Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s simulator golf league, TGL, announced enhancements to its gameplay as its second season quickly approaches in December. Modifications touch just about every aspect of the experience as the digital holes on the screen and the physical putting surface housed in the SoFi Center are among the biggest changes made.
While the actual hole designs will remain the same, the visual quality has improved drastically. Not only that, but each of the six teams will select one hole that was featured in the first season and designate it as its own team hole, giving it a localized backdrop and terrain. Certain teams consistently pressed its advantage on certain holes throughout the first season and with the introduction of the team hole, this edge could prove to be even greater.
This was the biggest change made to the digital portion of the competition while the rest were made with the physical golf in mind.
The Green Zone — the short-game area and putting surface — has received a bit of a facelift. The putting area has increased by nearly 40% which will allow the league to utilize 12 different hole locations throughout matches. This total is up from seven in the first season. The larger green also makes it so the adjustable putting surface is larger as well, which will give players more to think about.
Initially, three greenside bunkers were in play for competitors to contend with, but that total has been cut down to two. The smallest bunker was removed, but in doing so, TGL decided to increase the size of the other two. They will feature revetted layers of turf to give it a distinct look. A common issue in the first season of play was golf balls destined for the sand via the simulator not quite settling in the bunker, giving players awkward stances. Time will tell if this is a remedy for that.
Other modifications put the in-house fans first as the highest point in the Green Zone has been lowered ever so slightly. This will give fans a better view and in return give players more options around the green to hit a variety of shots. The hitting zones — tee boxes, approach boxes and fairway bunker boxes — have been enlarged, too. Two towers have been removed as ball-tracking sensors have been relocated to the ceiling.
After an inaugural season that featured 15 regular season matches and a postseason, TGL sought the feedback of its players as well as the data and analytics it collected from all of the matches. The modifications appear to be a positive, especially knowing the league is willing to accept and implement where it believes it may have fallen short — similar to changing the hammer rule mid-season.
Ultimately, no matter the changes to gameplay, TGL’s success is predicated on two other elements that it cannot control given deals already made — the players’ commitment and energy in playing these matches during the initial portion of the PGA Tour calendar and the simulator technology that experienced its fair share of bugs in the first season.