting scores. His committee has asked. “How does one give the NCGA an accurate golf tally if one of our golfers drown while attempting to fetch a wet golf ball?” [Even if it was bought on sale.]
Now let us leave this report on a positive note. Mike Furtado brought his OLDER brother Tom to one of our SIR’s tournament. Tom is ten years YOUNGER than Mike. This gives Mike one younger-older brother. We question his wording, but do understand Mike’s age sensitive..
Pat Hoy stunned the Eagle Vines crowd with a first place win of 83 gross. However, his success was NOT tied to the open end treasury debit card he had just been issued. In fact, Pat will use this document to satisfy silly course demands such as green fees. He will temporally take the place of Commadore Dave Green who is our General Director of Finance. Commadore Green does dabble in world class sailing and at times must absence himself to command his private yacht in world class competitions.
October 2024
CLUB DUEL CHAMPIONSHIPS. Adoring fans still are screaming about the great golf exhibition just completed at Boundary Oak. During the three-week club championship, we had a nail-biting finish. After 54 grueling holes, it boiled down to the last putt on the last green before a winner could be named. Nonetheless, the uncertainty was crystalized when Bob Samson trickled in his 1.68-inch round white golf ball into the bottom of the final cup. That was the moment when the coveted Open title became Bob Samson’s alone.
Posting 169, Bob outlasted golfing pro Buddy May’s 170 postings. Not forgotten was Peter Jordan who continually challenged the two leading Titans and finished with a 171 third place. Even the press as well as loyal fans vocalized again and again how close our competition has become.
At the same time, the equally prestigious Net Club Championship parallels the Open. Jim Regan. [A name that shall resonate in the halls of legends.] shot a 40 on the first nine holes then continued onward to a first-place 130 finish. It was a record-breaking moment as Jim after recovering from a disaster one hole nine earlier, pulled himself up and demonstrated his winning prowess. Such gifted skills gave the gallery chills. Jim is well known for his chipping, putting, and good looks and has now validated a certain touch that rivaled those silly pros who seem to haunt the worldwide PGA tours.
Many other players also made their mark. Close behind were the supermen Peter Jordan and David Green who nipped at the leader’s heels with relentless determination during the match..
August/September 2024
Frank Bosworth is hosting a two-night three-day tournament at Carmel on the 7th through 9th of October. He has blocked for us a limited number of rooms at the NEW Marriott Hotel which overlooks Monterey Bay and at prices so low it would be embarrassing for me to mention. It is a super vacation for wives and an opportunity to reignite friendship with other Branch #8 members. So =>sign- up<…or …call Frank 1-661 886 5553.
Matchplay!! Diablo Creek Golf Course was designed so two-man vs two-man teams. This meant each hole was a win-or-lose event. Our Branch won the challenge 6 to 2, thus earning us bragging rights for the rest of the year.. The match play began at eight o’clock when a gunshot was discharged at the clubhouse [no one was hurt] signaling time to tee off.
Don Dennler had arranged the set-up while Buddy May accumulated stats and posted scores. Another way to look at it, our team won 60 holes while Discovery Bay posted 42. In summary: Branch #8 hit the ball straighter while opponents did smacked it longer. However, our mission was to keep the ball out of trees, shrubs, lakes, and whatever. They used a different path. A good lesson in ‘damn-it’ golf.
Some highlights would include David Green sinking five putts outside thirty feet. Even touring pros are not that good.. Our opposition could not believe his audacity and we had to wait while they sat down to have a good cry.
Not forgetting the team of Dan Crowley and Rich Knowles who published the widest winning 9 to 3 margin. On another day, Peter Jordan scored a raw 87 win at the Blue Rock tournament while Mike Furtado had posted a net of 69 the week before at Boundary. During August Buddy May was the leader in the closest to the hole contests. For this, he was awarded a set of unused, but nice and clean, golf balls which had been stored in a special environmental room.
July 2024
On Thursday, August 22, 2024, our Branch will host a match-play scramble against the Discovery Bay chapter #161 at the Diablo Creek Golf Course. If interested in being a part of one of our two-man teams, then add your name onto our regular golf sign-up sheet located at https://www.sirbr8.com/golf-sign-up-2/
Each two-man team will meet a rival two-man team and both teams will assembled as a foursome on a designated tee.. Every golfer in each foursome will have parallel handicaps.
It will be a shotgun start..
A brief over-review => Each hole is calculated as a separate event. One team will either win or lose on each hole. No carry over. Ties, not scored. In addition, the Branch with the most two-man-team wins will be crowned=> The Grand Champion.
On another subject: Our Branch tournaments have had some impressive numbers. There have been 44 golfers who have shot below net par [72] or better.
The famous Birdie Cub also has other golfers with deserved bragging rights: Bob Samson, Peter Jordan, Terry Mason, and Kevin Winkler are the birdie leaders at the year’s halfway mark. Even though there are famous Birdie Club members who need praise, many them requested anonymity fearing climate change and unpainted parking meters.
June 2024
The Everyone has had fun. So far this year our group has played in 17 tournaments and there are many other outings planned. A few achievements so far are list below. Peter Jordan won three net championships. Not only this, he has finished in the top three positions, eight times. Send Hotline comments to Dan Smith at dns.lns02@astound.net Notable accomplishments would include our tournament winners: Kevin Winkler, Pat Hoy, Gerald Stephens, Steve Burrows, Dennis Reschke, Carl Sakofsky, Peter Jordan, Buck Cheshire, and Legendary Buddy May. All received their winner’s PGA green jacket. Bob Samson April 15th low score of 83 might be of historical interest. While others are at home whimpering ‘tax day’, Bob is on the course becoming famous. Then there was the February 26th day at Boundary when 17 Sir golfers posted scores of 89 or lower. Dennis Reschke is making his mark on the links. So far, he has had four big wins. When reporters asked him to reveal his secret, Dennis mentioned his Minneapolis ice training where golfing in snow storms requires searching for a white ball in blocks white visibility. Back in California during a Boundary match, Buck Cheshire jumped into first place. As himself a musician, he has a tip for fellow golfers. Do not take a base drum with you and play. “Onward Christen Soldiers. Such an orchestra base drum does not sound good on a golf course. Secondly, it is too large to fit in a golf cart and annoys those trying to putt.
David Platter and Son
