The Signal
by Adam Clark - Signal Staff Writer

April 26, 2006 - Whether they won or lost, most participants agreed that the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce's 22nd annual Oak Tree Golf Classic was a hole in one.

More than 100 business leaders turned up for Monday's event at the Tournament Players Club of Valencia for a day of golf, followed by an auction and dinner.

The tournament is one of the chamber's main annual fundraisers.

"I think it went very well," said Chris Fall, the chamber's chairman of the board. "We had 128 golfers show up, which was more than we've ever had."

Funds raised from entry fees and two post-game auctions will be used to support chamber workshops and functions, as well as to offset member dues, said Robin Choppe, director of events for the chamber.

However, Fall and Choppe both deflected praise to the event's sponsors.

"Having Chiquita Canyon as our main sponsor was a huge success story for the chamber," Fall said. "Chiquita has never been a sponsor for this type of chamber event and it was really special that they were involved."

Fall, the public sector services manager for Blue Barrel Disposal, also mentioned the event's breakfast sponsor, Burrtec Waste. "We had some garbage support, so to speak," he said.

Several teams were recognized with trophies as well.

The Valencia Lexus team won first place, followed by John Heys Plumbing and Pacific View Mortgage in second place and third place, respectively.

Though they there were not in the top three, The Signal's own team won a trophy as well.

Each year, a particular foursome is awarded the DAL trophy, which stands for "dead ass last." This year, the honor was bequeathed to Signal General Manager Tim Whyte and his team.

"That just means we were the only ones who didn't cheat," Whyte joked. The trophy depicts a golfer breaking a club over his knee.

In all fairness, skill level was across the board Monday afternoon and in the end it was still fun, Fall said.

"I'm a tournament golfer," he said. "It's a tough course, but I had a great time. We appreciate all the support we got and we had a great day."