TGL Season 2: Bigger Greens, Signature Holes, and the Quest for Technological Dominance

The tech-infused indoor golf league, TGL, is set to launch its second season, kicking off with a highly anticipated rematch between the reigning champions, Atlanta Drive GC, and the determined runners-up, New York Golf Club. While the core format remains a fusion of professional golf skill and advanced digital simulation, the infrastructure of the competition has received a significant overhaul, promising a higher standard of play, enhanced viewing experiences, and a strategic depth that Season 1 veterans must quickly master.

As the six unchanged teams prepare for the regular season, which spans five matches each and concludes in early March, the narrative is already defined by both competitive urgency and notable absences.

The Roster Dynamic: Coaching from the Sidelines

The six team rosters feature the biggest names in professional golf, but two key figures will be notably absent from competition in the early rounds. Due to ongoing recovery from back surgeries, 15-time major champion Tiger Woods (Jupiter Links GC) and two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (Atlanta Drive GC) will not be participating initially. While their physical presence on the turf is postponed, their influence is not.

Woods, the face of the league, is scheduled to attend Jupiter Links GC matches, equipped with a microphone, serving as a high-stakes team captain and motivator. This role transition—from supreme competitor to technical coach—adds a unique layer of intrigue. The competitive pressure is palpable, especially for Woods` team, which struggled in Season 1, winning only a single match. Tom Kim, a member of Jupiter Links GC, captured the team’s mindset succinctly: “I think all of us are ready to not suck anymore.” This blunt assessment underscores the urgency for Woods’ crew, particularly given his demanding expectations.

Technological Evolution: The GreenZone Expansion

The most substantial technical modification for Season 2 revolves around the simulated putting environment, known as the GreenZone. TGL has implemented a significant size increase and enhanced technical sophistication to reduce randomness and improve competitive consistency.

The putting surface has been expanded by 38%, growing from 3,800 square feet to a commanding 5,270 square feet. Furthermore, the number of potential hole locations has nearly doubled, increasing from seven to twelve. This expansion is powered by 608 actuators, which morph the surface topography to simulate complex slopes and breaks.

Key modifications to the GreenZone include:

• Increased Consistency: Turf grain has been uniformly oriented toward the middle of the surface. This eliminates the challenging, randomized “into-the-grain” shots that complicated play last season, allowing players to utilize a wider array of chip and pitch shots with predictable results. As Wyndham Clark noted, this change will create “more excitement for the viewership,” as professionals can now maximize control.
• Structural Updates: A central knoll on the upper tier has been lowered by approximately 1.5 feet to enhance the sight lines for in-arena spectators. Strategic bunker placement was also revised, improving the visual transition between sand and fairway.

Defining the Digital Battlefield: Signature Holes

To deepen the strategic element of the team competition, TGL introduced six new signature holes, each uniquely tailored to one of the six participating franchises. These digital designs were crafted by renowned architects, including Gil Hanse, Nicklaus Design, and Beau Welling Design, leveraging the league`s ability to create golf scenarios impossible in the physical world.

These signature holes provide an established “home course advantage,” as teams will play their own hole in every match. For example, The Bay Golf Club’s signature hole, the `Bay Breaker,` is a visual spectacle inspired by iconic Bay Area courses like Pebble Beach, featuring redwoods and the San Francisco skyline.

Beyond the team-specific designs, the new course inventory includes:

• Stone & Steeple (Par-5): A highly technical hole featuring Sahara-style cross bunkers and a stone wall bordering a digital New England graveyard. The design humorously warns that inaccurate left-side shots are “not long for this world.”
• Stinger (Par-4): Inspired by Tiger Woods’ low-flying signature shot, this hole features a rock formation encouraging players to hit tee shots no higher than 50 feet. Success is rewarded with significant forward roll—a high-risk, high-reward proposition that elevates the strategic tension.

As Atlanta Drive GC`s Billy Horschel commented, the new designs embrace the inherent nature of the league: “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.”

Broadcasting the Technology: New Camera and Graphics Systems

TGL is investing heavily in the broadcast experience to ensure that the complex technical details translate clearly to viewers. The SoFi Center is now equipped with 79 cameras to capture every angle of play. Critical to the broadcast improvements are new data visualization tools:

• Virtual Eye Technology: This system provides live shot tracing, projecting the trajectory of the ball onto TGL`s massive simulator screen—the largest in professional golf.
• Augmented Reality Graphics: Overlays on the green will deliver real-time data, comparing a player`s shot quality against team averages and the best historical approaches on that specific hole.
• SmartPin Cam: The return of the award-winning SmartPin Cam provides a 360-degree, live perspective from the pin flag itself, giving viewers an unprecedented look at crucial moments.

The fusion of elite athleticism and sophisticated gaming technology suggests that TGL Season 2 will be a far more refined and strategically demanding contest, pushing the boundaries of competitive golf and digital simulation.

The Contenders: TGL Season 2 Rosters

The six teams remain eager to challenge Atlanta Drive GC`s dominance.

Atlanta Drive GC

• Justin Thomas (Non-competing early season)
• Patrick Cantlay
• Billy Horschel
• Lucas Glover

Boston Common Golf

• Rory McIlroy
• Keegan Bradley
• Adam Scott
• Hideki Matsuyama

Jupiter Links GC

• Tiger Woods (Non-competing early season)
• 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