Fairway of the Future

The world’s best golfers are participating in a new high-energy, high-tech competition in Palm Beach Gardens that will air on ESPN

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A simulation showing what the experience will look like at a TGL match. Photo courtesy of TGL presented by SoFi
A simulation showing what the experience will look like at a TGL match. Photo courtesy of TGL presented by SoFi

Golf fans who want to get up close and personal with their favorite golfers can now do just that at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. Located on the south side of the Palm Beach State College campus, the center is home to TGL presented by SoFi, a new tech-infused golf league. The league is a collaboration between TMRW Sports (the company founded by golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and former NBC sports executive Mike McCarley) and the PGA Tour.

Launching January 7, the high-tech league features six teams of pro golfers competing in a 15-match regular season that culminates in a best-of-three Finals Series at the end of March. The teams, which represent six different cities, are each made up of four of the sport’s top players, including names like Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods. Each week, teams meet up at the SoFi Center to compete on a golf course the likes of which the game has never seen, and matches are broadcast live on ESPN.

Rendering of the new SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. Photo courtesy of TGL presented by SoFi
Rendering of the new SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. Photo courtesy of TGL presented by SoFi

Golfers tee off on a “field of play” roughly the size of a football field, hitting into a 3,400-square-foot simulator screen. Local fans can watch from the surrounding stadium seating as shots soar toward virtual holes designed by the industry’s top golf course design teams. Once on the green, players putt from a 41-yard-wide surface sitting on a turntable powered by 600 actuators that reconfigure the green for each hole.

“The experience will be electric,” says Andrew George, senior vice president of live event experience at TMRW Sports/TGL. “Fans in all sections will be seated just a few steps from the field of play. Think courtside at an NBA game and add in dramatic lighting, a DJ, and intense team competition each night.” George foresees the unique experience drawing new fans to the sport. “We expect the core golf fan will
enjoy the competition, but we are also looking to invite in the broader sports audiences,” he says.

The inaugural season runs January 7 to March 25. To view the full schedule and purchase tickets, visit tglgolf.com.

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