PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE MEN’S GOLF CLUB
DAVE FERNANDEZ
SUMMER SHAMBLE
As the summer schedule comes to a close we finished it off with the Summer Shamble. Great way to finish the summer. 2025 has been a great year for the PMLMGC. Let’s finish it off strong. Now for our winners.
SUMMER SHAMBLE
1st place- Larry Torres, Ben Rebiskie, Joel Pluim, Marc Allyn
2nd place- Edvard Eshagh, Steve Burke, Tony Pavlakis, Dana Soloman
3rd place- Dave Berthold, Bud Roberts, Jeff Sera, Dave Gibson
4th place- Ted Toffey, Blake Bridges, Mark Lofstrand, Rod Raine
5th place- Doug Schmiett, Rich Martinez, Dave Hart, Allen Craig
Closest to the pin
#3- Dana Soloman 11’11”
#7- Alan Miller 13’2”
#14- Marc Allyn 2’5”
#17- Frank Jablonski 6’7”
TOURNAMENT TEE SELECTION
Many of our tournaments allow players to select what tees they will play from. It is important that players sign up for the correct tees. Any player can play from the Gold tees, regardless of their age or index, if they so choose. But only players that qualify may play from the Purple/Green tees. To qualify a player must be 70, or older, or have an index of 18.7, or higher. It is very difficult for the Golf Shop to make tee changes at the last minute. Any player that plays from incorrect tees risks disqualification. Typically, one team member will sign up a 4-man or 2-man team, so it is imperative that that team member sign up their team from the correct tees.
WEBSITE TOURNAMENT SIGN UP
Please continue to use the website, pmlmgc.com, to sign up and pay for tournaments. Using the website for tournament sign up and payment makes it easier for the club and the Golf Shop to manage tournaments. Go to pmlmgc.com to see the tournament schedule.
JOIN THE MEN’S GOLF CLUB
Any male persons who are current property owners, their siblings, sons, nephews, sons-in-law, and PMLA employees are eligible to join the men’s golf club. Go to pmlmgc.com and click on the button, Join the Club, to see the many benefits of club membership, as well as the ability to sign up on line. Applications are also available in the Golf Shop, or you can contact our Handicap/Membership Chair, Ted Toffey. Email Ted at handicap@pmlmgc.com , if you have any questions about club membership, or, if you’re a current member, your NCGA handicap index.
TTFN
Janet Gregory
Farewell. Until we meet again. See you again soon. TTFN or ta-ta for now.
“Do not go gentle into that good night.” At PML, the airport community finds it difficult to say goodbye. I don’t know if it’s a PML Airport “thing” or something that happens to everyone in time.
In the PML airport community, there is seldom a farewell party when people move. When people die, celebrations of life are small, private gatherings, if at all. Occasionally, a missing man formation lifts our eyes to the sky to commemorate lost lives. We are thankful our flight path has crossed with so many interesting people.
The airport community has dwellers and wanderers. Some see PML Airport as a forever home base; for others, it’s a stop en route to other destinations.
The dweller makes it a permanent tie-down. A few dwellers qualify as aviation antiques.
This may be a second home for the wanderers, or they may live here full-time for some years before moving on, like us. Ed and I have owned property at the Groveland Airport for 19 years, making it our full-time home for 15. We are aviation nomads.
Aviation Nomads have a mobile mindset. Our sense of freedom allows us to live in places that suit us. The commitment and dedication of wanderers are equally as strong as those of dwellers. Wanderers make a significant contribution while they are here.
From a sociological perspective, humans are nomadic. Humans move, migrate, and emigrate. Where are your ancestors from? My mother traced our family line back to the Mayflower. Ed is second-generation Polish. Ed and I migrated west from the Washington, DC area. Groveland Airport is young; very few residents were born here. Most of us have moved or migrated here from somewhere else.
Aviation nomads are wanderers, free to pull out the chocks and move on. The aviation nomad can’t say goodbye; it is by our very nature, “until we meet again.”
