High-tech glitches and simulator misreads have plagued President Donald Trump’s favorite mid-week golf viewing from the start. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy co-founded TGL’s ambitious stadium-based concept to redefine golf by blending virtual play with live action. Yet since its January 2025 debut, players have had to contend with an unexpected opponent—the technology itself. From Tommy Fleetwood’s disappearing chip shots to Patrick Cantlay’s phantom hooks, the league’s simulator has become as much a talking point as the competition.

But amid the technical hiccups, it’s the Bay Golf Club team that has had to make some of the most intriguing real-time adaptations. Fresh off clinching a playoff berth and continuing their winning streak with a 6-3 victory over Jupiter Links GC, these elite golfers are finally opening up about the specific challenges they’ve faced when transitioning from real-world courses to TGL’s high-tech environment.

TGL players reveal their biggest technical adjustments

Shane Lowry didn’t hesitate when asked about his ‘biggest adjustment’ to TGL’s simulator technology. “I keep hitting it too far,” the Irishman revealed during a press conference at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, following The Bay Golf Club’s 6-3 victory over Jupiter Links GC. His candid admission highlights the distance control issues that have forced many players to recalibrate their precision instrument—their golf swing.

Wyndham Clark, Lowry’s teammate, offered additional insights into the technical adjustments different teams have faced. “It’s funny; I feel like every team has had something different. Some guys say it doesn’t curve for them,” Clark explained. For his squad, distance rather than direction has been the primary concern. “I feel like we’ve had really good direction, we’ve just struggled with our distance. I think a little bit is just because we’re amped up and then I think the grass is just a touch furry, so you sometimes maybe get a little bit of a jump where it sits high.”

Despite these challenges, Lowry has observed an encouraging trend of adaptation. “I think even though I watched last night, I think the standard has gotten better as the weeks have gone on. I think it’s just guys figuring it out,” he said. The Irishman emphasized the resilience and skill that allow them to overcome technological limitations, adding: “At the end of the day, we’re professional golfers and some of the best players in the world, so we will figure it out if you give us enough time. I think that’s what’s happened over the last few weeks.”

When asked why he hadn’t yet attempted his signature stinger shot in TGL play, Min Woo Lee pointed to the physical constraints: “Because there’s a little thing 10 meters away, and I’d probably hit that, and it wouldn’t go anywhere; the simulator wouldn’t catch it.” This practical limitation highlights how players have had to modify their natural playing styles to accommodate the format’s technical boundaries.

These adjustments by The Bay Golf Club players spotlight the complex technology that powers TGL’s revolutionary concept and the ongoing challenges it presents.

The technology behind TGL’s ambitious vision

TGL’s technical foundation relies on a sophisticated combination of Full Swing’s radar monitors and Top Tracer optical cameras. 18 radar units track every aspect of the ball’s flight. The green zone features 567 hydraulic jacks designed to replicate real contours and undulations, while the 64-foot-by-46-foot screen uses advanced projection technology to display virtual courses.

However, this ambitious setup has encountered significant teething problems. The system sometimes struggles with fundamental tracking, as evidenced when Tommy Fleetwood’s chip shot failed to register because the simulator tracked a divot rather than the ball. TGL’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Macaulay acknowledged this error, stating, “Unfortunately, it got by… But we had the rule in place that an obvious invalid reading gets a re-hit with no penalty.”

Environmental factors have further complicated matters. Rory McIlroy revealed that bunker sand dried excessively during matches, making shots unpredictable: “My club was going through flour instead of sand.” In response to these challenges, TGL has implemented several technical upgrades, including secondary infrared sensors to cross-verify ball flight data and a curvature-dampening algorithm to prevent exaggerated shot shapes. As McIlroy aptly summarized, “It’s a startup. We’re learning on the fly.”

What do you think about TGL’s innovative approach? Is this tech-heavy format the future of golf entertainment, or should they focus more on traditional elements of the game? Let us know in the comments section below!