Sobe is my friend.  And as a friend, I am happy for him as I know how badly he’s wanted to work side-by-side his Dad at Backstreet again.  But again, Sobe is my friend and it’s more bitter than sweet for me to see his office desk get cleaned out this week.  And sure, it’s not “good bye” it’s only “so long for now,” but still…

Sobe and I have a storied history and I thought the GTB is the perfect place for this homage to my pal.

The History

Sobe and I started in the same month at IT five-and-a-half years ago.  He was brought on to be “Sobe.”  I was brought on for other reasons – the most unique of which was to be “Duffer Dan” – Sobe’s n00b protege and communicator to the masses of virtual hacks.  Before blogging was blogging, I was blogging in the GT player forums with my supposed-to-be-funny diatribes called The Bronze Tapes: Excerpts from Duffer Dan’s Diary. Clever name, huh? (That’s why I make the big bucks…)

Anyway, “Duffer Dan” was intended to be a voice for average players.  It was my job to leverage learning the game from a GT champion into helpful, fun content for our player community.  Did it work?  Well, you tell me…   The name certainly stuck and the blog made it fourteen posts deep.  I may not have shaved strokes from other n00bs’ games but the Sobe/Duffer experiment was a success.

Classic Video from Houston

Our pairing became less master/protege and more Penn/Teller – sort of a comedic act ingrained in Golden Tee lore.  His matter-of-fact skill and my goofy, antagonistic shtick grew into something special.   We learned that just the tales of Sobe/Duffer are more fun, natural and interesting than anything else we could have done.  Sure, playing Golden Tee was the underlying theme of everything but “living the Golden Tee lifestyle” became the soul of our work.  And I am proud to say whether it’s our countless videos, podcasts or even this very blog post, Steven Sobe helped me forge a persona for Golden Tee and Incredible Technologies and for that, I owe him this tribute.

Well, Boo-Freakin’-Hoo

Yeah, yeah, Sobe is leaving.  And now that you know why I am compelled to write this tribute, it’s time move on and start my roast of this lovable S-O-B, Sobe.  I should add that everyone will be seeing Sobe off clingin’ glasses, sipping imported beer and exchanging hugs at Duffy’s in Palatine, IL on Wednesday 7/29.  Yes, I’ll be there but come on, that lovey-dovey stuff is just too boring for me.  There’s just so much that people need to know about Sobe to gain a full appreciation.  And since only a select few can hang with us at Duffy’s, I’d rather post my roast publicly.

In the IT marketing department we always say, “it ain’t easy bein’ Sobe” – and it’s time I reveal why.  So once again – like the young, wide-eyed Duffer Dan I once was – I will shed my final insight on what it’s like hangin’ with the man, the myth, the blue button, Steven Sobe, in a special piece I call the…

TOP 10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT STEVEN SOBE

2007 Southern Regional: Sobe dominates Duffer with a lefty-righty in the CTTP demo

#10: Sobe is Ambidextrous

Righty, lefty, who gives a rip – Sobe will probably kick your ass either way.  When playing Golden Tee he pulls-back lefty and tees-off righty.  Now, how in the hell are you supposed to teach a n00b how to play with an antic like that?  It’s kind of like a driving instructor teaching you how to gas and brake as he steers the car with his feet!  Come on, Sobe… Yeah, we get it, we’re impressed that you’re equally adept with both L and R appendages but how about putting your talent to better use like juggling chainsaws, playing classical piano, or something?  Dude, it’s just a video game.

#9: Galaga, Pool, Golden Tee

Yes, in that order.  Don’t forget, he grew up in a pool hall and his Dad worked on a amusement game route.  Sobe had lots of time to home his skills.  I learned of these skills in 2004, first it was the Galaga machine at Friday’s Front Row in Orlando, FL.  Sobe said, “give me one quarter.  I’ve played for 4 hours on one quarter before.”  When I made him prove it, 1 quarter in, 60-minutes later – no dead lives – he quit because “the joystick was ‘laggy.’”

