UPDATED WITH THE LATEST DETAILS SEPTEMBER 9, 2003 ....................................................................................
The Live Team USA Qualifier and Golden Tee Chicago Open
Saturday – Sunday        October 18-19, 2003

Official’s Time Out Sportsbar  |  2354 W. Higgins Rd.  |  Hoffman Estates, Illinois  |  847-310-3227

The leaderboards keep growing everyday as more and more Golden Tee players try their best to be among the 72 qualifiers for the 11 remaining spots on Team USA! 

For the second consecutive year, Incredible Technologies is pulling out all the stops to make the live Team USA qualifier the most exciting event in Golden Tee.  Besides the knuckle-biting, everything-is-riding-on-this-shot, Team USA qualifier, IT sponsors the Chicago Open, a live tournament open to all players with one of the biggest purses outside the Worlds and Nationals.  So if you’re one of the lucky 72 making the trip to Chicago, or just want a chance at winning some big money, register now for your spot in the Open.  Just like last year, IT is matching the players’ entry fees, and since we’re capping the field at 96 players, you’ll want to call today to make sure you don’t get shut out.  So come early (20 games will be available for practice as early as Thursday evening) and plan to stay to the end.  It’s going to be a wild ride! 

The Team USA Qualifier will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, October 18.  The tournament will be conducted on 12 brand-new production model Golden Tee machines with state-of-the-art Betson-Imperial trackballs.  The field of 72 players will be divided into 3 squads of 24 players.  Although each squad will consist of 8 Gold players, 8 Silver players, and 8 Bronze players,   players compete only in the division in which they qualified. Squads will be determined randomly by our computer program.  Players will not play on the same machine more than once or with the same player more than once.    Conditions will be locked and the same for everyone.  All players will compete in twosomes and play 3 rounds of 18 holes on Eagle’s Peak, Tropical Falls, and Heartland Creek.  Here’s the schedule:

Please note that due to contractual requirements, players will be responsible for all game fees.  Fees will be set at $4.00 per League game.

Upon the completion of the 54-hole qualifier, the lowest 5 Gold shooters, the lowest 4 Silver shooters, and the lowest 2 Bronze shooters will be awarded membership on Team USA.  Qualifiers will have their photo taken and be given a short questionnaire that must be completed immediately (the information will be included in a special souvenir program book that will be distributed in Orlando). 

All members of Team USA should prepare to arrive in Orlando on Saturday, November 15 and depart Wednesday, November 19.  All Team USA members will have their own private rooms at the beautiful Wyndham Resort in Orlando.  Although spouses and significant others of members of Team USA are responsible for paying for travel to Orlando, Incredible Technologies will help make those arrangements so couples can travel together. Spouses and significant others will be invited to participate in all the festivities as guests of Incredible Technologies.  Sunday night’s gala reception, where the World Team players will meet Team USA, will be held at Friday’s Front Row.  Monday night’s banquet, featuring the presentation of the World Championship trophy to the winning team, will take place at Pleasure Island in Disney World! 

No alternates will travel to Orlando, but if a Team USA member notifies us that he is unable to participate, and we have enough time to make emergency arrangements, we will ask the next lowest shooter in that division to join the team. 

The entry fee for the second annual Golden Tee Chicago Open is $125.  100% of this fee will go toward the tournament purse and IncredibleTechnologies will match the amount that players contribute.  For instance, if all 96 spots in the field are filled, IT will add $12,000 ($125 X 96 = $12,000) creating a total purse of $24,000.  Additional sponsorship funds of $3,000 ($2,000 from the owner of OTO’s and $1,000 from A.H. Entertainers, the operator serving OTO’s) will be added to the prize money creating a potential purse of $27,000! 

The field for the second annual Golden Tee Chicago Open is open to everyone and will be capped at 96 contestants.  No Team USA qualifiers will have priority for entering this event.  We will take reservations on a first-come, first-served basis only.  Please note that reservations can only be guaranteed with full payment.  The first 96 players to register and pay will make the field.  To register, call Cortney Black at 847.870.7027 x 103.  Payment is by credit card only.  If any spots remain open at the time the tournament starts, we will allow walk-ups to register and play.  No spots will be guaranteed without full payment.

