What is worse than going to play a, hopefully, relaxing round of golf, but the weather has other plans? Strong winds, snow, and rain are possibly the worst weather events to interfere with a round of golf, but could indoor golf be the way to go? Presented by Sofi, a personal finance company, The Golf League is a new league brought to the world of golf. Created by sports executive, Mike McCarley, and PGA professionals, Tiger Woods and Rory Mcilroy, this league is just an average simulator without its advanced technology (TGLGolf.com).
The league is a combination of six teams, which represent six different cities and have four players on each team (TGLGolf.com). The venue itself is built specifically for this type of golf (including seating for fans to watch), and it is located on the campus of Palm Beach State College, and the golfers play in two-hour weekly competitions. Matches are aired on ESPN and ESPN+, and every shot is live on TV and all players are “mic’d up,” so we can hear all their live commentary whilst golfing (TGLGolf.com).
How does the technology work though? The players all hit their drives into a 64 ft. x 53 ft. simulator, where they can go full power on their drives. They hit off of real grass from a fairway or rough, and even bunker sand for any shots farther than approximately 50 yards from the pin. When players are within 50 yards of the pin, they transition to hitting in the live “GreenZone.” The “GreenZone” is 22,475 square feet, and it can transform its dimensions between each hole, with highly advanced technology. This has a 41-yard-wide turntable that rotates the green and approach angles, and the topography can morph with the use of nearly 600 actuators. This total field of play is roughly the size of a football field, where it is 97 yd. x 50 yd. The two zones are The ScreenZone and the GreenZone (TGLGolf.com).
The course itself was created by world-class golf course design companies, in which 30 original holes were made and a round of golf in The Golf League comprises 15 holes to make each round unique (TGLGolf.com). The point system as well is unique too, as it models off of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) scoring system. A regulation win is worth two points, an overtime win is worth two points, an overtime loss is worth one point, and a regulation loss is worth zero points (PGATour.com). So, contrary to regular golf, the winner will have the highest score. For playoffs, the top four teams will advance to the semifinals, and the winners of the semifinals advance to the championship, and the series will be a best-of-three series (PGATour.com). The six teams in the league are Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. Some popular players in this league include Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, and Min Woo Lee. The next competition is on Monday, January 27 at 6:30 PM EST., so tune into ESPN and watch a new style of golf!