Pool?  It was at the X-Games in Los Angeles where Sobe and I were stationed for a week.  We were staying at the same hotel as all the bad-ass, biker, skater dudes.  The hotel bar was packed while the Sobester and I racked up for some R&R.  As Sobe was kicking my teeth in, some tattooed-skater crew threw a line of quarters on the rail to challenge “winner” for the table.  No words were spoken between Sobe and the crew and I watched as Sobe won 8-games in row, giving them maybe 5 shots.  No mercy…  During the ninth game, Sobe scratches on the eight-ball and quietly says, “ahh…  You got it.”  Sheeplishy, skater-dude replies, “Dude.  The table yours, man…”

#8: No, He Aint Good at Everything

For example, Steven Sobe sucks at riding mechanical bulls.  See video.

Sobe shows his boss, Scott, how to eat a dog. Burnt...

#7: The Connoisseur of Mediocrity

I am known as somewhat of a foodie around the office.  I don’t rub it any one’s face – hey, eat what you like – but, yes, I am particular about what I consider great.  Sobe too considers himself a connoisseur.  Though it’s time that he – and the world – know that prowess of his palette ends at the big, bright, neon of the restaurant franchise sign.  If you need advice on the best bacon-loaded-fried-nachos platter, or chicken-fried-grease-marinara pasta bowl, Sobe is your guy.  Though the local Portillo’s will miss his daily investment of “Italian beef w/cheese and bowl of chili no onions.”  (yeah, I know.  And I’m the fat one…)

#6: Ok, He’s Good at Everything

Sobe still thinks he can tame the X Games Big Air Jump

Whether you’re eying down the vertical incline of a 2-story half-pipe or watching a professional pitcher’s 95-mph four-seam fastball, in his quiet southern drawl, Sobe will non-shalantly reply with one of two statements: “That ain’t a big deal, Duff.  I can do that” or “That ain’t a big deal, Duff.  I’ve done that.”  Whether it’s hitting a 7-iron 200-yards, attacking a vert ramp on a skateboard, playing bags, darts, Silver Strike, beer pong, pick-up sticks, whatever – don’t bet against him.  Ever.   You will lose.  He can do it…

#5: “He’s a Hustler Baby and He Want’s You To Know”

Greatest business card ever.

Back in 2004, Sobe and I ventured into a bar in Santa Monica, CA.  Three jabronies were teeing up on some Golden Tee Fore! 2005 talking all sorts of smack with their plus-scores.  Diplomatically, Sobe and I say, “Hey, fellas.  Can we get in on the next game?”  In a drunken stooper, they arrogantly reply, “yeah, sure, man.  But we ONLY play for money.”  ”Yes. YES,” I said under my breath to Sobe.  ”This is finally our day.  Let’s mop up with these ya-hoos – easy pickins, man!”  Sobe queitly digs into his pocket, hands the guys a business card that says, Steven Sobe, 3-Time GT National Champion, and bluntly says, “are you sure?”  Their reaction was priceless.  We ended up teeing-up with the guys for hours and Sobe showed them the ropes.  That’s the type of guy he is.  Classic.

#4: Sobe is Complicated…

…but I imagine Plato confused Aristotle at times too.  To fully take in Sobe’s intense, complex level of understanding of Golden Tee you need to basically forget everything you now about the game, standard vocabulary, physics and geometry.  Inventor (or curator) of such complicated techniques as The Arcade Shot, The Out-and-Out, The Sobe Swerve, The Chush, The Hammer, The Pull-Back-Thumbs, The Softie, The Spinny.  Or his famous, profound expressions like “That was too much funk.” “Hit down on it,” or my personal favorite, “you hit that too good.” Luckily, my secret Sobe decoder ring works pretty well.

