A rendering of the SoFi Center that was damaged by a power outage and collapse of its air-supported … [+]
The debut of the high-tech, indoor golf league featuring teams of PGA Tour stars, including backers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has been pushed back by a year — to early 2025 — after the recent collapse of the air-supported dome section of TGL’s custom-built arena in South Florida.
The inaugural TGL season was set to start in January 2024. The decision to postpone was made after discussions between the upstart league and key partners, including players, the six ownership groups, PGA Tour officials and commercial partners including SoFi, ESPN and Palm Beach State College.
“I’ve been a believer in TGL, and as the momentum has built this past year, I’m even more excited about what this can become for fans of the game all around the world,” said Woods, who helped co-found TGL’s parent company TMRW Sports and is part of the ownership group of TGL’s Jupiter Links Golf Club. “Although the events of last week will force us to make adjustments to our timelines, I’m fully confident that this concept will be brought to life by our great committed players.”
The dome at the SoFi Center located on the campus of Palm Beach State College deflated overnight on Nov. 14 due to the failure of the temporary power system and backup systems used during construction. There were no injuries and most of the technology within the arena wasn’t impacted.
“The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement,” said McIlroy. “Above all, we are happy that no one was injured. We are looking forward to the launch of TGL. Given the circumstances, while the delay is disappointing, the postponement will allow us to regroup, refocus and return stronger.”
TGL has been active in compiling its partnerships, prominent team ownerships that include backing from numerous owners in other major professional sports, and roster of top PGA Tour talent. The league has received support from the PGA Tour, with matches set to air live on ESPN and ESPN+ on Monday or Tuesday nights in conjunction with the tour’s schedule.
The postponement is a blow to the league, which had aggressively targeted the start of the calendar year in bringing high-tech competitive golf — including players hitting shots into an IMAX-sized screen that’s 20 times larger than a standard golf simulator — to a national TV audience in a high-energy, primetime environment.
“While this delay has slowed us down for a moment, I’ve always believed challenges present tremendous opportunity,” said Arthur Blank, Chairman and Owner of the Blank Family of Businesses, which owns the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons as well as TGL’s Atlanta Drive GC. “I’m confident this pause will allow TGL to present an even more compelling product, the teams to build stronger brands and audiences in our markets and partners more time to plan strong fan engagement programs.”
