Hacker's Guide Establishes Partnership with Star Tribune Media Company, Publisher of Minnesota's Largest Daily Newspaper

Online, May 9, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Hacker's Guide, the nation's largest independent golf course rating organization and publisher of regional golf rating guides across the country, has formed a partnership with the Star Tribune Media Company, publisher of the StarTribune newspaper, the 8th largest Sunday and 13th largest daily circulation newspaper in the United States and the most-visited local media website in Minnesota, the Startribune.com.

"This partnership gives the StarTribune exclusive use of our unique database content across the state of Minnesota to launch their new Star Tribune Golf Guide this spring," said Bruce Stasch, publisher and founder of the Hacker's Guide. "We are extremely excited to have the award-winning StarTribune as our partner."

The partnership provides the StarTribune with reviews and ratings of every public 18-hole golf course in Minnesota. These reviews are unique to the golf industry because the Hacker's Guide rates a golf course on how the average golfer would experience a course and rates using 60 different factors in 6 categories. These factors are weighted and then tabulated, on an equal basis. The rating system treats PGA tournament-worthy courses the same as a local municipal course.

The ratings are gathered by a certified team of independent rater-golfers recruited from across the country by the Hacker's Guide who follow a rigorous rating process from the perspective of a typical golfer (90 strokes or higher). "We like to think that the reviews provided by our Team Hacker members are similar to what you would find in Consumer Reports...thorough, consistent and based on scientific review standards. We just apply them to golf courses," said Stasch.

With the highest per-capita ratio of golf courses according to the National Golf Foundation, Minnesota is full of very active and engaged golfers that the StarTribune intends to reach. "The Hacker's Guide came to us with a very unique and entrepreneurial idea for golf and it fits nicely with our strategic vision as we expand into new markets and reach new consumers," stated Jim Bernard, Senior Vice President-Digital of the Star Tribune. "We think that our partnership with the Hacker's Guide will help us effectively reach out to this active consumer group."

The StarTribune will leverage this unique data to supplement its expanded coverage of golf in Minnesota through a special print circular, supplemental golf reporting from its staff reporters and broad distribution in print and online to over 1.3 million readers weekly and nearly 7 million website visitors monthly. For a state that ranks #1 in golf, fishing and biking, this partnership reinforces the publication's goal of continuing to bring unique information to its active customers.

About the Hacker's Guide & Hacker's Central
The Hacker's Guide® is the nation's largest and most complete independent golf course rating and review platform with over 8,000 listed courses and almost 700 golf course reviews provided by its Team Hacker members. Launched in 2008, the Hacker's Guide uses a proprietary rating algorithm that rates a course on 60 weighted factors across 6 categories. No one in the golf industry currently has a golf course ratings system which includes as many ratings and in-depth narratives on the overall golf course experience. The Hacker's Guide has rated courses across the Midwest as well as in the golf meccas of Arizona, Florida, California and Nevada. www.hackerscentralonline.com or www.hackersguides.com

About the Star Tribune
Star Tribune Media Company LLC is an independent, locally operated media company serving Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Minnesota is the only U.S. market in the top 10 in household income, home ownership, health and fitness, literacy, spending on the arts, credit scores and online activity. With the 8th largest Sunday and 13th largest daily circulation newspaper in the U.S., the most-visited local website, and Twin Cities Values, Star Tribune reaches more consumers than any other Minnesota media brand. Visit www.startribune.com or www.startribunecompany.com.