By Tim Roe/Sports Editor

Peace, yes. Quiet, no.

Poplar Creek Golf Course in San Mateo will transport you to a better place, seemingly miles away from the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco International Airport, Highway 101 and even a shooting range.

Ignore the noise, and just concentrate on your scorecard. If you can keep your mind - and drives - from wandering, you may be in for one of the best rounds of your life.

The popular course just south of Candlestick ... er, 3Com ... er, Monster ... Park underwent a name change of its own in 2000, from San Mateo Municipal.

But more than the name was changed. The course was completely renovated, and the result is a gentle, beautiful, tree-lined track that has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and enough beauty to make you forget the Bay Area for a while.

Don't forget your short game, though. The accent here is on precision, not distance.

Poplar Creek is just 6,042 yards from the black tees, and a mere 4,768 from the front (yellow) tees.

The gold tees are recommended for men with handicaps of 9-19, but still carry a deceptively gentle 67.8 rating - the course is a par-70 - with a 115 slope.

There are some chances to grip it and rip it. But the tree-lined fairways dominate most holes. So have some fun and aim for your target score, but use your head.

The fun starts immediately, with a straightaway par-5 that offers a birdie chance right off the bat. The green is guarded by three bunkers, but is open in the front, a common theme.

The biggest test on the front side comes at No. 2, a long, dogleg-right par-4 with water down the left side and trees guarding the green.

More water guards the left side of the third green. No. 3 is a long par-3 into the prevailing wind and another hole where par is a blessing.

But take heart. The rest of the front side is full of birdie opportunities if you can avoid the trees.

Trees are the primary hazards on Nos. 6-8, three very short par-4s that will tempt you to swing away for the greens. Big payoffs await, but using irons off the tees will still provide birdie opportunities.

The front side ends like it started, but the par-5 at No. 9 usually plays straight into the wind and has a big bunker guarding the left side of the green.

Par on the back nine is only 34, but the second side may be harder than the first.

The longest par-4 on the course is at No. 10, followed by a real head-scratcher. Use a medium to short iron off the tee at No. 11, unless you can squeeze a drive between the water on the left and the power plant on the right.

The 12th hole is a long par-3 usually into the wind, but short par-3s await at Nos. 15 and 17.

No. 14 is the longest hole on the course, and the creek runs right in front of the green, so don't get too greedy.

Caution also is the theme at No. 16, a long, dogleg-left par-4 that parallels No. 14. Don't take a shortcut, because the 14th fairway is considered out of bounds, a fact that can ruin your day if you don't realize it ahead of time.

End your round in style, a beautiful par-4 with water right and a bunker left of the green.

The upside at Poplar Creek is a fun little course that will make you think. There are some risk-reward holes, especially on the front side, with the main risk being tree trouble.

The $35 weekday walking rate is fair, and this course can be walked easily. The $55 weekend riding rate is among the best you'll find in the Bay Area.

Conditioning is another plus here, which is saying something, since this course hosts about 100,000 rounds per year.

Therein lies one of the challenges. This course can become crowded.

It also can be noisy, and windy.

But the peaceful combination of water, bunkers, trees and solid fairways more than compensates.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 west to San Francisco. Take Highway 101 south. Take the Polar Avenue exit right. Turn right on North Humboldt Street and right on Peninsula Avenue. Turn left on North Bayshore Boulevard and left on Coyote Point Drive. The course is on the right.