Sobe - the consummate slacker

#3: Sobe is a Terrible Roommate

Sobe and I have shared more rooms in the past five-and-a half years than most grown men should ever have too.  And whether it was the finest (or seediest) hotels in Las Vegas, to the sticks of the South, all the way to the modest means of a stateroom aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier – it didn’t matter, he’s always a celebrity at heart and likes it his way.  Heat on in the summer, late for everything, no wake up calls, takes two hours to shave and primp an 1/8th inch hair.  He’ll make you late for airplanes, leaves ESPN blaring at 4:00AM and don’t forget the tobacco “spitoons” on your nightstand.  Sobe, I’ll miss you – but the thought that  I’ll never have to share a room with you ever again is liberating.  Ahhhh….. There.  I said it.

#2: And the Academy Award Doesn’t Go To…

Sobe!  Not counting course reviews, Sobe and I have recorded dozens and dozens of videos.  I’m always the host and he’s always the *ahem* talent.  But it wasn’t until the past few years when we really found our rhythm.  You just have to let Sobe be him – no scripts, no teleprompter.  Make him act and you won’t get Sobe.  Let him be himself and you get Golden Tee video gold.

Check out the attached outtake for instance.  A little known fact is that Sobe was supposed to do these videos solo.  The director threw me in to loosen up the action.  This was our first shot at “Sobe/Duffer” on camera and started what became our series of Odd Couple-eque media.  Ballllllllzzzzz…..

#1: Steven Sobe is a Good Man.

You see celebrity-types on television or in movies and think, “that person does/doesn’t seem nice in real life.”  You see Sobe during every Golden Tee game played and naturally think, “seems like a nice guy,” right?  He is.  The nicest.  Nobody ribs Sobe harder than I do.  I kid, I joke, and have busted his chops daily for five-years as if it were my duty.  But I do it because he is a grade-A, true-blue good person and great friend.  And anyone who works at IT or has met Sobe will agree.  He takes time to listen and cares about your well being.  That’s all I can ask in a friend and what I will miss most after this Friday.

Sobe, we’ve spent countless hours talking during road trips, at airports, in musty motels, afloat at sea, on the golf course, at the bar and mostly behind the trackball, and I’ll always cherish the time.  Thank you for listening, being a great “partner in crime” and of course an outstanding friend.  It’s been a good run so far and as I said at the start, it’s not good bye, it’s only “so long for now.”

Here are a few final parting photos from some of my favorite Sobe/Duffer moments.   Enjoy -

[View with PicLens]

But enough with mushy stuff.  Consider this blog entry my declaration, that when you bring back the Mt. Airy Golden Tee Open at Sobe’s Backstreet Pavilion, “Duffer” Dan Schrementi will be the first person on the entry list.  Why?  Not because all your mentoring will carry me to victory.  Or because I really miss “talkin’ shop” with you.  Truly, it’s because I hear Backstreet has “the greatest fried mozzarella sticks in North Carolina.”

Good luck, brother….

- DD

And the following tale is one of those instances.  Enjoy…

Story of the Tune

"It's Golden Tee" by Ira Dean Band is the ass-kickin' new title track for Golden Tee 2010

Some time ago the marketing team got a call from a manager plugged in to the country music biz.  He said, “Hey, have y’all heard the new Montgomery Gentry song, One In Every Crowd?”  Not country fans by nature, none of us had heard the tune yet.  He replied, “Well, the first word is Gawwllden Tee and it’s climbing the charts!”  A quick Google search confirmed his claim and sure enough, Montgomery Gentry is HUGE!  So, what do we do with this?

*Phone rings…*

On the other line spoke a fella that it seems I’ve met a million times before – a friendly, fun, dude-who’s-got-people.  ”Hey, man,” he said.  ”This is Ira Dean and I’ve been waitin’ to talk to y’all…”  Turns out Ira is a singer/songwriter from Nashville who co-wrote the tune for Montgomery Gentry.  He  was also the bassist for the band Trick Pony, where he spent years touring to sold out crowds and stopping at Golden Tee havens in every city along the way.  A country star and longtime Golden Tee fan, Ira explained how he had written this little ditty a while back about the game he loves and how he was hoping the Montgomery Gentry song would finally connect us.

