Is Tomorrow's Golf League the Future of Golf?

I receive a text from my brother, “did you check out any of the TGL thing last night?” I replied, “I did not unfortunately. I totally forgot.” That was a week ago.

This past Tuesday, I made it a point to tune in to the newly created Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA TOUR . Some other notable professional golfers participating include Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, and Max Homa.

For those not familiar, it features six teams of four golfers who play 15 holes together as a team on a state-of-the-art golf simulator designed by Full Swing. The simulator adjusts based on the hole’s unique conditions (i.e. if a player hits a tee shot out of bounds, into a sand trap, or has to make a putt facing an uphill slope). Each week, there are two teams who play in a 3 vs.3, head-to-head scramble format, with holes 11 through 15 only allowing one player from each team to play the entire hole. The team that makes the least amount of shots to finish a hole earns points for winning that hole. An opposing team can also throw a “hammer” to make the winning hole worth double the number of points. Unlike a typical golf championship, crowds are allowed to make as much noise as they like, and the setup features live music pumping into the SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College. The top four teams with the most points at season’s end in mid-March advance to the semifinals, with each semifinal winner then advancing to a best-of-three final matchup.

As a casual golf fan (I normally only watch during major championships like The Master’s and The U.S. Open), I really like the concept and was hooked almost immediately upon tuning in. Here’s what stood out to me:

1.? More Entertainment in Less the Amount of Time. Unlike a typical round of golf that is 18 holes and takes several hours to complete, the TGL matchups usually run about two hours. I found the matchup was able to keep my attention with each golfer taking a par shot during the first 10 holes. It was great to see the real-time reactions and strategy discussions each team had amongst themselves. It also looked like they were using smart touchscreen devices that traced the latest shot’s path and showed the most ideal angle for the next golfer to take with his individual shot. I also enjoyed the interviews with team/club owners including tennis great Serena Williams and U.S. Women’s Soccer team legend Alex Morgan, who are both co-owners of the Los Angeles club. I found the broadcast presentation to be much more interactive than a regular golf match and think it was effective at drawing in more casual or nonviewers of the sport in a very easygoing manner.

2.??The Use of State-of-the-Art Technology. According to ESPN, there are nearly 73 cameras placed around the SoFi Center including 20 robotic cameras to capture every angle, six Full Swing monitors at both the front and back tee boxes, a 60-by-30 feet simulator screen, and an interactive leaderboard for the crowd to follow along. Andrew Macaulay, the former tech officer of Topgolf who serves as the technology consultant for TGL, noted there have been “no technical issues.” I am very curious to see how the end product will continue to evolve and believe the successful rollout of this technology plays well for the league to continue adding new features like in-match betting line overlays and statistical probability trackers.

3.? It Humanized the Golfers. The incorporation of hot microphones and “in-match” interviews with the golfers participating was a welcomed change. It allowed the individual player to open up and show more of their personality that we don’t typically get to see during a major championship. I mean, when else are you going to see Tiger Woods, Max Homa, and Kevin Kisner all belly laugh on the links after a shot by Kisner ricocheted off the hole flag?!

I cannot recommend checking out the TGL enough and look forward to seeing how the league adapts and grows.

Have you watched any of the TGL? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! #tgl #sportstech #marketing