Tumbledown Trails Golf Course, located near Madison, Wis., has created an uproar for its promotion to "commemorate" the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Wednesday.
The course announced on Facebook and with an ad in the Wisconsin State Journal that it will allow golfers to play nine holes on their course with a cart for the price of $9.11. For $10 more, the green fee includes 18 holes of golf and a cart rental.
The promotion has generated significant outrage, with comments labeling the course as insensitive and ignorant.
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Amid increasing backlash, the course issued an apology on their Facebook page.
We would first like to apologize to everyone that we have upset or feels we have disrespected in anyway. By no means did we mean to do this.
Here is what we will do this Wednesday 9-11; we will still let all that have tee times booked play for the previous rates we posted. Then for all other golf that day we would like to donate the $ difference between our normal rate and the previous price for the day to the 9/11 Memorial.
We hope that everyone will now see this as a positive as we really meant it to be. Again we do sincerely apologize for offending anyone & hope that you do accept our sincere apology.
Minutes later, the course posted in a panic, adding claims that it offers an every day discount of 20 percent to all emergency-response and military personnel. The club also says it has been running this promotion for three years now with no complaints.
Some 45 minutes after the initial apology, the club said it has received so many threats that it is unclear if they will open at all now on Sept. 11.
"Please stay tuned to see if we will be open on Weds 9/11," the post read. "We are now worried about what people will do/say to our staff & do not want anything to happen or get out of control. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused anyone."
The course's owner, Mark Watts, however, has decided to keep the course open on Wednesday. In an interview with conservative political blog The Blaze, Watts said, “Not opening tomorrow is a sign of weakness.”
Tumbledown Trails, which has been open since 1993, typically charges $22 for nine holes and a cart on a weekday this time of year. It charges $40 for 18 holes with a cart.
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