Are you a dweller or a wanderer? Maybe your mind doesn’t want to know the answer or doesn’t care. You are here. Please make the most of it.
What do you bring to the party with the years you have tread upon this earth or flown above it? What is behind you that makes you who you are? What’s ahead? Not the TO-DO list of the day. Not the goal for the year. Think about the grand arc of your life.
Some people are architects and want the blueprint. Others are gardeners who enjoy planting the seed to see how it grows. We are a bit of both. Ed and I talk about these questions, usually over a glass of wine. If you are enjoying the party, it’s not time to leave. Maybe you are the life of the party, with everyone admiring your enthusiasm. Perhaps you are quietly soaking it all in. Either way, enjoy it. Dweller or wanderer. Architect or gardener. Who cares? You are here. Enjoy it.
Labor Day BBQ – STCHS Fundraiser
Patricia Gibson
The Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society’s (STCHS) thanks everyone who attended our Annual Fundraising event – the Labor Day BBQ. We also thank our Sponsors, the many volunteers, PMLA for their support and use of the Stable Event Center and our STCHS board members who spent their time and energy to make this event such a tremendous success.
Highlights this year included our Celebrity Chef and County Supervisor– Steve Griefer, antique photo display, silent auction, bake sale, 4-H games for the kids, tug of war, watermelon eating contest, line dancing instruction, and the band – Sequoia Tree-O.
The tri-tip was cooked and flavored perfectly, thanks to MarVal and our expert volunteers. We sold out of hot dogs- twice! plasticware, water, white wine… Whew! It was hard keeping up, though a great time was had by all, and we won some new members to our local museum.
The winners of the raffle were: Grand Prize went to local ray of sunshine Patty Douglas; Second prize went to an out-of-town visitor – Steve Macecjewski; third prize went to long time STCHS supporters – Ed and Marianne Quinn. Congratulations to all! Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets!!!
We appreciate the community support! The purpose of this fundraiser is to fund the repainting of the museum parking lot. So, look for that work this fall and come in and pay us a visit. We have some new “rusty bits” on display in the yard and are working on another special one for, hopefully, next summer! The museum is open Thursday – Sunday from 10am -2pm.
STCHS will celebrate 25 years of the Museum Opening next spring and we will be having a party this spring! Be on the lookout for this fun event or become a member and get notice and reminders for our many events and happenings.
If you missed this year’s BBQ, please put it on your calendar for next year! Sunday, September 5th, 2026.
STCHS is a 501c3 Charity that provides great service to our community. It is dedicated to preserving the history of Southern Tuolumne County and several buildings in the Big Oak Flat/Groveland Area. It houses and operates the local museum which is open and to free visitors. STCHS has an all-volunteer staff and subsists uniquely on donations and two annual fund-raising events.
PINE NEEDLERS QUILT GUILD
SANDY SMITH
OKAY IT IS OCTOBER ALREADY, AND TIME FOR THE QUILT SHOW!!! YAHOO!!! CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIPS IS THE THEME. LOTS OF WORK, PATIENCE, AND LOVE WENT INTO GETTING US READY FOR THE 3RD AND 4TH. MORE INFO BELOW...
The October Pine Needlers Quilt Guild October meeting will be on Tuesday the 21st, at 10 a.m. under the Library. Also, we will have a Meet & Greet at 9:30 before the meeting. Lots of fun to catch up, and help set up the room for the meeting. Then to add to your sew day, bring your lunch and a project to work on and sew with us til 3!
Remember to check with Sharon Kenyon if you would like to hang a smallish quilt at the Library. Always fun to see the changes. Last month a visitor to the museum asked me to tell her about the quilts in the Library. So I explained it to her. She was from the bay area and was going to go home and share the idea with her guild, she was impressed.
