The new indoor golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy isn’t off to the best start.
The roof at the TGL’s SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, collapsed Tuesday night after an apparent power failure. Nobody was hurt in the incident, but the air-supported dome appeared to be significantly damaged Wednesday morning.
The roof of the TGL’s SoFi Center has collapsed overnight leading to significant disruption to the construction of the arena.
A source says no-one was hurt, but the start of the TGL is likely to be delayed.
Thanks to @luckiestgolfer for the pic. pic.twitter.com/p1120I6OSy
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) November 15, 2023
It’s unclear if the damage will delay the start of the league, which was expected to kick off Jan. 9.
“An overnight failure to the temporary power system used during the construction phase caused deflation and damage to the air-supported dome section of the site,” the TGL said in a statement, via Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig. “At this time, while we assess the damage, it is too early to determine the impact on our timelines. There were no injuries, and no technology was impacted. Other work on site is continuing.”
The SoFi Center dome is going to play host to the new indoor simulator golf league next year. The venue, which is being constructed on Palm Beach State College’s campus in Florida, is about 250,000 square feet and will be able to seat 2,000 people.
The league will consist of six teams that will square off in “triples” alternate shot matches, singles matches and closest-to-the-pin competitions throughout the season. The venue will feature a 64-by-46-foot simulator screen for drives and a 97-by-50-yard playing surface where golfers can actually chip and putt with real grass and bunkers.
The league is scheduled to debut Jan. 9 on ESPN, and both ESPN and ESPN2 will run the events throughout the first season on Tuesday nights. Five of the six teams have already been sold to ownership groups, and several notable names — including Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa — have committed to playing alongside McIlroy and Woods.