A picture perfect day and a Scottish Bag Piper welcomed golfers to fabulous Valencia Country Club and the Seventeenth Annual A.I.R. Golf Classic, Monday, May 24th.

This event, benefiting the A.I.R./Altemus Scholarship Program, which funds grants and internships for real estate students and member firms, provided a great day of camaraderie, golf on a spectacular course and an all around good time for A.I.R. members and their guests.

The delicious BBQ lunch, hosted by James Brown - The Newhall Land & Farming Company fueled golfers best shots as proven by Longest Drive winner Bryan Rolfe - Coast Cast, Inc., guest of Chuck LaPianna - Broadway Enterprises, Straightest Drive - Gordon Mace - Beitler Commercial and Closest to the Pin winners, Bill Jorgensen - Heil Construction, guest of Debbie Kroman, North American Title Company and Tournament Committee member, Stephen Cramer - The Seeley Company, Jim Garrison - Stevenson Real Estate spotted his drive a mere two feet from the pin nearly walking away with a hole in one.

I am again sorry to report, however, that no one took home Commerce Escrow Company's Twenty Five Thousand Dollar Cash Prize nor the Golf Trip to Scotland sponsored by Tori Solomon and Michael Slinger - Old Republic Title Company. Every year I hope for a big winner. I'm counting on you in 2000!

Adding to the "team spirit", this last A.I.R. tournament of the Century offered a Modified Double Peoria Team format, a change from the traditional Individual Play format of years past.

First Place Gross was won by "Fore-some" Gerald Singh and Robert Larson-Oltmans Construction, Scott Sheridan - Hewson Company, and Dennis Hill - Hill Pickert Architects with a respectable team score of 142.

First Place Net Scoring at 145 was taken by the team of Buzz Helsel - Bank of America, Brent Enright - Enright Industrial Real Estate, Stacy Martin - Lee & Associates and Steve Bogan - Stewart Title Company.

Peter McWilliams (1st Paid Golfer award winner) Tom Neiman, Barry Fast and Tom Taylor - The Seeley Company captured 2nd Place Net with a 145 team score. 3rd Place Net at 147 was won by Ernie Farhat, Michael Benesch, Robert Laswell - Sanjo Investments and guest Larry Koentopp, Larry Koentopp Enterprises. Great game, guys!

The course was in perfect shape and as always, the Valencia Country Club pros, Rick Smith, PGA, Dan Hernandez, PGA, Moriko Mori, Catering Director and the course and hospitality staff provided exceptional service.

The success of this event is made possible only by the golfers and our loyal sponsors: The Newhall Land & Farming Company and The City of Santa Clarita, Hosts.

Patron Sponsors: Commerce Escrow Company, Copy-Rite Press, Inc., Investment Development Services (Conejo Spectrum, Newbury Park), and Lawyers Title Company.

Platinum Sponsors: Imperial Bank and Pac Ten Partners.

Gold Sponsors: The Hewson Company (First Tee Award winner), Metropolitan Escrow Company, Collins Commercial Real Estate, The Seeley Company, The Klabin Company, Capital Commercial Real Estate, Overton Moore & Associates, Delphi Business Properties, CB Richard Ellis-San Fernando Valley, Grubb & Ellis-San Fernando Valley and Trammell Crow.

Silver Sponsors: Oltmans Construction, P. Patrick Murray, Valley Independent Bank, The Carson Companies, The Pacific Bank N.A., First American Title Company, Hill Pinckert Architects, North American Title Company, CEG Construction, Keystone Mortgage Company, R.J. Feder & Associates and Steve Bogan - Stewart Title Company.

Speciality Hole Sponsors: Hole-in-One Sponsors, Commerce Escrow Company and Old Republic Title Company, Buzz Helsel - Bank of America and Larry Zahm - City National Bank.

Event Photo Sponsors: Mike Nueska, Dene Bissing, Rob Blake, Nan Richardson, Ron Golden - Chicago Title Company, Photography by Scott Rogers, Event Images, Phoenix, AZ.

Teri Kortens - Lawyers Title Company and Eileen Rech - Metropolitan Escrow Company provided cold beverages on the course while Nick Provenzano - Lawyers Title Company played for the house on the Las Vegas hole.

Each year Brad Capo-American Sign Company lends his artistic expertise donating signage for the tournament. Thank you, Brad.

Raffle prizes included golf & vacation packages from Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, Solvang Royal Scandinavian Inn & River Course at the Alisal, The Inn at Deep Canyon, Los Angeles Marriott Hotel, Downtown and greatly appreciated golf lessons courtesy of Jason Stock, PGA - Rolling Hills Country Club, Ray Rivera, PGA - Palos Verdes Golf Club, Dan Hernandez, PGA - Valencia Country Club and a round of golf at the Palos Verdes Golf Club with a lesson by Jim Gormly, PGA.

Gifts and Tee Prizes courtesy of Chicago Title Company, Commerce Escrow Company, Heller Financial, The Pacific Bank, N.A. and A.I.R.

Special thanks to Jim Gormly for his assistance and to the A.I.R. staff; Tina, Norma, Carmen and Anna for their dedication and hard work.

We greatly appreciate everyone's tremendous support of this event. On behalf of John DeGrinis, A.I.R. Board President and Tournament Committee members James Brown, Event Host, Cliff Reston, Scholarship Chair, Laurie Wixted, Special Events Chair, Ron Surace, A.I.R. Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Cramer, The Seeley Company, Teri Kortens, Lawyers Title Company, Eileen Rech, Metropolitan Escrow Company, Les Johns, Collins Commercial, Dene Bissing, Chicago Title Company and the A.I.R. staff, Thank you.

With plans already underway, we look forward to a Gala Millennium Year Event. See you in the 21st Century!

Affiliate Profile
Valencia Company Advances Model of 'New Town' Development

A wholly owned subsidiary of Newhall Land & Farming, the Valencia Company is the developer of the celebrated community of Valencia, California in North Los Angeles County which features residential, industrial and commercial properties.

Partly located within the City of Santa Clarita, Valencia occupies a portion of the 36,000-acre Newhall Ranch. Valencia has almost 37,000 residents and 35,000 jobs.

Rather than focusing solely on residential development, Valencia's new town master plan includes virtually every aspect of life -- from home to work, to shopping, to schools and a hospital, to entertainment and recreation.

Over 35,000 people work in Valencia, up from approximately 23,000 in 1994. Valencia Gateway, which encompasses 4,500 acres, is the largest master planned enterprise for business, technology and industry in Los Angeles County. It includes almost 12 million square feet of industrial space, 800 companies, and over 21, 000 jobs.

Valencia Gateway is home to Valencia Industrial Center, the third largest business park in Los Angeles County, and Valencia Commerce Center, a growing business park planned for 12 million square feet. The industrial parks are experiencing very low vacancy rates - around 3.5 percent.

Not surprisingly, Valencia has attracted some of the nation's best known companies, including U.S. Borax and ITT's Aerospace Controls and Neo-Dyn Operations. Princess Cruises moved its customer service division, with 700 jobs, to a new six-story office building on Town Center Drive from Century City in November, 1998.

California Business Magazine ranked Santa Clarita as the second best midsize city in which to do business.