Tee'd Off

Tee, designed by Ray Tanzer and Jon Norris for Premier Technology (Gottlieb), is a solid-state, four-player, golf-themed pinball machine from May 1993, with 3,500 units confirmed produced.

One of Tee's most distinctive features is its animated (motorized) gopher topper, which shrugs its shoulders in sync with a gopher voice during gameplay and occasionally during attract mode. The machine also uses three flippers for more dynamic shot-making, along with two vertical upkickers, three slingshots, two kick-out holes, two bullseye targets, and a 4-bank of drop targets. A captive ball with its own spinner sits below the center of the playfield, adding another layer of shot variety.

The Tee machine's design and artwork, by Constantino Mitchell, David Moore, and Jeanine Mitchell, are representative of Gottlieb's signature style during this period, with bright colors and bold graphics built around the golf theme. Between its animated gopher toy and its varied shot layout, Tee stands as an engaging and somewhat underappreciated entry in Gottlieb's sports-themed catalog of the early 1990s.