Understanding the Latest Developments in the TGL Golf Tournament Series
The novel indoor team golf league named TGL, jointly instituted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is all set to kick off its initial 2.5-month duration in the coming week, following the conclusion of the first event in the PGA Tour of the year.
This technology-centric initiative encompasses a group of six teams, each consisting of four experienced PGA Tour players. These teams include Atlanta Drive Golf Club, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. The individuals partaking in TGL have collectively garnered 230 PGA Tour wins and 33 major titles.
The New York squad, comprising Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young, will face off against The Bay GC (Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, and Shane Lowry) in the inaugural match of the TGL calendar on January 7, Tuesday. This two-hour contest will be held at TGL's bespoke venue, the 1500-seater SoFi Center located on Palm Beach State College's campus in Florida. The captivating contest will be broadcasted on ESPN during prime time.
TGL deviates significantly from the traditional golf experience, part of which is deliberate.
"We were determined to maintain a strong connection with the traditional game while simultaneously nudging it towards the future, embracing technology," stated Mike McCarley, the CEO and co-founder of TMRW Sports, a partner in the PGA Tour's creation of TGL. Both Tiger and Rory shared this vision during their early discussions. They observed the technological advancements in their daily lives and envisioned incorporating them into golf, making it appealing to an audience not typically captivated by the traditional game.
Here are ten unique aspects of the futuristic TGL:
Screenplay and Greenplay
Contrary to popular belief, TGL is not just a league for playing simulated golf. Players will indeed strike golf balls towards a screen, but this screen is colossal, about 64 feet wide and 53 feet tall. This measurement is about 24 times larger than the standard golf simulator screen. On the other hand, the competition area also features a 41-yard-wide green complex that turns 360 degrees like a rotating turntable. Depending on the hole, the green rotates to mimic approach angles. Players will complete each hole at a distance of around 50 yards or less in the short game area. Following their approach shots towards the simulator screen, small LED beams of light from the ceiling will guide them on where to position their ball on the putting surface, serving as a virtual caddie. Competition culminates on the green, which undergoes various undulations, contours, and slopes due to 600 motorized actuators embedded beneath the synthetic surface.
Real Grass Hitting Areas... and Real Sand
There are two distinct teeing areas for the simulator competition portion – one at a distance of approximately 20 yards from the screen and the other at around 35 yards. Instead of artificial mats, each area boasts two real grass surfaces – one with longer grass similar to a rough and the other closely-cropped like a fairway or tee box. Tee shots will be launched from the latter, while players can place their ball in the "rough" or "fairway" based on their lying position post-tee off. As on a conventional golf course, divots can be taken, and the teeing areas will be replaced with fresh grass following each match. The fairway bunker hitting area also features real sand, identical to the bright white sand found in the Masters Tournament's bunkers.
The Venue is Spacious Yet Intimate
The original TGL arena's roof collapsed due to a storm, halting its debut from 2024 to 2025. The new 250,000-square foot venue resembles an aircraft hangar inside, yet the two levels of seating surrounding the playing field allow fans to witness every shot in its entirety, unlike traditional golf events that require neck-craning. For home viewers, numerous cameras capture the action from various angles – in the tee boxes, buried in the bunkers, one along the perimeter of the arena like those used in Olympic track & field competitions, one directly overhead hovering above the green, and a sky cam or spider cam akin to those used in football stadiums.
"Our ultimate goal is to create the most immersive experience possible for the fans," said McCarley. "The players, too, appreciate the primetime feel, echoing the gladiator-like atmosphere."
"Playing in front of fans is a norm, but here, we're confined within an enclosed space," noted Billy Horschel, part of the Atlanta Drive team. "Murmurs can bounce off the walls, making the atmosphere feel more intimate despite the lack of proximity to fans."
Based on initial play tests, players notice that the greenside bunkers, chipping areas around the green, and the putting surface need some adjustment. Compared to natural light outdoors, the indoor lighting might be the biggest challenge in seeing breaks and putting lines. There's also a learning curve when it comes to the texture of the artificial grass just off the putting surface.
