Occasionally when I catch up with players at an event, bar, or on the phone, they’ll ask what databases and/or systems we use to dig up some of the more amazing Golden Tee Great Shots that we post in our forum, on Twitter, on the GT Facebook Page and in our monthly feature.

After laughing at that for a few seconds, the embarrassment of actually being the Great Shot database sets in, and I usually sheepishly explain that I, Adam Kramer, am actually the YouTube golden gopher. No GSP notifier, no GTP siren that sounds off, no programming methods in place (that costs money don’t ya know) – just a dude with a computer that spends entirely too much time looking up virtual golf happenings on GT’s expanding social media sites.

Let’s do some math here and get a few hilariously disturbing items on the table.

Golden Tee Great Shots debuted back in September of 2008. Using June 1st as our referencing date, this is approximately 641 days that people have been uploading Great Shots give or take.

I typically look for usable shots for let’s say… twenty minutes each day which is probably very accurate. Yes, I do look on the weekends – something my lovely new fiancé finds absolutely appalling and shares with me on a regular basis. This DOES NOT include monthly features, yearly features, etc. – just searching, posting, and sharing.

20 minutes x 641 days = 12,820 minutes (my eyes widen)

12,820 minutes / 60 minutes per hour = 213 hours (stomach becoming queasy)

213 hours / 24 hours per day = 8.90 days (Vomiting everywhere)

 

213 hours / 8 (average # of hours per business day) = 26.63 total business days

 

213 hours is more than two of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France’s wins combined

12,820 minutes is 760,200 seconds spent.

(Cleaning vomit off self and wrapping cold towel around head.)

 

So as you can see, I’ve watched more Great Shots than anyone you know. Not something I necessarily want on my tombstone but what the hell there are worse stigmas, right?

(Silence, followed by MUCH more vomiting)

“What Do YOU Do Here?!”

Each and every morning I search YouTube, searching for Golden Tee Great Shots that separate themselves from the rest. This morning ritual goes well with a cup or two of coffee and a few low-fat Poptarts that really aren’t low-fat at all.

Because there have been more than 80,000 uploads, you simply cannot click on every single video. This means I have to be selective with my clicks, and this sad little selection process all starts with the thumbnail. Those of you who are GT nerds like myself know exactly what I’m talking about.

The thumbnail, aka small preview image given for each video, tells a lot about the course, hole, and etc. Some holes and courses are much more prone to providing good YouTube fodder. When these holes come up in recently posted items, it’s a no-brainer. It’s the other holes that somewhat simpler that can be tough to find.

Take this little gem for example. I found this a few weeks back while doing a daily search. Southern Oaks 12 isn’t exactly a Great Shot haven, in fact, this is the first ever shot from this hole I’ve ever showcased on the GT Facebook Page (more on that in a bit). Still, this horrendous effort was nothing short of awesome and is one of the few tree-aided holeouts we’ve actually seen.

Finding “The” Shot

Once in a great while I come across a shot that truly blows my mind. I relate it to an archeologist coming a cross a new species. That excitement of seeing something outstanding that you have never seen before is enjoyable, even if it’s a virtual golfing hole-in-one from someone you don’t know. The shot above is close to being jaw-dropping, but not quite on the level of other shots we’ve seen.

Because I really do see hundreds and hundreds of shots each week, when I do discover a shot that that has never been seen before, I immediately want to share it with the entire world. Or at least a few thousand trackball fans.

Perfect example below…

My pride and joy. I feel like the scout that discovered Michael Jordan even after he was cut by his high school coach. This shot has become the clear Shot of the Year favorite and I check everyday hoping to find something like this. Still, something like this doesn’t occur often. Shots like this make me wonder how we survived and thrived before the YouTube era even existed on Tee. Consider the previous blather a small taste of something that really is my job.

I’m not alone in my video posts, either. Thousands of fans share their shots on Twitter, Facebook, Golden Tee forums and etc. It’s become somewhat expected of Facebook fans to post their holes-in-one, whether it’s a bounce of a coyote’s cranium or a basic par-3 ace.

And my (perhaps our) little world of Golden Tee on YouTube is only going to expand and become even greater. I got a sneak peak at the 2011 courses and all I could think about was the potential Golden Tee Great Shot implications. Needless to say, there are going to be significant opportunities in the next update to impress your buddies with your GT prowess or luck. Wow, I really am a nerd.

I suppose this blog was worth nothing more than to showcase a perceived intricate process that really isn’t intricate at all. Just a dude, a morning ritual, and a fascinating aspect of my job that really shouldn’t be qualified as work. While dealing with pissed off players at times can suck, having the freedom to search YouTube in hopes of entertaining the GT masses is important, entertaining, and fun as hell. After all, I got this job because of my passion for the game.

As long as you keep hitting aces, albatrosses, super albatrosses, and other worthwhile moments – I will find them, post them, and make a HUGE deal out of them if they are something special. This might not be the most impressive and technologically advanced database in the country, but it works. I’ll log more hours, spend days looking for “the” shot, and most likely piss off my fiance BIG TIME in the process.

But hey, it’s my job.