Now on to the most exciting news: The CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIPS QUILT SHOW is finally here: We have worked hard, and it shows 100 quilts on display, boutique items for sale, Soup lunch on Saturday, baked goods for sale and a great way to spend the day with a special friend. Drop off for your quilts will be Monday September 29, 3pm to 6pm or Tuesday, September 30, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. DO NOT LEAVE QUILTS AT CHURCH. Save your claim check it will be required for pick up on Saturday between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.
Next on the horizon will be our Advent Exchange in November. Its exciting to make things in secret, share at the exchange and then wait to open a surprise each day of December til Christmas Eve. I have been saving ideas if you need one. It has been a delightful experience for sure.
Remember the Pine Needlers Quilt Guild meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month {except December no meeting}. Tuesday October 21st at 10 a.m. Meet and Greet at 9:30 will be our next meeting.
The winner of the Heritage Quilt will be announced in November's column.
If you have any questions please call President Judi {with an I} 650 254-1439 or V.P. Michele {with one l} 209 962-4327
PML Lady Niners
Tammy Talovich
“Believe you can and you’re half way there” - Theodore Roosevelt
If you would like to learn more about becoming a member of the Lady Niners contact Stacie Brown at happygem529@gmail.com . We play 9 holes on Tuesday mornings; it only takes a few hours and is a great opportunity to meet some awesome ladies!
August 5th: we had 11 players and played Even Holes
1st place: Barb Lenorak
2nd place tie: Deanie Martini, Pat Van Gerpen
3rd place: Lindsey Lorant
4th place: Nancy Brewster
Pars: #12,13,17 Lindsey Lorant, #14 Deanie Martini, Barb Lenorak, #16 Barb Lenorak
Low Putts: Lindsey Lorant, Barb Lenorak w/16
Low Net: Barb Lenorak w/30
Low Gross: Lindsey Lorant w/43
August 12th: we had 13 players and played our Ladybugs and Butterflies Tournament
Ladybugs were the winners: Maureen Campbell, Stacie Brown, Linelle Marshall, Deanie Martini, Debbie Torres, Linda Wall
Pars: #14 Linda Craig, Deanie Martini, Linda Wall, #17 Trudy Alt
Low Net: Nancy Brewster and Deanie Martini w/35
Low Gross: Deanie Martini w/50
August 19th: we had 10 players and played Blind Partners
1st place team: Mary Steinkamp and Tammy Talovich
2nd place team: Deanie Martini and Nancy Brewster
3rd place team: Trudy Alt and Linda Wall
Pars: #10,12,13,16,17 Lindsey Lorant, #14 Mary Steinkamp, #17 Deanie Martini, Tammy Talovich
Low Putts: Lindsey Lorant w/15
Low Net: Mary Steinkamp w/35
Low Gross: Lindsey Lorant w/41
August 26th: rained out
Ace of Aces for August: Nancy Brewster w/35 net
Queen of Clubs for August: Susan Dwyer w/54 gross
Putter of the Month: Lindsey Lorant w/15
PML LADIES 18 HOLE GOLF CLUB
Thelma Faux
Here are the results of the recent tournament play. Congratulations to all the winners!
August 14, 2025 – 4 Ladies Scramble
First Place: Laura Kramer, Marcee Cress, Jayne Reynolds, Marlene Drew - 61
Second Place: Tari Skelley, June Von Rotz, Nancy Johnson, Cindy Hollaway - 63
Third Place: Lisa Brown-Jimenez, Stacie Brown, Debbie Torres, Deanie Martini - 63
Fourth Place: Thelma Faux, Helena McMillian, Sara Hancock, Jodie Awai - 70
August 21, 2025 – Left/Right Partners
First Place: Nancy Johnson, Sara Hancock, Jodie Awai, Marlene Drew - 137
Second Place: Pula Parisi, Helena McMillian, Pricilla Park, Thelma Faux - 139
Third Place: Laura Kramer, Elisa Hoppner, Marcee Cress, Lisa Brown-Jimenez - 141
August 28, 2025 – Reverse 6, 6, 6
First Place: Jayne Reynolds, Sara Handcock, Jodi Awai, Marlene Drew - 138
Second Place: Elisa Hoppner, Pricilla Park, Linda Sarrett, Susan Dwyer - 140
Third Place: Paula Parisi, Thelma Faux, Lisa Broen- Jimenez, Kit Edgerton - 141
Fourth Place: Laura Kramer, Tari Skelley, June Von Rotz, Cindy Hollaway - 144
Coming in October …..
