Anybody going to try to watch this? Starts on the 7th and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+. I honestly don't really know what to expect from it. I'll likely check it out but I'm not sure I have 2 hours to devote to virtual golf. If it was an hour I'd be slightly more interested.


Format
Each team will play five regular-season matches. Before each match, the two competing teams will name three competitors each. (One player from each team will sit each match.)

Each TGL regular season match will be a 15-hole, 3-on-3 match featuring two distinct components.

The first nine holes – "Triples" – will be played as a 3-on-3, alternate-shot match. The three players from each team alternate who tees off a hole, and then the three rotate who hits each shot from there.

The second six holes – "Singles" – will feature rotating head-to-head competition. Each player will play two holes during the session; Player 1 will play hole Nos. 10 and 13, Player 2 will play hole Nos. 11 and 14, and Player 3 will play hole Nos. 12 and 15.

Each hole has a value of one point, and the team with the fewest strokes on a hole wins the point. Ties are worth zero points and there are no carryovers.

The overtime tiebreaker (if necessary) will feature a 3-on-3 closest-to-the-pin competition until a team successfully hits two shots closer to the pin than their competitors.

All matches are played at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with a capacity of approximately 1,600 spectators for TGL’s inaugural season. SoFi Center is nearly 250,000 square feet with a 75-foot apex.

The course within the SoFi Center will be infused with various technologies and cover an area approximately 97x50 yards, roughly the size of a football field. The highlight is the massive screen players hit into. The 64x46-foot screen is roughly 20 times the size of a standard simulator. Players will hit to the screen from real grass tee boxes, fairway surfaces, rough and sand (the same used at Augusta National) on long shots.

For shots within approximately 50 yards or less, depending on green setup and hole locations, the players will transition to a custom-built complex (the “Green Zone”), a 3,800 square-foot green that includes three 15x27-foot virtual greens, each equipped with 189 actuators and jacks that change the slope of the green to create a variety of play on every TGL hole.

Team composition
The six TGL franchises are Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, The Bay Golf Club and Jupiter Links Golf Club.

Here's a look at each team's roster:

Atlanta Drive GC: Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover
Boston Common Golf: Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley
Los Angeles Golf Club: Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose
New York Golf Club: Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick
The Bay Golf Club: Ludvig Åberg, Wyndham Clark, Shane Lowry, Min Woo Lee
Jupiter Links Golf Club: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner

Scoring
TGL will use a points-based system for regular-season matches, comparable to the National Hockey League’s standings structure.

2 points: Regulation win
2 points: Overtime win
1 point: Overtime loss
0 points: Regulation loss
The top four teams from the regular-season standings will advance to the semifinals. The two semifinal match winners will compete in the best-of-three championship series.

If there’s a tie for a spot at the end of the regular season, the tiebreaker will be decided by total holes won. Consequently, matches will play all 15 holes even if the winner is decided earlier.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I'll check it out tonight just to see what it is like. The holes look like something I would have seen on Golden Tee back when I used to go to the bar.

https://tglgolf.com/holes

Really have no idea what this is going to be like but trying to keep an open mind and maybe it will be kind of fun.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

It bothers me that this thing exists. I don’t have a great reason for it but watching people play on a fancy simulator is like kids watching people play video games on YouTube.

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I'll watch, just to see how it works. My guess is I don't continue to watch long-term.

For the premiere I would have thought it would be Tiger's team v. Rory's team to start out with a bang. People will tune in to watch Tiger, the others probably not so much.

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So there are all these teams but only one match a week. Meh.

I will put it on when it starts in an hour, but I don't see myself watching more than four holes.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Trying to hype up during the intros is a bit cringe.

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Not a mult.

I started late but was able to fast forward through the first 10 minutes. This announcing crew though... I hate Marty Smith.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Marty Smith is OK as long as he stays in his show/podcast lane. I have no use for him here.

The animations ESPN is using are awful.

The game itself is kinda cool, but I can’t see this as appointment viewing.

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Not a mult.

I think this is a fun watch.

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I'm two holes in. It's not bad, and I'm enjoying how the players are not used to how the course plays and are making little mistakes. I do have it on mute most of the time, however.

Since I'm watching on ESPN+, I can see putting this on mid-afternoon as background noise.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

They probably figure tonights audience will be there to see what it’s all about, and putting Tiger next week will bring people back.

So far, my review would be “it’s not bad”. Something to watch primetime during a time of the year that doesn’t have a lot going on, especially on Tuesdays. The actual golf is pretty boring. Everyone being mic’d up, and getting the conversations, is cool

A good opening night that can be improved on, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I thought it was ok. Like others said, probably would tune in to watch a bit if nothing else was on. I think the technology is really neat with the ball flying towards the screen and then becoming virtual when it hits it. The putting green changing elevations and break was awesome. Hitting off of real grass and sand is a nice touch. I thought the pacing was pretty good. I don't think this is appointment viewing but I'll probably watch a few more weeks to see Tiger and Rory play. I'd like to see some more of the stats like ball speed, spin rates and how high the ball is and how far it flies in the air. I know they did some of that but I'd like to see a little box on the screen that would show those data points. I think a match that was actually close might also be fun to watch, last night was a blowout.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Like others have said, it's not appointment viewing, but I will watch some more. I liked the shot clock and it kept things moving along. I thought the made up holes were fun. Better than watching them play virtual Pebble Beach or something.

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I watched a little bit of it. It was ok. I lost interest quickly. The different ways they can manipulate the greens is pretty cool.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

How they didn't show a real time manipulation of the greens is amazing to me. They should have done it between a forgiving par-5 green and a bitch of an undulating par-3 green.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

A lot more fun tonight. More banter and throwing the gambling flags. Kinda fun

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

It is. The big cat is in the game so that helps. A competitive match would be nice though.

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Kisner looked like a 10 handicap. The bladed sand shot off the pin was something...

The players are going to need to really lean into the banter, and having fun. If they make some putts like Rose did last night, it might add some competition vibe to everything, but I barely watch the sim stuff. Just find it incredibly boring.

I think this is great though I like sim golf. It's unfortunate that it really hasn't been competitive though.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

It hasn't been appointment TV for me but if I have 30-60 minutes to kill I'll turn it on. The banter and throwing the hammer flags and stuff was definitely fun. Interesting when the crowd would get loud during some of the putts because it isn't something you see in regular golf. I just think it would be a lot more fun if it was a competitive match and the shots would actually matter a bit more, maybe next week with Rory.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami