As a golf fan who lives in a northern climate, the winter months can be difficult as you wait for the ground to thaw, snow to melt and the temperatures to rise to where you can get back on the course. In these months you crave golf, and typically turn to a broadcast to help you get your fix.

While the PGA Tour in Hawaii and on their west coast swing has always been the only show in town, 2025 saw the long-awaited debut of the TGL indoor golf league. PGA players grouped in teams, playing golf on a stage with the latest technology, and with players being mic’d up the entire time.

Should be must-watch TV for the die hard golfer, right?

Wrong.

While I think the inaugural season for the TGL hasn’t been a complete flop, I do think they have missed the mark in more than one way. With some minor adjustments before Year 2, assuming there is a Year 2, this product could be vastly better in 2026. Let’s talk about what they have now, and what could be.

Teams

The TGL announced the teams to the masses associated with cities/areas. The reasoning behind these players being on these teams, outside of Tiger Woods being on the Jupiter, Florida team, were unknown.

If the TGL wanted to drum up excitement and showcase the league/technology, why would they just announce these teams? Why not have captains be selected and do a live in-person draft. If you want to showcase the technology even more, have those captains hit tee shots on a Par 3 to determine the snaking draft order. Once this is solidified, have the captains make their picks in-person, leaving one unlucky golfer being the last player selected, most likely Kevin Kisner for comedic purposes.

Product

The overall product of the TGL hasn’t been bad, but the technology has certainly impacted the end result. Even throughout his health issues, have you ever seen Tiger Woods air mail the green by 30 yards into a lake behind the green? Me neither, but that’s exactly what has happened at the TGL and has been a source of frustration for players.

Getting the technology dialed in to make it more realistic is an absolute necessity for this to bloom into something great. If there are any questions about whether the distances are accurate, etc. you will have a cloud over every outcome.

Competition

We are only a few weeks into the TGL season, but all but one match has been truly competitive. The match between Tiger Woods’ Jupiter team and Rory McIlroy’s Boston team, which went to extra holes, has been by far the most competitive and entertaining match so far this season. But it isn’t just about the final score which is important, but also the way the game is played. If TGL is going to use the “hammer” as a strategy to gaining two points on a specific hole, the teams using this tool is important. The Tiger vs. Rory match saw the hammer being used with regularity, and it helped with the overall product. To make it exciting, the players have to be willing to take chances and make it exciting.

Bring on the Personalities

The key to this league being a success is for the players who are participating show off their true personalities. Not to be robots, but to engage in banter, trash-talking, and even the comedic aspects of poor shots. Kevin Kisner fits the bill, and him blading a bunker shot in his first match was the perfect example of the comedic aspects of the league, but Tom Kim making his debut this past week in the TGL provided the enthusiasm the league needs.

I realize not every golfer has the trash-talking gene, but at some point the personalities of the players has to shine through. Players like Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Max Homa and even Tiger Woods have a way of talking trash and making comments which are both funny and entertaining.

We want to be entertained, and while players like Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay are tremendous golfers, their robotic styles can make for an extremely boring product. If those who are in charge of the TGL want to rock the boat, they invite Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson to join the league in 2026, both of whom would be welcome additions in the personality department.

Ratings

The ratings to date mirror the fact people are watching, but they also feel the product could be better. Here are the ratings by week thus far:

• Week 1: 919k (Tuesday)
• Week 2: 1.05M (Tuesday)
• Week 3: 682k (Tuesday)
• Week 4: 864k (Monday)

There are caveats to each week, and the ratings which followed. In Week 1 it was the debut of the TGL, and both Rory and Tiger were there to be interviewed, even though neither was playing. Week 2 was the first time Tiger’s team took center stage, only to get shellacked 12-1, but clearly people wanted to see Tiger back in a competitive setting. Week 3 was Atlanta vs. New York, and with neither Tiger or Rory in the competition the ratings fell off a cliff. The last match was Tiger vs. Rory, but the TGL put this match on a Monday, instead of the usual Tuesday slot, and also earlier in the day. The match was played at 6:30pm EST, instead the later time slot.

Why the TGL would put this match, which lived up to the billing, on a different day and time is beyond me, but it absolutely hurt the ratings in the long run.

Year 1 in the TGL is a learning experience for everyone involved, but the hope is they actually implement those lessons moving into Year 2. If they do, they might just find themselves not only possibly expanding into more days a week, but also dominating the winter golf ratings. I’m not completely sold on TGL at this juncture, but if they make some of these changes I’ll watch even more than I already do.

I am the host of the Fairways & Dreams podcast, and you can hear the latest podcast in the player below as I talk about all the latest in the game of golf.