A professional song about Golden Tee?  I just had to hear this…

So when the demo arrived, I blasted it across the marketing department and smiled from ear to ear.  It really was a song about Golden Tee Golf and in the exact words of Ira, “It f***’n rocks, man!”

*Opportunity knocks…*

Hey, I’m paid to promote IT’s games and we just so happen to be working on our Golden Tee 2010 launch.  After working through some of the logistics to bring this song from “Tune to Tee,” a small video team from IT zipped down to Nashville to shoot a music video with Ira Dean Band.  For one day, I felt like I worked for MTV (or CMT in this case) – our video team and I captured Ira and the band in studio, followed by a Golden Tee shoot at Sam’s Sports Bar and Grill in Nashville – an amazing sports bar near Vanderbilt University that proudly boasts 4 new HI-DEF Showpiece Golden Tee machines (if you’re in the area, this is THE place to play).

The video is nuts and is currently in editing for our 2010 preview launch.  And the tune? It’s got it all – including a sick harmonica track and a billy-rock banjo on top of some heavy guitar, bass and drums.  The lyrics are about having a good time, livin’ life and playin’ Tee – something we can all relate too.

The Inside Scoop: GT 2010

I can tell you now, a shortened version of the video will be created for possible inclusion in GT 2010 and the full track will hopefully be featured in the new 2010 HitList.  Additionally, the team and I are working on the Golden Tee 2010 trailer and we’re using It’s Golden Tee by Ira Dean Band as the title track of the video.

We’ll release the video – which includes the 2010 course previews and feature announcements – in late July, so stay tuned to Goldentee.com and the GTB to not miss out.  And I promise you – you’ve never seen a game preview that rocks as hard as this…

Until then, here’s a GTB exclusive photo gallery documenting our adventure in Nashville with Ira Dean Band.  Click on the thumbnails below, then use the navigation to view the slide show.

[View with PicLens]

Stay tuned to Goldentee.com and the GTB regarding the launch of It’s Golden Tee and our official 2010 preview site!

Good times,

- DD

Special thanks to the NAVY and USS John C. Stennis for permission to post this video on Goldentee.com

Well, it’s been nearly six months since the team from Incredible Technologies completed Operation: Golden Tee aboard the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier… and nothing has changed.  Our sense of patriotism.  Our sense of pride.  Our wonder and awe – it all remains as strong as the day we disembarked in San Diego.

Our experience took place in January, you followed the before and after stories right here on the GTB.  It’s now nearly July and while most of us have lived our normal lives – working, relaxing and spinning trackballs with our friends, the men and women aboard the Stennis have had a different go at it.  They’ve been dedicating their time to protecting our country on a deployment half way around the world.  They’ve worked, worked, worked – hard – for us.  They miss their families, they miss their friends and long to return to normalcy. This dedication has been an inspiration to the Incredible Technologies family as we hope it’s been to yours as well.

Going aboard also taught us that the person behind the sailor is as inspiring as the sailor themselves.  Like us, they love their family and friends.  They have hopes, dreams and their own experiences.  I look at it as if we met “the Golden Tee player” inside.  The average Joe (or Jane), looking for a short break from reality to wind down and be entertained.

That’s where we come in…

Incredible Technologies is an entertainment company – we work to play.  And not only did we walk away from the Stennis inspired, we were proud.  Proud to provide fun.  Proud to be a small, yet happy, piece in peoples’ everyday lives.  Proud that whether folks Tee-up at their corner tavern or while crossing the international date line, they do it for fun, to relax and be entertained.

That’s our mission accomplished.

The video above is an homage to that sentiment.  It’s also a thank you to the dedication of the men and women of the US Navy and all forms of service.  And a thank you to the fine folks on the USS John C. Stennis that took us in as part of their team – our time aboard was short, but the impression left will last a lifetime.

