Florida Man on the Scene: Notes from TGL's Season Opener

Move aside NFL, TGL is back.

As Fried Egg Golf’s resident Florida Man, I finally made my way to the SoFi Center to check out the action. Here are three notes from Sunday’s season opener between defending champion Atlanta Drive GC and New York Golf Club.

Face of the League

Billy Horschel is quickly becoming the face of TGL. From sinking the championship-winning putt for the Drive in season one to draining a 37-foot bomb to seal the season two opener, no one has delivered more electric moments in the league’s infancy. The lone original Atlanta Drive member in action Sunday also made a point to sign golf balls and hand them out to children in attendance after every hole. Even during a commercial break, he was rolling putts as the green was being rotated for the next hole.

“When you come into something like this that's completely different, something you couldn't imagine, it brings you to sort of like a kid-like atmosphere, something brand new, something fun to be a part of,” Horschel said. “To see how successful it was in season one, and we're going to have just as much or even better success in season two, it brings that sort of enjoyment and fire to have a great time and enjoy what you're doing.”

As TGL continues to carve out its place in the sports landscape, these displays of great golf and genuine player buy-in matter. Billy Horschel cares about TGL, and it’s been a treat to watch.

Holes Worth Watching

The season opener also introduced some of the most entertaining TGL holes to date. While I lack the golf architecture knowledge of my co-workers, I do know that watching some of the game’s best take on wacky holes that push the limits of reality – shoutout Stinger and Cenote – is something the league can use.

Watching two-time major champion Xander Schauffele get rejected into the water by an overhanging rock formation on Stinger got a pop from the crowd and laughs from the players.

“I don't think they expected that Stinger hole to go that way, but I would imagine it was rather entertaining,” Schauffele said.

As TGL evolves, it will be interesting to see how they strike a balance (or not) between more conventional golf holes and unique holes that you can only create in a simulator world.

Improvements Needed

For perhaps the most technologically advanced league in the world, TGL still has plenty to improve upon for the rest of season two and beyond. For example, by my unofficial clock, Atlanta Drive’s full banner raising took one minute and 12 seconds, or as the Shotgun Start X account humorously put it, “Cantlay speed.”

In terms of the in-arena experience, TGL added a pair of wireless headphones for media and fans alike to listen to mic’d-up players and the TV commentary. A quick poll of those seated around me revealed the headphones were a great idea in theory, but in practice, the connection was spotty. Once nailed down, this addition will enhance the experience at the SoFi Center.

An older couple seated next to me gifted themselves tickets to the opener for the holidays and made the three-hour drive from Sarasota to Palm Beach Gardens. I watched season one from my couch just down the road and wasn't sure what I thought about TGL. After everything I saw and heard Sunday afternoon at the SoFi Center, there's a market for simulator golf, especially in person. Now it's up to the players and the league to keep delivering.