The tech-infused indoor golf experience, TGL (TMRW Golf League), is gearing up for its second season, kicking off with a highly anticipated rematch of the inaugural SoFi Cup finals: Atlanta Drive GC versus New York Golf Club. As Atlanta seeks to defend its title, the league itself has undergone a rigorous technical audit and major renovation, promising a faster, more consistent, and visually dynamic product for both players and spectators. This is not merely a continuation; it is an optimized version 2.0 of indoor competitive golf.
While the six-team rosters largely remain intact, the start of the season brings a notable competitive void. Jupiter Links GC principal Tiger Woods and Atlanta Drive GC’s Justin Thomas will be sidelined initially as they continue recovery from back surgeries. Woods, who is expected to turn 50 this December, will nonetheless maintain a presence, attending Jupiter Links matches and providing commentary via an on-course microphone—a unique twist ensuring the 15-time major champion’s influence remains palpable, even from the sidelines. All matches will continue to be broadcast across the ESPN family of networks.
For teams like Jupiter Links GC and Rory McIlroy`s Boston Common Golf, Season 2 is framed by redemption. Having collectively secured only one win across ten matches last season, the pressure is immense. Tom Kim, a member of Jupiter Links GC, bluntly articulated the team’s mission: “I think all of us are ready to not suck anymore. We`re ready to win, especially for a guy who`s not used to losing as much. And he`s on our butts to get into the playoffs.”
To facilitate this demanded improvement, TGL has focused its energies on three critical areas: The physical interface (the green), the virtual environment (the courses), and the viewer experience (the broadcast technology).
The GreenZone Revolution: Consistency and Scale
The most crucial modification for player performance involves the GreenZone putting surface, the dynamic area where balls transition from the full simulator screen to the actual contoured green. This surface has been dramatically expanded by 38%, increasing from 3,800 square feet to 5,270 square feet. Furthermore, the number of distinct hole locations has increased from seven to twelve, introducing greater strategic diversity in match play.
Crucially, the underlying technology has been refined. TGL now utilizes 608 actuators to morph the surface, alongside two larger full swing virtual greens. According to Andrew Macaulay, Chief Technology Officer at TMRW Sports, specific adjustments were made to ensure consistency.
A major technical fix addresses the issue of turf grain direction. Last season, players were occasionally perplexed by tricky “into-the-grain” shots near the center. The new installation lays the turf grain consistently down toward the middle, effectively eliminating this variability. Wyndham Clark of The Bay Golf Club noted the technical advantage: “Now, every chip’s down grain, which I think will create more excitement for the viewership, because we`ll be able to do anything we want with a golf ball.” This uniformity should increase excitement by rewarding aggressive, skillful chipping.
Additionally, small structural changes—such as dropping a large knoll in the upper tier by 1.5 feet to enhance fan sightlines and improving bunker edging—round out the physical improvements.
Virtual Architecture: New Signature Holes Define Teams
While the physical green is standardized, the virtual environment has become highly personalized. Course architects including Gil Hanse, Beau Welling Design, Pizá Golf, and Nicklaus Design have introduced several new holes, six of which have been designated as signature holes for each team.
This innovation provides a competitive edge, as a team’s signature hole will be featured in every match they play, offering a consistent home-course familiarity. For instance, The Bay Golf Club’s `Bay Breaker` is a par-5 inspired by iconic California courses like Pebble Beach and TPC Harding Park, featuring towering redwoods and distant views of Alcatraz.
The new course designs embrace both technical difficulty and imaginative flair:
- Stone & Steeple (Par-5): Gil Hanse’s new creation features Sahara-style cross bunkers and a dramatic stone wall separating the playing area from a mock New England-style graveyard. TGL’s description warns that shots hit too far left are “not long for this world.”
- Stinger (Par-4): Inspired by Tiger Woods’ low-flying signature shot, this hole encourages players to keep their tee shots under 50 feet in height by rewarding successful “stingers” with significant extra roll beyond 260 yards.
As Atlanta Drive GC member Billy Horschel observed, this blend of reality and hyper-reality is core to the TGL identity: “We can still have the traditional holes, but we can have some holes that you would see in a video game. Because in some sort [of way], this is a video game that we`re playing.”
Advanced Graphics and Immersive Technology
Moving beyond the physical space, TGL has significantly upgraded its broadcast technology to elevate the viewing experience. The SoFi Center now houses 79 cameras, ensuring comprehensive coverage from virtually every conceivable angle.
New shot comparison graphics utilize Virtual Eye technology, providing live tracking of golf balls in flight before they hit the massive screen—the largest golf simulator display in the sport. These “data-rich, augmented-reality graphics” are overlaid on the green surface, illustrating shot quality by comparing player performance to team averages and historical best approaches for that specific hole.
The critically acclaimed SmartPin Cam, which delivers immersive 360-degree views directly from the pin flag’s perspective, returns, supplemented by new angles such as reverse shots from the fairway and hovering perspectives above the green. This comprehensive technical package aims to make the subtle complexity of indoor golf readily accessible and digestible for the home viewer.
Team Rosters for the 2025-26 Season
The six competing teams remain structurally the same as they enter a technically superior arena:
Atlanta Drive GC
- Justin Thomas (Non-active at start)
- Patrick Cantlay
- Billy Horschel
- Lucas Glover
Boston Common Golf
- Rory McIlroy
- Keegan Bradley
- Adam Scott
- Hideki Matsuyama
Jupiter Links GC
- Tiger Woods (Non-active at start)
- Max Homa
- Tom Kim
- Kevin Kisner
Los Angeles Golf Club
- Collin Morikawa
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Justin Rose
- Sahith Theegala
New York Golf Club
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Rickie Fowler
- Xander Schauffele
- Cameron Young
The Bay Golf Club
- Ludvig Åberg
- Wyndham Clark
- Min Woo Lee
- Shane Lowry
With major technological hurdles addressed—most critically, achieving greater consistency on the putting surface and introducing dynamic, personalized course designs—TGL Season 2 is poised to deliver on its promise of high-stakes, tech-driven golf. The stage is set for a campaign where technical skill must now adapt to refined virtual geometry and a consistently massive, morphing green.
