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mark schlabach
The second TGL season kicks off on Sunday with a rematch of last year’s SoFi Cup final Atlanta Drive GC defeated New York Golf Club in a pair of one-point matches on the final hole to capture the inaugural title in the tech-infused indoor golf league.
Despite being 15-time major champions, six team rosters remained unchanged from the inaugural season. Tiger Woods and two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas At least he will not be competing at the beginning of the TGL season while he recovers from back surgery.
Woods, who will turn 50 on Dec. 30, is expected to wear a microphone while attending Jupiter Links GC matches and interacting with teammates and competitors. All matches will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and/or ESPN+.
Last season, Jupiter Lynx GC and Rory McIlroyBoston Common was the only team not to reach the golf playoffs. In fact, those teams combined could only win one out of 10 matches.
“I think we’re all ready to suck no more,” said tom kimMember of Jupyter Lynx GC. “We’re ready to win, especially for a guy who’s not used to losing a lot. And he’s ready to go to the playoffs.”
So what’s new in the six-team league that will play five matches each in the regular season starting on Sunday and ending on March 3?
big greenzone adding green color
According to TGL, the Greenzone has a larger and rougher surface, which is 38% larger than last season. It has grown from 3,800 square feet to 5,270 and now has 12 holes (previously there were seven).
TGL said 608 actuators will be used to shape the putting surface and the two large full swing virtual greens under the turf are now 1,250 square feet, 60 square feet larger than last season.
“Obviously, the green is almost double the size,” the 2023 US Open winner said. Windham ClarkMember of The Bay Golf Club. “I’ve heard it will be easier to read and a little more consistent, which I think is great for any of us, but especially for guys who pride themselves on being good putters.”
According to Andrew Macaulay, Chief Technology Officer of TMRW Sports, the topography of the upper level of the green is stable and does not move. The large mound in the middle of the upper level was lowered by about 1½ feet to give arena fans a better view of the action. A small bunker was also removed to increase the putting surface.
“We’ve made the other two bunkers larger and cut down the edges around them, which will make the transition from sand to fairway much nicer and easier,” McCauley said.
Another major change is that the turf was laid completely towards the middle, eliminating the difficult shots that had confused players in previous seasons. Long iron shots on par-5 holes that may have stalled last season are now more likely to bounce off the green and toward the hole.
“Now, every chip is improving, which I think will create more excitement for spectators because we’ll be able to do just about anything with the golf ball,” Clark said.
Signature holes for each team
The six are among several new holes from golf course architects Gil Hanse, Beau Welling Design, Pizza Golf and Nicklaus Design that have been updated to become signature holes for each team.
For example, The Bay Golf Club’s “Bay Breaker” hole features tall redwoods and fog. Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline can be seen in the distance. Macaulay said the hole was inspired by Pebble Beach Golf Links, TPC Harding Park and Lincoln Park golf courses in the Bay Area.
“Each team has its own holes and, of course, any match between two teams, those two holes will be played,” Macauley said. “It’s an advantage for the team because they get to play their hole every single match, whereas their opponent, during the regular season, only gets to play when they’re playing against The Bay for example.”
Apart from the signature holes, several other new holes have also been added.
Hainsey’s first hole for the TGL is a par-5 called “Stone and Steeple”, which has Sahara-style cross bunkers off the tee and a stone wall down the left side that separates the playing area from a cemetery next to a New England-style church.
The TGL description states, “Players must be precise with their approach – the church provides a sobering reminder that no shot struck from too far is long for this world.”
The par-4 hole, named “Stinger”, was inspired by Tiger’s signature stinger shots. A natural rock formation encourages golfers to hit stinger shots off the tee, no higher than 50 feet or so.
“Those brave and skilled enough to do this successfully will be rewarded by promoting over 260 yards of additional roll to Position A on this double-doggle hole,” the TGL description states. “There’s an alternative option: a short, mid-to-high draw off the tee to avoid rock formations. But where’s the fun in that?”
A new par-3 hole takes its name from the Yucatan Peninsula’s natural limestone sinkholes, which were sacred to the Maya.
“We may still have traditional holes, but we may also have some holes that you would see in a video game,” the Atlanta Drive GC member said. billy horschel“Because somehow [of way]This is a video game we are playing. “We’re kind of playing a high-tech video game.”
New graphics and technology
TGL is promoting its new shot comparison graphics, which will use Virtual Eye technology to track golfers’ shots on fairways and greens. “Data-rich, augmented-reality graphics on the green will illustrate shot quality at key moments by comparing team averages and the best approach ever on that hole,” the league said.
,[L]”Ivy Shot Tracing will track balls in flight before they hit TGL’s giant screen, the largest simulator in all of golf,” TGL said in a news release.
Additionally, the SoFi Center now has 79 cameras to capture every angle of the match, including “the return of the award-winning SmartPin Cam, which provides a live, 360-degree view from the perspective of the pin flag” and “new camera angles, such as the reverse shot from the fairway to the tee or the perspective hovering above the green.”
Who is in which team?
atlanta drive gc
Justin Thomas
patrick cantlay
billy horschel
lucas glover
boston common golf
Rory McIlroy
keegan bradley
adam scott
hideki matasuyama
jupiter link gc
Tiger Woods
max homa
tom kim
kevin kisner
Los Angeles Golf Club
collin morikawa
tommy fleetwood
justin rose
Sahith Thigala
New York Golf Club
matt fitzpatrick
rickie fowler
xander schaufele
cameron young
Bay Golf Club
ludvig aberg
Windham Clark
min woo lee
shane lowry
2025-26 schedule
Sunday, December 28: New York Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+
Friday, January 2: Boston Common Golf vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, January 6: The Bay Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, January 13: Jupiter Links GC vs. New York Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, January 20: Jupiter Links GC vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, January 26: Boston Common Golf vs. The Bay Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Monday, February 2: Atlanta Drive GC vs. Jupiter Lynx GC, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, February 9: The Bay Golf Club vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Monday, February 23: Atlanta Drive GC vs. Boston Common Golf, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, February 23: Los Angeles Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, February 24: New York Golf Club vs. The Bay Golf Club, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Tuesday, February 24: Boston Common Golf vs. New York Golf Club, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Sunday, March 1: Jupiter Links GC vs. Boston Common Golf, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Monday, March 2: Los Angeles Golf Club vs. New York Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
Tuesday, March 3: The Bay Golf Club vs. Jupiter Links GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
sofi cup playoffs
March 17: Semifinal match, 6:30 pm ET, ESPN
March 17: Semifinal match, 9 pm ET, ESPN
final series
Match 1: Monday, March 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Match 2: Tuesday, March 24, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Match 3 (if necessary): Tuesday, March 24, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