The 2025 Ladies Club Championship is underway. Will have all the exciting results next month.
The Pine Mountain Lake Ladies Golf Club plays every Thursday and is open to all women residents and owners of property in the Pine Mountain Lake community. Our club would love to add some new members and have modified our bylaws to allow female family members of property owners to apply for membership. If you are interested in becoming a member, we can arrange for you to join us as a guest, so that you can meet and play with some members and see what our club is all about. If you’re interested, please contact our PML Head Golf Professional, Mike Cook at 209-962-8620.
PML PICKLEBALL CLUB
PAM RODGERS
13 Common Beginner Pickleball Mistakes And How To Fix Them
In the first article of this series, we looked at two common beginner pickleball mistakes—staying in no man’s land and hitting too often to the forehand. Now, let’s keep building on that foundation with two more errors that can quietly creep into your game—and, more importantly, how to fix them. These small adjustments not only help you avoid giving away free points but also set you up to play with more confidence and control.
This time, we’ll look at why aiming for your opponent’s backhand is a smarter strategy—and why it’s better to master consistency before adding fancy spin to your shots.
MISTAKE #3: Hitting to the opponent’s forehand
One of the foundational concepts to learn in pickleball is to let your opponent make the mistakes. Many games are won just by your opponent doing all the work for you. But by hitting to the opponent’s forehand, you’re making it easy for them. Instead, let’s make it hard. Let’s hit to their backhand instead.
Most pickleball players, regardless of skill level, are weaker with their backhand than their forehand. This doesn’t mean that everyone is, but most people are, especially at the recreational level. Knowing this, which side would you rather hit to, the forehand or the backhand?
The backhand of course!
There are a few important shots that you’ll want to prioritize this strategy on. They are the serve, the third shot drop, and the cross-court dink. Focus on hitting to the opponent’s backhand on these shots especially and it will make your pickleball life significantly easier. For the cross-court dink, you’ll want to especially make sure that you do this right.
Let’s pretend for a minute that you’re on the left side of the court and you’re dinking cross-court to your right. Let’s also assume that your opponent is right-handed. The last thing you want to do is dink to their forehand. The reason is that the net is much closer to you with that angle. The more extreme the angle is, the lower the ball needs to go over the net (like if you were cross-court dinking to the sideline). If you hit the dink too high to their forehand, it’s going to be smashed.
MISTAKE# 4: Getting too fancy with spin shots
I used to be a total spin junky. I love pickleball, but what I love even more is playing fancy pickleball. Let me tell you up front, it did not end well. Unfortunately, I had to take my own medicine and stop getting fancy with spin.
There’s nothing wrong with using spin shots every now and then, but using them all the time is probably going to lead to more mistakes. Also, spin shots don’t work very well on advanced players because they understand them and have played against them so much. So if you’re using spin shots against great players, you’re risking a lot for very little reward.
The problem with most spin shots is that they take a lot of skill and accuracy to pull off. If you don’t have this kind of expertise, then you should stay away from spin shots. Just for context, I’m an advanced player and even I stay away from spin shots. Remember, winning in pickleball is about consistency, persistence, and strategy, not as much about trickery and cunning.
Look, I’m not saying that you should never put spin on any of your shots. But it needs to be used intelligently. Spin shots can be devastating, but they should be used as a tool and not a regular shot.
REMEMBER…
Pickleball is about progress, not perfection.
Keep focusing on smart shot placement and building consistency, and you’ll notice a big difference in your rallies.
COME OUT AND PLAY!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Current Play Times (Changes Seasonally).
