The Encinitas-based company that gave the world the special Simpsons edition of Clue and the Harley-Davidson edition of Monopoly are back with yet another new release , Scrabble Golf.
USAopoly released its newest game Sept. 15. An authorized licensee of Hasbro, USAopoly produces themed versions of popular Hasbro-branded games such as Scrabble, Monopoly and Clue.
This new golf version of Scrabble marks the first time that Hasbro has customized the 52-year-old game with a specialty theme, said company spokeswoman Maggie Matthews.
Scrabble Golf is patterned after the original Scrabble, with two main differences. First, the entire game has been restyled to reflect the golf theme. The set comes complete with a golf scorecard and a pencil, she said.
Also, players can secure bonus points by drawing on about 150 golf words. Words like “bunker” and “stymie,” if used, will score an extra 40 points, while “hole,” “sand” and “trap” will yield 20 bonus points, Matthews said.
Dane Chapin, CEO and president of USAopoly, was proud of the new Scrabble set.
“This game has been very well received in our research and testing prior to our public launch. We found you didn’t even have to be a golfer to enjoy this new format,” he said.
The original Scrabble has sold over 100 million sets worldwide, with between 1 million and 2 million sets sold each year in North America. Scrabble can be found in one of every three American homes, Matthews said.
“With the popularity of Scrabble and golf being such a hot sport, we think the golf edition of Scrabble will be a big hit throughout the Christmas buying season and beyond. It’s the classic game with same wood letters and board layout, just with a golf twist,” Chapin said.
