In the 21-year history of Golden Tee, the game has gotten tons of press coverage.  Usually from the likes of Sports Illustrated, ESPN or MAXIM.   Hell we’ve gone as far as Penthouse to TIME magazine too.  But traditionally, us and the gamer press do NOT see eye to eye.  There’s a huge disconnect.  In a nut shell, they think we make hokey arcade games for drunk, college frat boys with too much testosterone (partially true…) that are not worthy of respect to the mighty console games.

But as the lines of social gaming continue to blur, we here at the IT marketing department think, “TO HELL WITH THE CLICHES, let’s see if the gamer press is ready to play nice.”  We’re the original social game for crying out loud and gaming is not as black-and-white as it once was.

So on August 4th, I sent the fun, new Golden Tee 2010 trailer to Kotaku – one of the largest gaming blogs in existence.  For whatever reason, Kotaku seems to have a soft spot for us in their heart.  They’ve been cool and ran some other items this year.  But this time – they knew exactly what they were doing.  Senior Editor Michael McWhertor posted our link with a well-written, tongue-and-cheek diatribe he called Golden Tee: The Song is Deadly Ear Poison.

(Sigh, here we go again…)

Michael didn’t tank us.  No.  In fact, his note was clever and funny.  But, like the song says, “He teed it high,” for the blog’s commenters to “…let it fly!”  And on cue, the web-site’s army of geeks began firing nerd bombs across our bow, insinuating – yet again – that Golden Tee isn’t really a game worthy of chatting about on a sophisticated gamer site.  (Oh, we’re sorry we disrupted your anime erotic story that day)    Here are some highlights of the some 50 comments.

PIEMONKEY said, “Well, we all know what game won’t do well.” (Oh, the one that’s earned more coin-in than Pac Man, errr which?)

DEFEATER said, “So what, this game/song/post is designed to make me hate everything about the world?” (No, my friend.  That’s still just you and “your secret”)

KINGDAVID73 said, “I never understood the appeal of golfing arcade games, but I see them in every bar / bar and grill I’ve ever been in. … although, I’ve never seen anyone play them.  (Oh, crap – you’re right?! We forgot to tell our customer that no one P L A Y S the games.  DAMN!)

But I have something to say to these geeks on behalf of the millions of Golden Tee fans in the world.  An open letter from me to you.

I am sorry for breaking your glasses in dodge ball back in P.E..  And yes, that was my touchdown you were writing about for the school paper back then and yes, it was GLORIOUS.  And remember when you were trying to hack into the prom queen’s computer?   I was making out with her. Yes, my friend – I was THAT popular.  And I’m sorry I made fun of your “foam sword fight club” back then – but it was funny.  And truthfully, I never had anything against you, your plastic figurines and your witty t-shirts… Really.

So today, while you’re sitting at home in your underwear massively multiplayering in your “social” network – I’ll be at the bar, hanging out with my friends, living life, playing Golden Tee and loving every damn minute of it.  Oh yeah, me and the 10,000,000 other Golden Tee players to have “viciously attacked the trackball” the past 21-years.

When you’re ready to get over yourself and try something different – we’ll be here, waiting at the bar, with an ice cold beer for you in-hand, ready to chat about our differences.  But until then, THIS YOUTUBE LINK SAYS IT ALL.

- Golden Tee

See Kotaku, we have a sense of humor too!  :D

Good times,

- Duffer Dan