From the Fringe
Mike Cook - PGA Head Golf Professional
The Golf Shop is open 7 days a week from 7:30am until 6:00pm and our staff and I are here to assist you in any way we can. Please call us if you have any questions or need to make a reservation for golf at 1-209-962-8620.
Upcoming Events Event Date(s)
Ladies 9-Hole Golf Club Weekly Play Day Tuesdays (New Day for 2025)
Ladies 18-Hole Golf Club Weekly Play Day Thursdays
PML Men’s Golf Club October Odyssey 4-Man Scramble Wednesday October 8
PML Men’s Golf Club Spook-Tacular 2-Man Scramble Saturday October 25
PML Lady Niners Wine In The Pines Tuesday October 7
Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course Rated #4 in the USA by Golf Pass
Golf Pass is one of the Nation’s leading promoters of the game of golf. Golf Pass brings together the best golf courses, instruction, entertainment, travel information and much more to help golfers enjoy more golf, more often. Each year Golf Pass customer’s rate the Golf Courses that they play and in the latest list of the top 25 Golf Courses in America, Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course is rated #4 in the Country. We are truly blessed with a great Golf Course and thank you Rob Abbott our Golf Course Superintendent and his crew for the wonderful condition of our Hidden Gem.
PML Lady Niners
The PML Lady Niners will hole their annual Wine In The Pines on Tuesday October 7. For more information call the Golf Shop at 209-962-8620.
Pine Mountain Lake Holiday Express
If you are not aware of what the Holiday Express is; the Holiday Express is an event where PML Property Owners whose property is on the Golf Course on holes 1-5 and 10-18, light up their Golf Course portion of their property with lights and Christmas decorations and PML conducts tours where spectators tour the Golf Course at night to view the lights and decorations. This is PML’s version of “Candy Cane Lane”. It is our hope that EVERY PML home owner whose property is on the Golf Course will take part in this event and light up the Golf Course side of their property, even if it is just putting up a few strings of lights. This year’s event is scheduled for Friday December 8 and Saturday December 9. See fliers in the newsletter for more information. Sign-ups for the tours will be available starting in the first week of November. For more information call the Golf Shop at 209-962-8620.
A Special Thank You
Pine Mountain Lake would like to extend a special thank you to the PML Members, Guests and Public for helping keep the course in such great shape by fixing their ball marks, raking the bunkers and replacing divots. We feel that along with the PML Maintenance Staff you deserve credit for the course conditions also. Keep up the great work!
Men’s Purple/Green Combo Tee Changes
Beginning on July 1, 2025 the following changes will go into effect for the Men’s Purple/Green Combo Tees:
Hole #6 will change from a Purple Tee to a Green Tee.
Hole #10 will change from a Purple Tee to a Green Tee.
Hole #11 will change from a Green Tee to a Purple Tee.
Reasons for the changes:
The men’s and women’s Purple/Green Combo tees have been the same but the women’s par on #6 & #10 is 5 and the men’s par is 4. Moving the men’s tees to the Green Tee on these two holes is warranted due to the difference in par and the length of the holes.
Playing hole #11 from the Green Tee made it necessary to adjust the handicap holes on the back nine due to the 168 -yard shorter distance difference from the Gold Tee. By moving back to the Purple Tee it makes it so we can keep the handicap holes the same for all the tees.
Our new scorecards reflect these changes and the new scorecards have rounded corners so we can easily recognize the new scorecards.
If you have any questions, please call the Golf Shop.
Driving Range
As of October 1, the Driving Range will be open from 8:00am until 4:00pm (Last Ball Hit at 4:00pm).
Golf Services (Lockers, Bag & Push Cart Storage)
If you would like to rent a locker or store you bag or push cart, there is space available. Call or come to the Golf Shop for more information or an application.
