Trash Talk and a Rotating Green: What to Know About TGL Ahead of Inaugural Season
Welcome to the world of TGL, the tech-infused golf league that has been eagerly anticipated by fans and players alike. After a year-long delay, this innovative league, spearheaded by none other than Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is finally ready to make its grand debut. The first match is set to take place between New York GC and The Bay Golf Club on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, broadcasted live on ESPN/ESPN+ from the impressive SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Originally slated to launch in January 2024, TGL faced an unexpected setback when a storm-induced power outage led to the collapse of the original arena’s domed roof. However, this delay turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Tiger Woods himself noted. The new SoFi Center, a 250,000-square-foot venue, boasts a steel structure with a traditional roof and can accommodate around 1,500 fans, offering a more immersive experience for both players and spectators.
“I think it was a blessing in disguise,” Woods remarked at the PNC Championship. “We were rushing to get it ready. I don’t think we had all the components we have now, and we certainly didn’t have the technology we’re able to have now. It worked out for the best for us as players, for the fans, and I think for everyone watching.”
A Closer Look at the Virtual Course
The TGL experience is unlike any other, with three renowned golf course design companies—Agustín Pizá, Beau Welling, and Nicklaus Design—crafting 30 original holes. These holes are set on a competition area approximately 97 yards by 50 yards, roughly the size of a football field, inside the SoFi Center. The courses draw inspiration from diverse landscapes, including links, canyons, coastal, deserts, and tropical settings.
Among the standout holes is “Pick Yer Plunder,” a par-5, 590-yard hole designed by Pizá Golf, located along Bounty Bay in the Pacific Ocean. Nicklaus Design’s “Hang Low,” a par-4, is set amidst the barrancas of Southern California. For those seeking a unique challenge, there’s “Flex,” a par-4 nestled on an active volcano, and “The Spear,” featuring a floating tee box, landing area, and GreenZone.
Each team will field three players for the matches, starting each hole by teeing off on real grass tee boxes into a massive screen measuring 64 feet by 53 feet—24 times larger than a standard golf simulator. For shots of 130 yards or longer, golfers will hit from a back box 35 yards away from the screen, while shots of 50 to 129 yards will be taken from a front box 21 yards from the screen.
The landing location of their tee shots will determine the next challenge: approach shots played from natural grass fairways, deep rough, or pristine white sand, mirroring the bunkers found at Augusta National Golf Club. For shots of 50 yards or less, the players will shift to a one-of-a-kind, specially designed green to complete the hole.
“The playing surfaces are very realistic,” McIlroy said. “Whenever you hit it out of the rough, you have to think about whether you’re going to get a flyer; whether it’s going to come out soft, a lot of things that you would have to think about on a real golf course.”
The GreenZone features a state-of-the-art 22,475-square-foot short-game area that dynamically transforms between holes. A turntable 41 yards wide rotates the artificial-turf green to create varying approach angles, while nearly 600 actuators morph the terrain to simulate different topographies of 30 different greens.
“I still feel like the ball reacts very realistically on the green,” McIlroy said. “We toyed around with the idea of using real grass and real turf on the green, but with the rotating green and then obviously with the jacks underneath and the ability to change slopes, we were afraid if we used real turf that that turf could crack and break. We made the decision to go with artificial [grass] for the green because we want to make it interesting.”
How the Matches Will Work
The 2025 TGL season will feature each team playing five matches from January 7 to March 4. The 15-hole matches are divided into two sessions: nine holes of alternate shot and six holes of singles. In the first nine holes, three players from each team will hit alternate shots. The final six holes will see golfers compete head-to-head, with each golfer playing two full holes during the session.
Each hole is worth one point, and there are no carryovers. If the two teams are tied at the end of regulation, an overtime period determines the winner. TGL’s overtime is akin to a penalty shootout in soccer, with three golfers from each squad competing in a best-of-three, closest to the pin competition until a team successfully hits two shots closer than its competitors.
The overtime period will be played on the 15th hole, which remains unchanged from regulation. The shot will be played from between 25 and 50 yards, with the on-course official determining the pin location and distance before the match. A ball must land on the putting surface to be eligible.
Every match will consist of 15 holes, even if the outcome has been decided. Tiebreakers in the SoFi Cup standings will be determined by the total number of holes won during the regular season.
There’s a Shot Clock and Timeouts
To keep the pace of play brisk and engaging, TGL matches will feature a shot clock with a 40-second countdown. Players must hit their shot within this timeframe, or their team will incur a shot clock violation and a one-stroke penalty. This 40-second limit aligns with the United States Golf Association’s pace of play recommendations.
