It’s probably a fair assumption that anyone who went into Tuesday evening expecting to like what the new TGL was offering with its giant simulator screen and mesmerizing graphics came away happy while anyone predisposed to dislike the happy reimagining of the game probably didn’t have their mind changed.
Is the TGL going to revolutionize golf?
No but that’s not its goal.
Where it succeeded, at least on the first night, was demonstrating that golf can be different, it can be fast, it can be noisy, it can be tech’d out and it can be fun in a new way.
“It’s not traditional golf but it is golf and that’s the main thing,” said Tiger Woods, part of the TGL triumvirate along with Rory McIlroy and creator Mike McCarley who brought this whole thing to life.
It would have helped had the first match been competitive – for the record, The Bay Golf Club routed New York Golf Club, 9-2 – but Tuesday night at SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College was built around curiosity more than competition.
In that sense, TGL delivered.
It’s as if a video game has been brought to life with real golfers – among the best in the world – playing inside an arena roughly the size of a football field.
It has an artificial feel to it because the setting is artificial but the golf is real and, at least Tuesday night, so were the players’ nerves as Shane Lowry showed by forgetting his tee after having the honor to hit the first drive in TGL history.
… it was easy to think about how much fun a group of friends could have playing their own matches there, ripping shots into the giant simulator screen and punching the keys to change the contours of the green that moves.
As it becomes more familiar to players and viewers alike, TGL matches will probably develop a rhythm based around the competition but initially there is a lot to absorb whether you’re in the building or watching from afar.
After decades of pushing back against change, golf has suddenly gone all in on updating its image and TGL pushes the envelope the way microwave ovens changed kitchens when they arrived. Being able to pop fresh popcorn with the push of a button didn’t entirely change the way people cook as much as it offered something different.
That’s what TGL is doing.
During a media day visit to the SoFi Center in December showing off the facility and offering a glimpse of what was to debut Tuesday night it was easy to think about how much fun a group of friends could have playing their own matches there, ripping shots into the giant simulator screen and punching the keys to change the contours of the green that moves.
McIlroy said his buddy Lowry played a practice match on Monday and later told him it was the most fun he’s had playing golf that he can remember.
That feeling came across watching the first match. The players seemed as curious about what they were doing as the 1,500 tucked inside the arena and the viewers on their couches and in sports bars around the land.
“We’re the guinea pigs and you’re going along for the ride with us,” Rickie Fowler said.
It’s a fun ride, even if it takes some getting used to at first.
It’s fast-paced to the point that early in the alternate-shot portion – they call it triples because all three players on each side participate – it felt like everyone was in a hurry. The 40-second shot never came close to going off and, if that demonstrates anything, it’s that tour players are capable of playing quickly.
Speaking of quick tempos, Ludvig Åberg – the post-modern model for pace of play – was the star of the evening both for how he played and how his Q factor seemed to grow during the evening.
Seeing Åberg and his teammates Lowry and Wyndham Clark smiling and laughing throughout the evening is what can sell this over time. Even as they were getting drilled, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Fowler appeared to be having fun.
There will be moments when the grind is real but this is never meant to be Sunday at the U.S. Open.
Because of the noise inside the arena, it was difficult at times to hear what the players were saying to each other. Finding the balance between keeping the energy pumping through the arena with music and lights and making sure the conversations between players can be heard will probably be tweaked over time.
More than in a regular event, this allows everyone watching to hear what the players are saying. It’s not about smack talk between the teams as much as it is about getting a glimpse inside, feeling like you’re in the huddle during play.
TGL isn’t a rip-off of what LIV Golf is doing. This was conceived before LIV was born but it took a while to come to life. Making the magic look as seamless as it appeared takes time.
The challenge for TGL is to give viewers a reason to keep coming back. Tiger Woods is scheduled to play next week and later this month, his Jupiter Links team will face McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf squad.
Those are good enough reasons right there.