Nicklaus Design—the world’s acknowledged leader in golf course design — is pleased to announce that they have been chosen to design a selection of holes that will be used for TGL presented by SoFi, the new tech-infused, team golf league founded by Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports.
TGL presented by SoFi features six teams of the world’s top PGA TOUR talent competing in a season-long, fast-paced competition that brings golf to a prime time stage. TGL’s home will be the custom-built SoFi Center, a 250,000 square foot, tech-infused venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. TGL’s inaugural season begins Tuesday, Jan. 7 in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. and other prominent media partners around the globe.
Nicklaus Design’s Chad Goetz, a Master Designer and long standing member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, was given the distinction of acting as the dedicated designer of all of the Nicklaus designed TGL holes. Goetz, who has worked on many leading projects at Nicklaus Design, is a true innovator and has the ability to blend traditional hand sketch design with cutting edge digital technology to provide unique playing experiences.
“Designing holes for TGL presented by SoFi was a great opportunity to push my creative skills to the limit,” said Goetz. “While I relied on many of our time-tested design techniques and philosophies, the innovative game-play experience forced me to approach the design in new and exciting ways. Throughout the process, I focused on variety, the importance of strategic decision-making and the creation of bold, entertaining shots. All of us at Nicklaus Design are very proud to be a part of this new exciting golf competition, and we cannot wait to see how these world class players decide to play these unique holes.”
Unburdened by the limitations of the physical world, designing for TGL will allow Goetz and the Nicklaus Design team to bring their innovative brand of creativity to new heights.
“In addition to the experience we bring—having designed 439 golf courses that are currently open for play worldwide—we also have the unique asset of an in-house digital production team that allows us to add significant value to our clients and ensures we are uniquely capable of realizing the opportunities in the digital world,” said Paul Stringer, President, Nicklaus Design. “Last year, for example, Nicklaus Design was selected to design the first professionally designed championship golf course and members-only golf club in the Metaverse, Hyperscapes Golf Club. Through innovative efforts like these, Nicklaus Design aims to bring golf to new places and new audiences. We’re excited that our work with TGL will add another dimension to this effort.”
As pioneers in their field, Nicklaus Design’s in-house digital production team has been creating golf courses for TGL’s technology partner, Full Swing Golf, for the last five years, bringing many scenically stunning courses such as Quivira, Muirfield Village and Great Northern to their platform.
This capability ensures that Nicklaus Design is uniquely positioned to deliver on projects like TGL, and as golf participation grows around the world, deliver best in class services to the more traditional ‘on-course’ clients as well as meet the needs of the diverse ‘off-course’ offerings.
These cutting-edge experiences are immediately evident and on full display in the first two TGL holes that Goetz and his Nicklaus Design colleagues created:
“Bluebonnet” | Par 4 – 450/343 yards
Description: Welcome to Texas Hill Country. Depending on the tee box, Bluebonnet either either plays as a risk-reward drivable par-4 or a challenging long par-4. Playing the long par-4, teams will need to decide how much of the canyon to try and bite off. Those who challenge the canyon edge will be rewarded with a shorter approach on a more receptive angle to this elevated green. Any slight miscalculation here will be very penal.
Standing on the tee of the short par-4, teams will again have to make a decision. A successful bold carry over
the canyon will find a slope that feeds shots towards the green. More conservative play out to the left will still require precision to find the shallow fairway and a delicate pitch up the hill to the green over the front bunker.
“Cliffhanger” | Par 3 – 251 yards
Description: This par-3 plays over an ocean cove to a green set back in the rocks and cypress trees of the Northern California coastline. Cliffhanger is intended to play as a very long par-3, but it can also be played from various distances. As the hole shortens in length, the angles into the green increase in difficulty. No matter what tee is selected, strong ocean winds from the right will make it a challenge.
“The knowledge and experience we have built over several decades within Nicklaus Design is unparalleled, and that is why our clients and groups like TGL seek to work with us,” said Phil Cotton, Chief Executive Officer of Nicklaus Companies. “These exclusive designs for TGL have allowed Chad and all of us at Nicklaus Companies to showcase our innovation and creativity to a huge global audience.”
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