We expect Chicago Open competition to start at 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening at the completion of the Team USA qualifier.  Please be prepared to play at that time.  Anyone who is registered and not in attendance at 6:00 p.m. may forfeit their spot in the field, and no refunds will be given for any reason. 

The field of 96 will be divided into 2 squads of 48 players and qualifying rounds will consist of threesomes playing on 16 brand-new machines.  Squads will be determined randomly by our computer program.  Players will not play on the same machine more than once or with the same players more than once.  Conditions will be locked and the same for everyone.  All players will play 3 rounds of 18 holes on Swords Pointe, Blue Horizon, and Eagle’s Peak.  Here’s the schedule:

The low 32 shooters move on to head-to-head double-elimination competition starting promptly at 12:00 noon.  With 16 machines at our disposal, we expect the tournament to conclude by 5:00 p.m.

 The best score shot on each course during the qualifier will win $300.  

DIRECTIONS: 

Official’s Time Out Sportsbar  |  2354 W. Higgins Rd.  |  Hoffman Estates, Illinois  |  847-310-3227

OTO’s (Official’s Time Out) is located in the Barrington Square Plaza at the corner of Higgins and Barrington Rds. in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.  

From O’Hare International Airport: Take I-190 to I-90 west Northwest Tollway (follow signs to ROCKFORD).  Take I-90 west to Barrington Rd. South.  Exit onto Barrington Rd. and go south to Higgins Rd.  Turn East on Higgins Rd. (left) Take Higgins Rd. ¼ mile to Official’s Time Out.  2354 W. Higgins Rd.  (North side of road, in the Barrington Square Plaza.) 

From the South:  Take interstates I-57 OR I-55 north to I-355 north.  Take I-355 to I-290 west.  Take I-290 to Higgins Rd. Exit.  Exit onto Higgins Rd. (Rt. 72) and go west (left).  Take Higgins Rd. west 7 miles to Official’s Time Out. 

From the North:  Take route I-90 East to Rt. 59.  Exit on Rt. 59 and go north (left).  Take Rt. 59 north 1 mile to Higgins Rd. (Rt. 72) and turn right.  Take Higgins Rd. east 3 miles to Official’s Time Out. 

From the East:  Take interstate I-65 north to I-94 west.  Take I-94 West to I-294 west.  Take I-294 to I-290 west.  Take I-290 to Higgins Rd. Exit.  Exit onto Higgins Rd. (Rt. 72) and go west (left).  Take Higgins Rd. west 7 miles to Official’s Time Out. 

From the West: Take interstate I-80 east to I-55 north.  Take I-55 to I-355 north.  Take I-355 to I-290 west.  Take I-290 to Higgins Rd. Exit.  Exit onto Higgins Rd. (Rt. 72) and go west (left).  Take Higgins Rd. west 7 miles to Official’s Time Out.

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• NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE BROUGHT INTO OTO’S!
• Tournament coordinator, Kevin Fuery, has been hired to conduct this event.  Kevin is a long time Golden Tee tournament promoter (he’s run the Chicago Challenge for the past 4 years) and is keenly aware of all aspects of Golden Tee competition.  If you have any questions about the weekend, don’t hesitate to contact Kevin.
• Players may conduct a Calcutta prior to the Chicago Open but under no circumstances will the Calcutta interfere with the start of the tournament.  Please be advised that the tournament will start promptly at 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening.
• There is an ATM located in OTO’s as well as at the Video store next door.
• OTO’s is connected to Poplar Creek Bowl for those of you who wish to bowl in between rounds.
• Please note that we anticipate media coverage during this weekend.  Good sportsmanship is expected and players and spectators will conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times.  Fighting, swearing or other abuse to players, observers, or the machines will not be tolerated and will subject the player to disqualification.  If a player behaves in an inappropriate way, as determined by a tournament official, he may be disqualified and forfeit any Chicago Open entry fees or opportunity to qualify for Team USA.  No clothing promoting competitors of Golden Tee Golf will be permitted.  If you need clarification of this rule, please call Cortney Black at Incredible Technologies at 847.870.7027 x 103