TGL: Bringing the Golf Simulator Experience We Love to the Main Stage

Just in case you weren’t already convinced that this whole golf launch monitor and simulator craze was legit, it’s now front and center, on your TV, in prime time, with the world’s most famous golfers hitting the same types of shots that you’re hitting in your living room, basement, or garage.

TGL, or Tomorrow’s Golf League, is the ultimate validation for those of us who can count ourselves as the early adopters of indoor golf.

And for anyone on the fence, wondering if the golf simulator experience is actually worthwhile, well, now you can watch on live TV as guys like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, play with some of the same technology that’s available to you!

Each week (Mondays or Tuesdays) on ESPN, TGL is bringing sim golf to the mainstream.

Now, listen, we’re just a couple of weeks into this thing. And I’m not here to say it’s perfect. There’s room for criticism, and there are obvious opportunities for improvement.

I’m also not claiming that TGL is exactly the same as what you or I are doing in our indoor golf simulator studios. We wish we had setups as incredible as what TGL has assembled at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

But, damn, on the whole, for those of us who are into indoor golf, can we just agree that this is exciting as hell?! I mean, it’s the ultimate confirmation that golf launch monitors and simulators are taking the golf world by storm.

Celebrating the Golf Simulator Moment: From Basements to Prime Time

I remember the first time I hit a shot into a simulator screen and watched the ball flight on a projected image overlaid over a simulated golf course while my shot data popped up. It felt like stepping into the future.

Now, golf’s future is center stage. And it’s bigger than I could have imagined.

TGL combines advanced technology with live-action competition, featuring six teams of PGA Tour players battling it out in a custom-built arena called the SoFi Center. The venue, roughly the size of a football field, is packed with cutting-edge features, including a massive 64 x 53-foot simulator screen and a transformable GreenZone for short-game shots and putting.

But what’s super cool is that the full-shot portion of the competition is just a larger scale version of what more and more of us are doing in our own homes.

TGL is using the Tiger Woods-endorsed Full Swing KIT golf launch monitors to track the ball flight and create the golf simulator portion of the programming.

That’s right, the exact same Full Swing KIT golf launch monitor that you might own yourself!

What’s so remarkable about this setup is how it bridges the gap between traditional golf and the modern, tech-enhanced version we’ve come to love.

Watching pros like Tiger, Max Homa, and Shane Lowry step up to the screen—the same kind of impact screen that we use, only much, much larger—is surreal. It’s as if our at-home passion has been transported to a main stage, complete with cheering crowds and prime-time ESPN coverage.

TGL isn’t just a showcase of technology; it’s a celebration of innovation in golf. It shows how far the sport has come and how it’s adapting to capture a broader, more tech-savvy audience.

In other words, the biggest players in the world and the biggest sports network in the world are speaking directly to us! You and me! They’re speaking our language! And they’re using our tools!

Spotlighting the Full Swing KIT

Let’s talk about the Full Swing KIT, the technology at the heart of TGL’s ScreenZone. This professional-grade radar launch monitor delivers 16 points of data, from carry distance to spin axis, all powered by the same system trusted by Tiger Woods.

If you’ve read my review of the Full Swing KIT, you know how much it has improved since its early days. With its robust build, built-in display, and 4K video playback, the KIT has become one of the best golf launch monitors available.

And now, it’s front and center in TGL, showing the world what’s possible with cutting-edge golf technology.

What makes this so exciting is the shared experience. The same data points Tiger and Rory are relying on in TGL matches are available to you and me in our own studios. It’s not some distant technology reserved for the elite; it’s the same tech we can use to refine our own games.

This connection between home setups and the TGL stage is what makes this league so appealing, at least to me. It’s not just about watching your favorite players compete; it’s about seeing them use the same tools you’ve come to rely on. It’s a bridge between the everyday golfer and the world’s best, making the game feel more accessible and exciting than ever.

Bridging the Home Golf and TGL Experiences

Here’s where it gets really fun: TGL brings together the familiar and the extraordinary.

In your home simulator setup, many of you are hitting shots into an impact screen, analyzing your data, and striving for improvement.

At TGL, the players are doing the same thing, just on a grander scale.

TGL’s SoFi Center takes it up a notch with its massive screen, real grass hitting areas, and the GreenZone, which transforms with nearly 600 actuators to simulate different putting green topographies. Watching pros transition from the simulator screen to the short-game area, hitting chips and putts on a turntable green, feels like a glimpse into the future of golf entertainment.

The GreenZone is particularly fascinating. This 22,475-square-foot area can morph its shape and slope to mimic real-world conditions, offering a level of realism that’s unparalleled.

The gigantic screen, the real grass and sand, and the GreenZone are obviously where things depart from what we’re doing in our own homes. None of us (at least none that I’ve met) have full-size arenas available for our golf simulator studios.

Also, the golf simulator courses they’re playing on TGL are proprietary and aren’t available to us, at least not yet.

So, no, TGL is not a perfect comparison to our own indoor golf experiences. But there’s a lot that’s pretty damn close. Above all, it’s proof that simulated golf isn’t just a far-out concept. It’s a legitimate and exciting way to experience the game.

Looking To the Future with TGL Golf

TGL is just getting started, but its impact is already clear. By bringing golf simulator technology to the mainstream, it’s breaking down barriers and showing that golf can evolve while staying true to its roots.

But it can definitely get better.

There have been some TGL shot results that didn’t seem to jibe with the shot distances or shapes those players would have hit outdoors on the real golf course.

Sound familiar? That’s life with a golf launch monitor and golf simulator technology. Those of us who’ve used this stuff can attest: It’s not always perfect. There are missed shots. It will be interesting to watch, on live TV, as the technology evolves and accuracy continues to improve.

Some viewers aren’t wild about the alternate-shot competition format, or the fantasy-like simulated golf courses, or the amount of ball and club data that’s being displayed during the broadcast.

But remember, it’s all completely new. It may take awhile for this thing to settle into its sweet spot.

Here’s an idea that I think would make this whole thing way cooler: What if we could play right alongside the pros on our own Full Swing KITs in our own homes? Like if we could access the same sim courses and hit the exact same shots while we’re watching the broadcast. Maybe even a live, online tournament where home users are competing against each other. Or some wagering opportunities. Something along the lines of what’s made PinSeeker so wildly popular. I think that’d be an awesome next step.

Who knows what’s coming?

What I do know is that, even with its imperfections and even with all the ways that it isn’t exactly the same as my own golf simulator experiences, TGL is good news for those of us who see continuing potential in the golf launch monitor and simulator space.

I’m here for it, as they say.

What about you?

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc "Shef" Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.