Each team is allotted four timeouts per match, two in each session. Unused timeouts from the first session do not carry over to the second. Timeouts can be called by the team playing its shot until the shot clock expires, while the opposing team can call a timeout until the other team’s player addresses the ball. Back-to-back timeouts on the current shot are not allowed.
A referee will be on the course to enforce TGL’s rules and regulations, with another official monitoring the action from a booth.
What is the Hammer?
The Hammer is a unique feature in TGL that increases the value of a hole by one point. It can only be played by the team that holds possession of it. The Bay Golf Club, as a result of a coin flip, will start the season in possession of the Hammer.
The Hammer can be thrown at any time during a match and can be used multiple times on the same hole to increase pressure on an opponent. The opposing team can decline to play the Hammer, similar to a golfer turning down a “press” in a Saturday morning match, but it concedes the hole if it declines.
The Hammer changes possession each time it’s used.
There’s a Caddie (Sort of)
TGL golfers will have access to a digital caddie, a 50-inch touchscreen yardage book that provides distances, penalty areas, wind, green topography, and elevation changes on each hole. This interactive app, custom-built by Full Swing, allows players to use quick, user-friendly tools to research their next shot, set their target, and get a preview of what they will see on the hitting screen when they step up to hit their shot.
The digital caddie is another way to ensure that the pace of play remains lightning fast.
There’s Going to Be Trash-Talking (Hopefully)
For TGL to succeed, it needs to be more than just a golf league; it needs to entertain. Players are expected to engage in conversations and ribbing, all captured by microphones worn during matches. “It’s going to be really competitive,” said Billy Horschel. “We’re competitors. We want to win, but we also have to be entertainers at the same time. I think everyone who has signed up to be a part of this is aware of that, and they’re going to do their part to make sure this is successful.”
Wyndham Clark added, “People are going to see our personalities. Some things could come out that maybe we don’t want to say, but that’s how other sports are. I’m going to have to really watch my cussing, but on our team, Shane Lowry. He has some cuss words on trigger pretty quick, so he’s going to have to really watch himself.”
Who’s on Which Teams?
- Atlanta Drive GC
- Justin Thomas
- Patrick Cantlay
- Billy Horschel
- Lucas Glover
- Boston Common Golf
- Rory McIlroy
- Keegan Bradley
- Adam Scott
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Jupiter Links GC
- Tiger Woods
- Max Homa
- Tom Kim
- Kevin Kisner
- Los Angeles Golf Club
- New York Golf Club
- The Bay Golf Club
- Ludvig Åberg
- Wyndham Clark
- Min Woo Lee
- Shane Lowry
2025 Schedule
Here’s a look at the upcoming matches:
- Tuesday, Jan. 7: New York Golf Club vs. The Bay Golf Club, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Tuesday, Jan. 14: Los Angeles Golf Club vs. Jupiter Links GC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Tuesday, Jan. 21: New York Golf Club vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, Jan. 27: Jupiter Links GC vs. Boston Common Golf, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Tuesday, Feb. 4: Boston Common Golf vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, Feb. 17: Atlanta Drive GC vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, Feb. 17: Atlanta Drive GC vs. The Bay Golf Club, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, Feb. 17: The Bay Golf Club vs. Boston Common Golf, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
- Tuesday, Feb. 18: Jupiter Links GC vs. New York Golf Club, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, Feb. 24: Los Angeles Golf Club vs. New York Golf Club, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
- Monday, Feb. 24: Boston Common Golf vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
- Tuesday, Feb. 25: The Bay Golf Club vs. Jupiter Links GC, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
- Monday, March 3: The Bay Golf Club vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
- Monday, March 3: New York Golf Club vs. Boston Common Golf, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+
- Tuesday, March 4: Jupiter Links GC vs. Atlanta Drive GC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
The SoFi Cup Playoffs
Similar to the NHL, TGL will employ a points-based system for regular-season matches. For each match, teams can earn up to two points toward their regular-season total. That total determines their position in the SoFi Cup standings.
A win in regulation and a win in overtime both equal two points, while a loss in overtime equals one point. The top four teams advance to the playoffs, which include a single-elimination semifinal round and a best-of-three championship series.
The TGL semifinal matches featuring the top four teams in the SoFi Cup standings will be played March 17-18. The two winning teams will advance to the championship series, a best-of-three match that will be played March 24-25.
Originally Written by: Mark Schlabach
