A Wisconsin golf course offered a 9/11-themed discount package to "commemorate" the tragedy where thousands of people lost their lives after a series of terrorist attacks. Tumbledown Trails Golf Course placed an advert in the Wisconsin State Journal on Monday, saying the offer was valid for today only. "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!" the ad read.
The advertisement quickly went viral and the negative comments kept pouring down cataloguing the recreational place as "insensitive" and claiming it was a lack of respect to the people who lost their lives or to those who lost their loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks. Tumbledown general manager Marc Watts told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the golf course first ran the discount in 2011 as a way to remind people, especially young golfers, of the day's importance.
"This is the first time we've had any negative comments," Watts told the paper. "So many people have come in and said, 'What a unique way to put that out there so people don't forget.' We'll do something next year. I guarantee you it won't be this, but we will not give up and will not stop trying to remind people of 9/11."
Nevertheless, Tumbledown canceled this promotion and offered their apologies on their Facebook page. "We would first like to apologize to everyone that we have upset or feels we have disrespected in anyway," the post said. "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."
That didn't stop there. After the advertisement went viral, the manager not only received negative comments and backlash, but he also got death threats, and people threatening to burn down the clubhouse at the family-owned course. That led to another message, posted late Monday night. "Please stay tuned to see if we will be open on Weds 9/11. 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."
Even the answering machine message for the golf course says, "we are no longer accepting tee times for Weds 9/11. Our attempt to remember the tragedy of that day were met with negativity and now even death threats." It ends asking callers to reflect on those who died on 9/11, as the range was trying to do.
Watts had run the promotion for two years and it had never received a bad reception before, but believed anger was stirred this time after it was spotted online.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
