TGL - A Preview

TGL is setup for success.

Every Monday, I write a newsletter breaking down the business in golf. Welcome to the new Perfect Putt members who have joined us since our last newsletter. Join 10,000+ intelligent and curious golfers by subscribing below.

---

Read Time: 5 minutes.

---

Today’s newsletter is powered by Hanna Golf.

Four months ago, I pushed send on this newsletter to launch Hanna Golf. I had no idea what to expect — maybe crickets?

We sold 50 putters in the first week. And 269 golfers have ordered putters since our soft launch in May.

It may not sound like a big number — the big companies do that in a few hours. But have been thrilled with the response.

The underdog marches on — we’d love to have you gaming a Hanna Golf putter.

Here is what we are doing for Black Friday.

• Free towel and free shipping with a purchase of a putter. Code FREESHIPPING, no code required for towel.

• 20% off towels. Code 20TOWEL

• 20% off gloves. Code 20GLOVE

We are pushing to sell 300 putters by the end of the year. Let’s hit that milestone.

---

Hey Golfers —

A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece on why I believed TGL would be successful. And right after I wrote that piece, the TGL facility collapsed. Resulting in TGL delaying the inaugural season by a year.

A lot has happened since then, including TGL’s parent, TMRW Sports, raising a Series A, valuing the company at $500 million.

TGL was filled with momentum last fall — they executed the pre-launch strategy well. It was a ‘controversial’ topic on social media; people were talking about it.

Reactions to TGL over the past twelve months have been mixed. The facility collapse was a field day for the folks who don’t believe in the product.

I still hold the same opinion — I believe TGL will be successful. Although I may be a little more hesitant and not have as much conviction — I still believe it.

Here is why.

• Format

• Distribution

Before we dive in — what does ‘success’ look like?

Here is where I will start — television ratings. TGL has a media deal with ESPN in the United States. NBA ratings are down 28% to start the year on ESPN — averaging 1.77 million viewers per game.

Does getting to around 2 million viewers per match result in a success? I’d say yes. Considering that the NBA just signed an 11-year $76 billion media deal (ABC and ESPN are a major piece of that media deal).

So, can TGL get to 2 million viewers per match?

This product is built for television. And golf has struggled with adapting its product on television to meet consumers’ demands. Too many missed shots and too many commercials — fans aren’t watching like they used to.

Matches will last two hours — the complete opposite of what we see with traditional golf. This will have the opportunity to draw more viewers to sit down and watch.

The hope is we don’t miss shots with commercial breaks, and it takes the form of other sports. When we have a timeout on the field, we go to a commercial break.

As an aside, this isn’t golf in your local simulator. Alexis Ohanian tweeted this photo of him standing in front of the screen last week. It is enormous.

TGL will be broadcast in more countries than just the United States. The league is set up for success from a distribution standpoint.

• United States

• Canada

• Australia

• Japan

• South Korea

But it is more than just getting TGL on TV — think of that as the bottom of the funnel. Part of the distribution strategy is getting people to watch the event.

TGL investors are filled with athletes and celebrities. They also happen to have large audiences on social media.

The social media crossover to other sports TGL will have is big. Major stars in MLB, NBA, Tennis, and F1 are involved in some capacity.

Here is a sample of the distribution opportunities TGL investors will bring to the table.

TGL teams are owned by impressive and experienced sports owners.

• Atlanta Drive GC: led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores).

• Boston Common Golf: led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing). 

• Jupiter Links GC: led by Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer (Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders, Crystal Palace FC, Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals, Joe Gibbs Racing). 

• Los Angeles Golf Club: led by Alexis Ohanian (Angel City FC), Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams, as well as limited partners the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, and Michelle Wie West. 

• TGL New York: led by Steven A. Cohen (New York Mets), Cohen Private Ventures, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, and CC Sabathia. 

• TGL San Francisco: a group led by Avenue Sports Fund with Marc Lasry and Stephen Curry, as well as limited partners Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson.

If you were going to start a new league — you’d be very happy with how TGL has executed in its pre-launch phase. They are set up for success — TGL has a lot of things going in its favor.

Now, we wait to see how the product unfolds. Viewership will be high for the first few matches. But will the product be compelling enough to keep people coming back to watch?

One last thing — TGL isn’t meant to replace traditional golf. It can act as a supplement. Some people who tune into a PGA Tour event every Sunday won’t watch TGL.

I’d argue that TGL isn’t trying to sell to that demographic. They are looking at the number of people who play off-course golf (18.5 million), which grew 19% last year, as an opportunity.

Your feedback helps improve Perfect Putt. How did you like this week's newsletter?

Great - Meh - Bad

Have a great Tuesday. We will talk to you next week!

---

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends!

---

Are you interested in partnering with Perfect Putt? Click the button to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

---