Pine Mountain Lake Golf Webcam
On the pinemountainlake.com website we now have a live webcam that looks down the 10th hole. Click on the Amenities tab, then go to and click on the 18 Hole Championship Golf Course tab, then scroll down to and click on the Golf Course Webcam. You will be able to see the live conditions at the Golf Course. https://pinemountainlake.com/webcams
Callaway Golf Club Trial Sets
We NOW have the NEW Callaway ELYTE line of clubs available for testing in the Golf Shop. We have trial sets that you can take to the range or out on the Golf Course. For more information, call or come in to the Golf Shop.
We now have the NEW CALLAWAY REVA LADIES trial sets.
Southern Valley Seniors
If you are a PML Property Owner, a Member of the PML Men’s Golf Club and are 50 years of age and above, you qualify to join the PML Southern Valley Seniors (SVS). The SVS play home & away events with other Golf Courses in the Southern Valley, such as Turlock CC, Oakdale CC & Spring Creek CC, to name a few. If you are interested call the Golf Shop and we will put you in touch with the SVS PML Captain.
Punch Cards
Pine Mountain Lake Association Property Owners can save up to $6.00 per round by purchasing a Punch Card in the Golf Shop. There are; 9-Hole & 18-Hole Punch Cards available. For more information call or come into the Golf Shop.
NEW Pine Mountain Lake Property Owners
If you are a new Pine Mountain Lake Property Owner and you are interested in getting acquainted with other Property Owners who play golf, call the Golf Shop 1-209-962-8620 and we will let you know what golfing groups you may be able to join or what golf activities are planned for the year.
Men’s & Ladies Golf Clubs
If you are interested in joining the Men’s or Ladies Golf Clubs, you can call the Golf Shop 1-209-962-8620 and we will give you the information you need. Applications are available in the Golf Shop. The Men’s Club has a website (www.pmlmgc.com) that you can visit to sign-up online for your membership (see Men’s Club eligibility rules) or to print an application. Once you are a Men’s Club Member, you can sign-up for tournaments online.
Property Owner Annual Golf Cart Rental Agreement
Every person who drives a golf cart on the course, is required to sign a golf cart rental agreement at the time of registration, before they can drive a golf cart. PML Property Owners sign the agreement one-time and that covers the entire year. If you have not signed your agreement you can go to the PML website (www.pinemountainlake.com) and fill it out and sign online or you will be asked to sign the form when you register in the Golf Shop. Click on amenities, then click on golf and you will see the agreement with other forms available. If you have any questions, please call the Golf Shop 1-209-962-8620.
Care of the Golf Course
TAKING CARE OF THE GOLF COURSE IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY; PLEASE DO YOUR PART!
Replacing Divots – PML is a DIVOT FIRST facility; that means that if the divot is intact or even a portion of the divot is intact, we want you to replace the divot first and press the divot down firmly with your foot. When an intact divot is replaced, it will begin to root right away but a mulch filled divot will take weeks to fill in. If the divot hole is not totally filled in by the divot that you replaced then fill the rest of the hole with mulch and press down the divot firmly with your foot. If the divot is not intact, then fill the divot hole with mulch and smooth the mulch with your foot so it is level with the ground.
Repairing Ball Marks – This is one of the major negatives in our great game; players either do not know how to repair ball marks correctly or don’t even attempt to repair them. Here is the correct way to repair a ball mark:
Insert the divot tool just outside the edge of the ball mark, use the divot tool to mend in the outside portion if the ball mark towards the middle. Then use you putter to tap down the repaired turf. If a ball mark is repaired properly, you will not even be able to tell that there was a ball mark. NEVER PULL UP THE MIDDLE OF THE BALL MARK.
Raking Bunkers – We are back to normal procedures concerning bunkers; PLEASE make sure that you rake the bunker after you have hit your shot.
Golf Carts – Driving golf carts on the fairways has a negative effect on turf conditions over time. PLEASE use the 90-degree rule posted in each golf cart in order to minimize the cart traffic on the fairways.
FIRE SAFETY
JOE MILANI - FIRE SAFETY COORDINATOR
October brings cooler temperatures and shorter days, but when it comes to fire safety, we are not out of the woods yet. Due to climate change and unmanaged forests, wildfire season is starting earlier and ending later. Fire behavior patterns have changed and pose new threats to our communities and surrounding forest land. Pine Mountain Lake Association practices year-round fire safety standards, so your home is better prepared for wildfire season. If you would like a fire safety inspection or home hardening assessment, please contact our office to schedule an appointment.