"This isn't actual grass, but it's the closest we can get to it, and I think it responds similarly to shots," said Billy Horschel, a member of the Atlanta Drive. "You can still hit the high, spinning shot. You can hit the low one that runs up the green. It's tough to mimic what we have outside here, but I believe the team has done an excellent job in getting as close as possible."
Players note that the greenside bunkers are playing quite soft due to the new, fluffier sand.
"Someone is going to shank a bunker shot into the crowd, and it'll be entertaining, but you don't want to be that person who does it first time," added Horschel.
Shorter Format & Shot Clock
Since the TV window and the goal of keeping the team competitions within a 2-hour limit, each match will consist of 15 holes. Three players will compete per team every week, and all three will take part in the nine-hole "Triples" session, which implements an alternate shot format. The remaining six holes will be contested in a "Singles" session, with each player from a given team facing off against an opponent from the opposing side. There is a 40-second shot clock that starts when a player sets their ball down on the ground. Teams can also call timeouts to avoid incurring a one-stroke penalty for a shot clock violation.
"For the novice golfer, I believe it's enjoyable because it accelerates the game," said 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark from The Bay GC. "We're playing such a brief period, and there's no slowdown. No walking. We just have 40 seconds. I believe this will hopefully attract the new golfer, that it's like 'Wow, this is fast, this is thrilling. This is like other sports within an arena.'"
Unique Hole Design
Beau Welling Design, Nicklaus Design, and Piza Golf are the three design groups that devised custom holes for TGL in collaboration with its technology partner, Full Swing Golf. The result is a fusion of virtual and real-world golf design, designed to challenge the best golfers without being confined by traditional course architecture. The 30 holes – consisting of par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s – feature a diverse range of settings, including links, canyons, coastal landscapes, desert environments, and even a hole within a volcano. The TGL competition committee will choose the 15 holes used in each individual match.
"I never employ the phrase 'blank canvas' in my regular work because it's never a blank canvas. It's nature. This is a blank canvas," said Piza. "Now you have to consider not only the strategy of the hole but how you will invent the setting. It's an interesting challenge. I was brought here to think outside the box, but still want to maintain the integrity of the game we enjoy."
While preserving classical elements of golf architecture, there's also a goal to broaden the range of engagement and draw viewer interest through the visually stunning appearance of a fictional hole. And in Piza's case, also to motivate players to spend a "nanosecond more thinking about the strategy."
Hot Mics
Besides ESPN's Scott Van Pelt and Matt Barrie covering the action on the broadcast, and popular golf content creator Roger Steele handling player introductions and offering running commentary from the stadium floor, all players will wear microphones during play. While we occasionally hear player-caddie discussions on the PGA Tour and in other professional events, the banter is expected to be slightly different in TGL. Teams will discuss strategy, but trash-talking between teams is likely.
"Whatever I think, I say. Often it gets me into trouble, and I'm sure it'll get me into trouble here as well during the season," said Horschel. "Maybe certain words will slip out that shouldn't. I believe almost everyone here will be genuine, too. Certainly, you may see Patrick Cantlay exhibit a bit more openness than he does at PGA Tour events, and that's fine because we know who he is behind closed doors. The same goes for Cam Young. The Cam Young you see on the golf course is a bit different than the one in the locker room, where he's more engaging and talkative."
"On our team, Shane Lowry has a habit of swearing quickly, so he's going to have to exercise self-control," joked Clark. "I hope none of us look bad in any way, but I think it's going to be great. There'll be some good banter, and I think people will see great golf."
At the professional level, golf is predominantly an individual sport, but exceptions include events like the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Solheim Cup, and the LIV Golf league's unique format. However, in the forthcoming TGL, teams will compete against each other weekly throughout the season, with four top squads advancing to the playoffs. Much like professional hockey, TGL utilizes a points-based system in its standings, awarding two points for a win and one point for a loss in overtime.