Finally, the main purpose of this video is to remind all of us Golden Tee fans out there to never forget that it’s sometimes the little things in life that can mean so much.

Good times,

- DD

]]> http://blog.goldentee.com/navy/video-making-waves-golden-tee-at-sea/feed/ 3 http://blog.goldentee.com/design-a-hole-contest/design-a-hole-archive-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-part-3/ http://blog.goldentee.com/design-a-hole-contest/design-a-hole-archive-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-part-3/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:22:47 +0000 "Duffer" Dan Schrementi http://blog.goldentee.com/?p=235

(Part 3 of 3)

Part two was fun, huh?  Picking apart “The Bad” – it really made me  feel like a big man!  Crushing the hopes and dreams of Jim Zielinski wannabes with every touch of a character on my keyboard.  It’s so damn fun to be a critic!  Finally, I’ve learned I can relieve all that pent up “Duffer” angst by bullying fans of the game I am paid to professionally market. It’s a beautiful thing.

(Wow, I really become a sadistic jerk… Do you see what you’ve done to me, Chris Eversole!!!)

But throwing my inflated ego aside, we had a ton of fun with “The Bad” and now it’s time to cover “The Ugly!”  What is “The Ugly” you say?  Well, my friends, it’s the ambrosia salad of Design-a-Hole.  A dash of good, a pinch of bad and a whole lot of weird ingredients.

And when it comes to “The Ugly” the old adage of “save the best for last” applies.  This is the grand finale’ of our three-part series and we wouldn’t be posting these designs if we didn’t think they were, well, fantastically ugly!  So scroll down and enjoy the best of the worst… or the worst of the best… or the rest of the worst’s best… or whatever the hell you want to call ‘em.  Just enjoy!

Good times,

Duffer “U-G-L-Y you aint got no aliby, you ugly” Dan

________________________________________________

THE UGLY

E.T. phoooone hooome... And tell our pal, Fred that this hole is crrrazy cool! I'll tell you what, if it would have been submitted as a mashed potato sculpture it totally would have won!

Our pal "Jefe" Allums strikes again and this time he's ugly! Now, the judges understood the Olympic tie-in last year but they disqualified this entry because of the obvious fraud involved - we know your little daughter REALLY drew this, Jeff.

Brad here is a big cigar fan and was obviously inspired by his passion in designing "Smoke: The Experience." But after looking closer, I am starting to think Brad's really not a "cigar" fan at all...

By far the most beautiful of the ugly and an homage to the Civil War hero, General Stonewall Jackson. You know, Shane, the General was once quoted saying, "Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy." Congratulations, my friend. You win.

Judging for Design-a-Hole 2009 is This week!

Online Voting of Finalists Begins May 1 at Goldentee.com!

Make Your Mark on Golden Tee History and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Alright, that’s it – enough of the lovey-dovey crap.  This isn’t tee ball ladies and gentlemen, and not every player is a winner when it comes to Design-a-Hole.  Where there’s up, there’s down; black, there’s white; and good – well – THERE’S BAD!  MUUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

But don’t fret oh-dummies-of-design, the world loves bad!  I’d go as far as to say we NEED bad.  Without bad, good would be nothing!  Think about it – a world of mediocrity where “The Godfather” and “Gigli” sit side-by-side on DVD shelves.  Where the “Beatles” and “Michael Bolton” play back-to-back on “This Week’s Even-40 Chart.”  Or one where Golden Tee World Champ Andy Haas and “Skipper Ripper” Horner are awarded participation ribbons in Prize Play. NOOOOO!!!!!   (Ah, you know we love ya, Skip!)

You see, bad is good.   Hell, even the dictionary goes as far to say that bad can be “outstandingly excellent.”  You’re damn right it can be!  So now you’re about to see what we deem as “bad” from the 2008 Design-a-Hole archive – but were they really?  Naaaa…  They’re more fun than they are bad (well, bad in this case meaning bad, bad not bad) and that’s why we love ‘em!

