Golf Course Offers the Worst Coupon in the World

What better way to commemorate one of the most tragic days in modern memory, and honor the thousands of lives lost in the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil, than by offering an incredibly insensitive coupon to go golfing on 9/11 for the low price of $9.11?

For real.

A Wisconsin golf course is getting hammered, after offering the most poorly-thought out coupon in the history of coupons. “12th Anniversary of 9-11” the Tumbledown Trails coupon printed in yesterday’s Wisconsin State Journal reads. “To commemorate this, we are offering 9 holes with cart for only $9.11 per person or 18 holes with cart for only $19.11! 9/11/13 only!”

Reaction was swift and, unsurprisingly, intensely negative. And the golf course owners’ attempts to apologize only made things worse.

After enduring a full day’s worth of vitriol aimed at whoever thought up such a promotion, Tumbledown Trails tried to backpedal. “We would first like to apologize to everyone that we have upset or feels we have disrespected in anyway,” read a statement posted on the Verona, Wisconsin golf course’s Facebook page last night. “By no means did we mean to do this.” To make things right, course owners decided to honor the coupon offer only for those who had already booked tee times – for everyone else who felt like going golfing tomorrow, they’d pay regular price and Tumblewood Trails would donate the difference between the normal rate and the $9.11 discount to the 9/11 Memorial.

“Maybe you should rethink and donate ALL funds raised on that day to the memorial,” one commenter responded. “How you could see ‘$9.11’ in print and approve it to run is beyond justification. And then you ‘generously’ offer the difference as a donation?” wrote another. “So you’re going to raise the rate back up and still get your $9.11. That’s mighty big of you,” commented a third.

In a subsequent Facebook post, Tumbledown meekly pointed out that they “proudly support all local charities and have always gave 20% off everyday to all Police, Fire, Emergency, Military, etc.”, which also got a negative reaction (“This apology is the equivalent of ‘I’m not racist! I have a black friend’ read one response). Finally, Tumbledown considered shutting down for the day and going into hiding. “Please stay tuned to see if we will be open on Weds 9/11,” read its last Facebook post of the night last night. “We are now worried about what people will do/say to our staff & do not want anything to happen or get out of control.”

While the golf course’s Facebook page has been filled with outraged comments, and the occasional defender who points out that it was just a mistake, leave it to Twitter to respond to the whole incident with snarky sarcasm:

Do you think Tumbledown Trails sent email confirmations titled "Never Forget…your tee time is at 11am"?

— Elliot (@popwilleatme) September 10, 2013

Tumbledown Trails: knocking down the twin towers of Taste and Tact since 9/11!

— Brett Myers (@brettspiel) September 10, 2013

"Strange. Our Hiroshima Hole-In-One Hootenanny was such a huge success." –Tumbledown Trails

— Ruben Carbajal (@rubencarbajal) September 10, 2013

In an interview with TheBlaze this morning, golf course co-owner Mark Watts admitted that “maybe we didn’t put enough thought” into the whole promotion. He pointed out that Tumbledown had offered similar promotions on past 9/11 anniversaries – but never in the form of a coupon printed in the local paper. While there’s been no update on the Facebook page yet, Watts told TheBlaze that the decision had been made to stay open. “Not opening tomorrow is a sign of weakness,” he said.

Stay strong, Tumbledown Trails. Let’s hope the Syrian situation ends well, before someone at the golf course comes up with another bright idea.