This new sport appears to have the most resemblance to another professional game: basketball.
According to Clark, "We're going to have walk-up songs. We're going to have benches to sit on. We'll have our ownership group backing us. There'll be trainers, everyone present. It'll feel like a team, which is pretty cool."
Mccarley admits that he doesn't anticipate large team fan bases immediately.
"Sports have always been tribal and this hasn't changed in centuries, with allegiances forming based on region, players or their countries of origin. It will grow and develop over time," Mccarley said, "The teams have worked on fostering local communities, and social media helps immensely. The inclusion of celebrity ownership groups also helps."
Prominent Partners - Owners and Sponsors
The TGL's powerful owners and investment groups are a who's-who list in the sports and entertainment industry. New York boasts influential figures like Steven Cohen (Mets), with backers including Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, CC Sabathia, Jimmy Fallon, and John McEnroe. Arthur Blank (Falcons) represents Atlanta, while Boston is represented by the Fenway Sports Group. Tennis's Williams sisters have a stake in Los Angeles, along with entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian. San Francisco features an alliance of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Igoudala, and Marc Lasry (The Bay GC). Last but not least, Tiger Woods has a presence in Jupiter.
Mccarley's initial vision included having well-known and visible owners, with Curry, Fallon, and Blank joining the ranks after Mccarley presented his plan to Woods.
Genesis, Best Buy, and Businessolver serve as founding partners, while SoFi holds the title of the league's presenting partner, as sports provide a perfect venue for marketing and reaching broad audiences.
Percentage raises the question of whether the partnership would be considered true, as people might question its authenticity and if viewers would feel disconnected from the traditional game.
"The team has outperformed our expectations in every aspect: the center, the technology," said SoFi CEO Anthony Noto, who previously held high-ranking positions with Twitter, the NFL, and Goldman Sachs. "They have surpassed our expectations."
Scheduled Matches and SoFi's Partnership
TGL matches take place on Monday and Tuesday evenings, directly following PGA Tour events on Sundays. These games are held at the SoFi Center in South Florida, a convenient location for many touring golfers. Players clarified their PGA Tour event schedules, which helped TGL to determine which teams would play on specific nights. As the presenting sponsor, SoFi offers transportation services to players after tour events. The inaugural TGL season runs through March, with the two-night championship series scheduled for March 24-25.
Simulator Golf and a Modern Experience
Simulator golf is growing in popularity, enabling individuals to sample the sport with minimal pressure and intimidation. TGL successfully combines simulator golf with traditional putting and chipping while maintaining a high-tech, competitive format that introduces an original twist to professional golf events.
"This isn't just about changing golf on the course; it's supposed to be different," said Horschel, "This is meant to be fresh, novel, and engaging. It's about giving visitors a fun, fast-paced experience in a two-hour timeslot during which they'll witness every golf shot. This is about getting more people involved in golf, as it can open numerous doors and benefits for an individual's life."
- Agustin Piza, a renowned golf course designer, was part of the team that created custom holes for the TGL, working alongside Nicklaus Design and Beau Welling Design.
- Tiger Woods, along with his partner Rory McIlroy, co-founded the TGL simulator golf league, which will feature a 2-hour match between The Bay GC and the New York squad on January 7 at the SoFi Center.
- Mike McCarley, CEO and co-founder of TMRW Sports, highlighted the blend of traditional golf and technology in TGL, stating that they aimed to "nudge it towards the future while maintaining a strong connection with the traditional game."
- TGL departs from the conventional golf setup by featuring a giant simulator screen (64 feet wide and 53 feet tall) for players to strike their golf balls towards, as well as a real grass hitting area and sand bunker.
- TGL has attracted prominent investors and owners from the sports and entertainment industry, including Steven Cohen, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, and CC Sabathia, who will compete in teams representing their respective cities.