Time for you to take a look at these “best of the worst” selections and do so with a grain of salt, remembering  it’s hard to be so bad that you’re good.

Good times,

- DD

(Que Michael Jackson Outro)  And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again, WHO’S BAD…

________________________________________________

THE BAD

Stay tuned to blog.goldentee.com next week for the entertaining conclusion of  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

And there’s still time to enter this year’s contest!

CLICK HERE to learn more!

(Part 1 of 3)

Ahhhh… I can smell it in the air – can you?  Eraser dust, modeling glue, paper mache’…  Design-a-Hole season is upon us once again!  A time where the dreams of Golden Tee golfers from around globe are doodled on a piece of paper,  judged only to either be crushed or immortalized.

Personally, I love Design-a-Hole!  Since I began at IT five years ago, we in marketing land continuously explored ideas that would be fun for players to take part in.  Honestly – this one was a no brainer!  But as the coordinator of the contest, you have no idea how much joy I take in by the little (usually) emailed nuggets of Golden Tee goodness that await in my inbox each-and-every day of the contest.  Damn you guys are clever!

So far this year, 30 ideas have been sent in and it looks like last year’s record of 50 is going to get blasted out of the water.  And while I can’t reveal any of this year’s nominations, I thought it would be fun to go through the Design-a-Hole archive and shine a spotlight on some of the ideas that didn’t make the cut in 2008.

In film, it’s the outtakes.  In music it’s the b-side.  In Golden Tee, it’s the good, the bad and of course, the ugly.  Welcome to part one of this three part series, right here at blog.goldentee.com.

Stay Tuned to the Golden Tee Blog for Parts 2 and 3 of Design-a-Hole – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly  (And trust me, “The Bad” and “The Ugly” or even more fun than “The Good”)

Good times,

- DD

________________________________________________

THE GOOD

You know “The Falls” and surley you remember Bert Loftus’ “Frog’s Pond,” as well as other finalists “Steps” and “Beware of Gravity.”  But what you don’t know are the good ideas from last year that narrowly missed the cut – the semi-finalists!  Take a look at what designs interested Larry Hodgson and Jim Zielinski during the initial judging period last year.  And while the designers of these works of art may not be immortalized in Golden Tee,  they can rest easy knowing their ideas can live for ever, right here on the Golden Tee Blog! (Well, until I need to clear hard drive space…)

Gotta love a hole designed like a fishing lure. Very clever and would be fun to play!

Gotta love the CAD work on this design. Kudos, Don! The layout thoroughly impressed the judges, the hole just needed a little extra something and it surely would have made the cut.

]]> http://blog.goldentee.com/golden-tee-goodness/design-a-hole-archive-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/feed/ 1 http://blog.goldentee.com/navy/golden-tee-is-going-to-the-navy/ http://blog.goldentee.com/navy/golden-tee-is-going-to-the-navy/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:48:03 +0000 "Duffer" Dan Schrementi http://blog.goldentee.com/?p=1 Hello and welcome to the new Golden Tee Blog powered by Word Press.

This is an official blog admined by members of Incredible Technologies’ staff and my name is “Duffer” Dan Schrementi – marketing manager at IT.

While Goldentee.com is the official site for all GT news, this blog was created to give you a more personal glimpse at the Golden Tee community so that you can see what GT life is like.

This blog was sparked with a very special purpose in mind.  The week of January 12, 2009 a team from IT, including myself, will be heading to the USS John C. Stennis – a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier in the US Navy.

The team from IT will be sailing from Bremerton, WA down to San Diego, CA and in that time (5 days) we will be shooting a variety of films.  We’re going to learn what life is like on an aircraft carrier.  We’re bringing Sobe – he’s going to be teaching the sailors how to master the game.  We are extremely proud and honored to be going on this adventure.

Tune back to blog.goldentee.com to see what’s happening on the Stennis as told by Duffer Dan, Sobe and the rest of our crew.  It’s going to be one wild ride and we want you to come along.

Here we go!

- Duffer Dan