That’s what TGL’s new hole designs are all about for golf and travel

The “T” in TGL does not stand for travel. But at the end of its second season, the professional indoor acting league has embraced what appears to be a tour de force. The location remains the same: the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. But in every game, each team will play a custom-designed hole inspired by the city that was damaged.

Team Tiger Woods, for example, will take on a par-5 called “The Jup Life,” with a green color on the island and a visual rendering of Jupiter’s red lighthouse looming in the background. Rory McIlroy’s team, on the other hand, will compete on “Storrowed,” a snake par-5 formed by the Charles River and Storrow Drive.

You get the picture: beautiful holes, real-world landmarks.

At the most obvious level, a vision is a symbol. Focusing each team on a virtual platform reinforces the community’s identity and, in theory, helps cultivate fan loyalty. But there’s something else going on here, too. Like all thoughtful golf designers, the designers behind these holes – among them Gil Hanse, Beau Welling and Agustín Pizá – tried to create a sense of place.

Which is the core of golf’s appeal. The best courses are the best. They take you on a journey through a memorable landscape, undoubtedly shaped by local characteristics. Every cycle can feel like a kind of journey, even when the location is imagined, the landmarks are digital, and you’re watching them from your couch.

Or is it possible? As technology mediates everyday life, the line between the tangible and the intangible is blurring. Fiction borrows from reality, and reality is becoming more and more like simulation. In that sense, TGL’s new holes feel very much of their time – and in line with where golf finds itself these days, a traditional game that is testing its boundaries and exploring new formats.

Simulation has its limitations, however. I grew up in Boston, and as much as I appreciate my city’s digital offerings, I also know that I’m not on Storrow Drive if I can’t hear the sound of a Mass-hole or imagine a truck barreling over a pass. And I’m not sure I’m in LA, either, if there’s no smog, brake lights or creeping anxiety about being late. TGL’s LA port, called “Showtime,” has the beach and a play on the Hollywood sign, but nothing else.

In that sense, the virtual league serves as an early escape, and I have no doubt that it shows where parts of the game are headed. In the future, many golfers will “play” with the headset on and “go” instantly on the distance courses. But most of all, the league’s new holes sharpen my appreciation for the unrepeatable. A virtual lighthouse can make a great photo. You cannot give it air in the water or salt in the air. That’s another way of saying I can sing to TGL for the spectacle, but I’ll look for my golf elsewhere and walk away.

There is no faking the real thing.

3 things I think

7 Mile Beach Opens: I had heard about this project for so long that I was beginning to think it might be a simulation. But it’s true: After many delays, 7 Mile Beach, Mike Clayton and DeVries’ dream beach resort in Tasmania is officially open. It’s high on my wish list for 2026.

Rodeo Dunes rides: This first 18-hole course is complete, with a second in the works, along with a 7.5-hectare Himalayan-style putting course, scheduled for completion in 2027, when the clubhouse is also expected to be ready. In the midst of a whirlwind of activity at Rodeo Dunes, in the foothills less than an hour from downtown Denver, ownership has called for “founders” – a membership program whose benefits include free play for spouses and children and half-price green fees for accompanying guests, among many other benefits. Founders deposit is $95,000 until Dec. 31. More information here.

Travel Planning Tips? As I figure out my travel plans for 2026 (St. George, Utah, Dominican Republic and New Zealand are already there), I’d welcome thoughts on outreach courses and places that deserve more attention. It’s a big world with over 58,000 courses, so I know my coverage has a lot of gaps. Any suggestions on what I should fill in first? My email is josh.sens@golf.com.