October 5th-11th is Fire Prevention Week. The theme of this year is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!”, works to educate everyone about using these batteries safety. The campaign stresses how important it is to Buy, Charge and Recycle safely when it comes to lithium-ion batteries. Learn more at: https://www.nfpa.org/fpw and https://nfpa.org/. Both sites are full of valuable information for the whole family including educational games for kids to play and learn about fire safety and prevention.
Please remember to test your smoke alarms once a month and replace any faulty alarms or low batteries immediately. This could be the difference between life and death in a fire-related emergency.
Lastly, fire safety inspections will continue in Pine Mountain Lake. Remember, a fire safe community begins with you! If you would like an inspection of your property, or you are looking to educate yourself more, our fire safety team would love to help.
If you have questions or concerns regarding fire safety, you can contact Amanda Birmingham at 1(209) 990-5263 or email her at inspector@pinemountainlake.com. I can be reached at 1(209) 990-5260 or by email fsc@pinemountainlake.com.
Tee to Green
Rob Abbott – Golf Course Superintendent
We have just completed our golf course aeration at the end of September. This included, greens tees, fairways, collars, and approaches. I know all of you golfers out there dislike this process and to be honest I don’t care for it much either. We baby the greens through the heat of summer and have them looking nearly perfect just to punch 1.5 million holes into our 3 acres of greens. I have touched on the importance of the aeration process several times in the past but still get the same questions. I am going to explain the process again. Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction; it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green's roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the plants stay healthy. We achieve this by removing half-inch cores, or plugs from the soil, allowing for air and water to penetrate the greens surface. The spaces are then filled with sand "topdressing" that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward.
With the cool fall temperatures on their way, we will be doing some late-season fertilizing. Greens, tees, and fairways are on their monthly program and will continue through October. The best results from late-season fertilization will be achieved by applying fertilizer early enough in the season that the plants are still photosynthesizing and absorbing nutrients. Doing this will give the plant a boost of nutrients going into winter and give the necessary nitrogen boost to get it started in the spring.
For those who play, I hope you noticed the repair that was done to the staging area at the golf shop. We poured new concrete and leveled pavers on the entire length of the staging area, reducing the trip hazards that existed, and created superior drainage going into winter. At the cart path crossing of Tannahill, we improved the cart path by widening it by two feet and replacing the handrail. This was also a concern for cart traveling to the stop sign on a narrow path. Some other projects include a new greenhouse being installed at the maintenance department. This will allow us to propagate a lot of our own plants, start seedlings, and provide our own plants back into landscapes. Staff also just finished a beautiful new landscape at 16 green 17 tee, with plants that we were able to grow from cuttings or splits from other plants during pruning.
Remember that it is extremely hard this time of year to irrigate seventy-plus acres of turf when you have huge swings in temperatures as we are seeing now. The days get shorter and the sun angle begins to shift casting large shade patterns throughout the course. The course may seem wet in the morning, but when the dew wears off and the sun is high in the sky, conditions become perfect. Come on out and enjoy the cooler weather and our beautiful course.
Maintenance Matters October
RICK LAFFRANCHI – MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS MANAGER
“October is a performance of symphony and change”- Bonaro W. Overstreet
October is here and with it, a small sigh of relief in the Maintenance department. With the end of September comes the completion of the 2025 Pavement Management Plan work. The extensive work takes place normally on a 2-year schedule and requires 100s of hours of preplanning between all entities involved to bring this project to completion. This year nearly 2 dozen streets, courts, and roads were treated, with the addition of Pine Mountain Drive and Mueller Drive receiving line striping in excess of 7 miles total. I would like to extend my thanks to all involved.