Check out: PlayTime Scheduler for Pickleball
To Join the PML Pickleball Club email Tammy Talovich at TamTally1@gmail.com or call 209.605.7904
ROOFBB “CARING HEARTS-HELPING OTHERS”
Audrey Prouse
“ROOFBB has had a direct and profoundly positive impact
on my family and community. Not only has ROOFBB supported my children with high
school scholarships, but assisted friends in need, and provided support to
students at school, making membership a personal and meaningful way to show
gratitude.”
— Wynette Hilton, ROOFBB member
Since January, ROOFBB has stepped in to help ten local families through times of crisis—covering car repairs, utility bills, funeral costs, and more. But the impact goes far beyond emergency assistance. ROOFBB also invests in our town spirit, proudly contributing to the Christmas Committee to bring festive cheer to Groveland.
Education and youth are always strongly supported. ROOFBB organized a back-to-school shopping spree on September 13th for Tenaya Elementary students, ensuring these kids started the year with confidence and basic essentials. 25 students were paired with community volunteers, Tioga High School students, and ROOFBB members along with friends and family to shop. All of these wonderful people generously gave up their Saturday morning to lend a hand. We are also deeply grateful to the Ladies Club, Helping Hands, Rotary, and Walmart Sonora for donating funds to make this event possible.
As member Wynette reminds us, being part of ROOFBB is more than volunteering—it’s about making a real difference while building friendships along the way. Whether you want to give back, to find deeper purpose, or to spend time with an uplifting, energetic group of women, ROOFBB welcomes you.
Trunk or Treat 🎃👻
Mark your calendars for Halloween night! ROOFBB will be hosting a Bake Sale during Trunk or Treat at Mary Laveroni Park. Find us near the Snack Shack and stock up on sweet treats baked with love by our members. Every purchase supports our mission to help our Groveland community.
Now is the perfect time to get involved. Together, we can continue to make our community stronger. To learn more, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Nextdoor. Membership applications are available at charity.roofbb.org/join.
If you know anyone in need, please let us know!
DONATE! CONTACT US! FOLLOW US!
charity@roofbb.org @roofbbcharity
Pine Mountain Garden Club
Linda Neuschwander
Golden autumn is here at last! Hot days are fewer and milder. Fair breezes waft over us, time to put up the fans for awhile. Maple trees and Chinese pistache trees are starting their gorgeous autumn display. By the way , have you ever noticed some Chinese pistache trees turn bright fiery shades? That's because pistache trees are either male or female. The male (cultivar Keith davies) having showy foliage, and the female tree much less so. The male tree also never produces the sometimes messy berries that the birds love. Who knew???
But there is nothing like those mild autumnal breeze on a fine fall afternoon while visiting wonderful local gardens with friends. The PM Garden Club enjoyed those autumn breezes on such a day. Two different local families off Ferretti Rd. welcomed us into their fine gardens. The first featured beautiful vineyards of wine grapes, fruit trees, veggie gardens overflowing with produce such as peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, green beans, strawberries and the like (we were even given produce to take home with us!!). We had a wonderful time.
The second tour was a property that featured a chicken ranch (no gambling!) but with plenty of happy hens running around. This large property held lots of beautiful plants and flowers, garden art, herb beds, and beautiful specimens of plants I did not expect to find in Groveland such as passionflower, rose of sharon, and golden bamboo. We all sat in their colorful summer house while listening to Marilyn share a bit of history about the place and enjoying snacks. It was a wonderful day!!!
The PM Garden Club meets regularly to talk about horticulture while (of course) sharing snacks. We have a good time. You would too, I'm sure! Want to learn more about native plants and gardens? Join us for one of our regular second Monday meetings. We also host tours of local gardens as they reach their best showy beauty. Just give us a call for best dates, location, and time. Questions?? Contact Linda F. 209-770-6062. Or Vicki S. 650-773-2207. We meet most months at the PM Lake Lodge. We would love to see you there.