HARTFORD – Nathan Grube has been named as the new director of the Buick Championship golf tournament, it was announced last week.

The appointment will be effective July 5. Mr Grube will take over for Dan Baker, a Newtown native, who has been the tournament director for several years. Mr Grube has extensive experience in golf tournament management and operations through varied positions with Bruno Event Team, a leading sporting event management company.

Since 2004, Mr Grube has served as tournament director of the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Madison, Mississippi (a PGA Tour event) and played a vital role in returning the tournament to national television. He has also served as executive director of the First Tee of Birmingham since 2001 and was instrumental in establishing the First Tee program in that community.

He was also an event manager for the 2001- 2003 Bruno’s Memorial Classic, the Nationwide Tour Championship and the LPGA Tournament of Champions. Prior to 2001, he worked on the 1998-1999 Nike/Buy.Com Tour Championship and the LPGA Tournament of Champions.

 “We are delighted to have Nathan Grube join the Buick Championship,” said Daniel Stolzenberg, president of The Greater Hartford Jaycees, the charitable organization that operates and benefits from the tournament. “His extensive tournament background, energy and relationships with PGA Tour players will be invaluable in helping the tournament grow and prosper in the years ahead.”

Mr Grube added, “I am extremely excited about working with an event that has such a deep tradition on the PGA Tour. When you combine its immense popularity in the Greater Hartford area, a community service-oriented group like the Greater Hartford Jaycees and an outstanding title sponsor such as Buick, it becomes obvious this tournament is something special.”

The 2005 Buick Championship will be held August 22-28 at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell.

Visit www.buickchampionship.com for further information.

Golf Tournaments

The 13th annual Jack Friel Memorial Golf Scramble to benefit the Newtown Scholarship Association will be held Monday, June 20, at Whitney Farms in Monroe. Check-in, registration, and warm up will begin at 10:30 am with a shotgun start at 11:30 am.

The event is sponsored by Newtown Savings Bank.

The tournament entry fee of $175 per person includes lunch, cocktails, and buffet dinner. For those wishing to attend dinner only, the cost is $50. Team handicaps will be used and plenty of great prizes will be awarded, including low gross and low net scores.

For further information, call Mark Fries (426-8507) or Jim Morley (426-8966).

The Newtown Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Golf Outing on Thursday, June 23, at the Newtown Country Club. Tee-off will be at 12 noon. There will be lunch, cocktails and prizes.

The third annual golf outing to benefit the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center will be held Monday, June 20, at the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. Tommy Aaron, 1973 Masters champion, will host a clinic prior to the 12 noon shotgun start and special guests such as New York Giants legend Carl Banks will be on hand. The tournament is sponsored by the Strategies for Wealth Creation and Protection. Call 1-914-288-8942 for further information.