The Facilities crew continue to be engaged in multiple projects, as with last month extensive reed removal from many parts of the lake will take place as well as choosing multiple locations along the lake shore to apply a muck consuming product that has been utilized in many small lake communities to significantly reduce the (that icky sticky muddy stuff all the organics grow in), which will remove one of the sources for reed propagation on the lake. Road work continues with crack sealing in units 2, 6, 7 and 12 this process assists in extending the life of our roads. Finally, the team will be preparing the Green Waste Site for its yearly chipping project, this year we anticipate between 14k yd3 and 15k yd3 will be processed and removed.
The Buildings and Grounds crew will be engaged across the association. With the end of the summer season comes the closure of the seasonal amenities. The Swim center, The Lake Side Café and all contributing areas will be put to rest. This process includes shutting down refrigeration, Irrigation, cook lines, Docks etc... And finally, the month of October brings our annual visit from DSOD and our inspection of the Big Creek Dam. The Maintenance team spends over 500 hours a year clearing on around or ensuring that the area stays in qualified condition. The dam is over 50 years old and requires extensive upkeep to keep the area safe and accessible. Well, that’s all for this month, remember slow for the cone zone and enjoy the beautiful community we live work and play in.
FROM PMLA SAFETY COMMITTEE
BOB ASQUITH
The Pine Mountain Lake Safety and Security Committee is a standing committee authorized by the PMLA Board of Directors to inform its decision making and promote its mission. The Committee meets every month.
JOIN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING: MEMBERS MAY
ATTEND OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS OCTOBER 8TH AT 9AM VIA ZOOM. PLEASE EMAIL
SAFETYCOMM@PINEMOUNTAINLAKE.COM TO OBTAIN YOUR INVITATION.
Wildfire Season IS STILL HERE. Load WatchDuty app on your smartphone. It shows fire activity nearby. Sign up for alerts (See below). Include family/friend OFF THE HILL.
We will hold a morning First Aid/AED/CPR class at Lake Lodge
on October 11.
We are planning another class in mid-summer. Watch Social Media.
CERT will hold its FEMA provided Basic Training Nov 14-16 in Groveland.. ALL are welcome. It is Free.
We are developing a path for Firewise Communities to also be Neighborhood Watch Neighborhoods. Details coming.
We met with researchers from UC Davis who are working on a project with CALFIRE to graphically show members what their property would look like when the vegetation is thinned to a safe state. See separate story.
We want your opinions. Please Email them to us:
· House numbering – Fire Dept recommendations
· Speeding – Looking for solutions to calm PML traffic
· Roadway and Intersection markings – Speed limits and Evacuation routes
· Text messaging – Admin is working on texting. Stay tuned (Push technology)
· Updates to PML Safety and Emergency documentation
Emergency Communications – Sign up for these emergency
alerts at:
https://www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/1170/Emergency-Alerts
Who should receive these alerts? Your Land Line, ALL family members cell
phones, including Someone Off-The-Hill.
Emergency
Evacuation—These maps are approved and ready to use. Maps show
the routes out of PML and the major evacuation routes away from Groveland. Additional
emergency information can be found at
https://www.pinemountainlake.com/emergency-information-and-resources/
Evac
Maps are on the PMLA website. Download & print your copy.
https://www.pinemountainlake.com/.../PML-Evacuation-Maps.pdf
Please email comments to: SafetyComm@pinemountainlake.com
For
several months, your Safety Committee has been meeting with researchers from UC
Davis to learn more about an innovative tool they are developing along with
CALFIRE. This tool provides homeowners with a view of their property before and
after applying the best practices for thinning vegetation to make it more fire
safe.
More than 40 members attended the evening meeting Sept 17th at Lake Lodge to discuss this tool and provide feedback to its development team. This will help further the refinements of their tool.
More than a dozen PML properties were used to provide samples of the tool’s operation. They were review and comments were abundant to aid the developers. Below is a sample. The PMLA Fire Safety Coordinator also has been involved with this process.
We
expect this tool to be widely available in the months ahead. Look for
announcements in Social Media and via eSnap. This will be great for members to
visualize what fire safe improvements to their property will look like. Here
are two samples.
Please email comments to: SafetyComm@pinemountainlake.com
