TGL at Home: Replicate the $50M Experience

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TGL’s SoFi Center is a $50 million television studio. You’re not building one in your garage. Get that out of your head right now.

What you can build is a home simulator that delivers 90 percent of the experience at 5 percent of the cost. And because TGL uses off-the-shelf technology — not some proprietary black box — each component has a direct consumer equivalent that you can buy today.

I mapped every piece of TGL’s tech stack to a home sim product. Here’s what the league actually uses, what you should buy instead, and where you should absolutely not cut corners.

The Launch Monitor: Full Swing KIT

TGL uses 18 Full Swing KIT launch monitors stationed around the arena. Each one captures ball data at 10,000 frames per second using dual Doppler radar and camera-based tracking. The KIT is a $5,000 consumer product — the same one you can buy at PGA Superstore.

The home equivalent: The Full Swing KIT is the obvious choice if you want the exact same equipment TGL uses. It’s a solid, pro-level unit. But don’t buy it just because TGL uses it. The KIT is a radar-based system, which means it’s less accurate indoors than a camera-based unit like the Uneekor Eye Mini Lite ($2,500) or the Uneekor Eye XO ($7,000).

What I’d buy: If you want the TGL experience at home, the Uneekor Eye Mini ($3,200) or Eye Mini Lite ($2,500) is a better choice. Camera-based systems are more accurate indoors, don’t require special balls, and integrate natively with GSPro — the simulator software that 90 percent of home sim owners use. The Eye Mini Lite is the best value in sim golf right now, period. Full review here.

Budget tier: The Garmin R50 ($1,500) or Square Golf Omni ($1,200) will get you a solid sim experience. You lose some accuracy on spin axis and club data, but for 90 percent of recreational golfers, the difference is invisible. Our R50 review →.

The Simulator Software: Full Swing’s Custom Engine

TGL runs a custom version of Full Swing’s simulation software. It’s the same physics engine available in the consumer version, just rendered at higher resolution for the 53-foot screen. The ball physics, turf interaction, and green modeling are all consumer-grade technology scaled up.

The home equivalent: GSPro is the dominant consumer simulator software. It has over 4,000 courses, photorealistic graphics powered by Unity 6 (same engine family TGL uses), and the most accurate ball physics of any consumer sim software. It costs $250 per year. Full review here.

The alternative: E6 Connect is the other major player. It’s more polished, has a better menu system, and runs on lower-end hardware. But GSPro’s course library and physics accuracy are better. I’ve compared them side by side. GSPro vs. E6 Connect →.

What you need to know: Both GSPro and E6 have course libraries that include the same types of holes TGL plays — fantasy courses, real course recreations, and the kind of risk-reward designs that make TGL entertaining. You don’t need a custom game engine. The consumer software is already there.

The Screen: 53 x 64 Feet of Impact-Tested Fabric

TGL’s screen is 53 feet wide and 64 feet tall. It’s a custom impact screen with a 4K projection system that costs more than your house. No one is replicating this at home.

The home equivalent: A quality 4:3 or 16:9 impact screen from Carl’s Place or similar supplier. The key specs are: 185-inch diagonal (about 10 feet wide by 8 feet tall), 4K-compatible screen material, and a proper enclosure frame. You can build a Carl’s Place enclosure for under $1,500. Full enclosure review here.

The projector: TGL uses a massive multi-projector setup. At home, you need a single short-throw projector with at least 1080p resolution and 3,000 lumens. The BenQ TH671ST ($800) or the Optoma GT1080HDR ($1,000) are the two most popular sim projector choices. If you have the budget for 4K, the BenQ LK936ST ($3,500) is the gold standard.

The difference: TGL’s screen is 3,392 square feet. A home screen is about 80 square feet. The scale is different. The physics of hitting into a screen are identical. You don’t lose anything by going smaller — you just lose the arena feel.

The Putting Green: 608 Actuators That Morph the Surface

TGL’s putting green is a marvel of engineering. It’s a 5,000-square-foot artificial surface on 608 actuators that physically change the slope of the green between holes. It costs millions of dollars and is the single most expensive component in the arena.

The home equivalent: You don’t need an actuated green. You need a quality putting turf that sits flush with your hitting mat. The SIGPRO Softy or Holy Grail mat ($600-$1,200) gives you a realistic putting surface that rolls true. Pair it with a quality chipping mat and you’re getting 95 percent of the putting experience without the 608 motors.

The dirty secret: TGL’s actuated green is cool to watch on TV. It’s a production gimmie. The actual putting in TGL is the weakest part of the competition — players struggle with speed on the artificial surface, and the green’s morphing mechanism isn’t perfectly smooth. You’re not missing anything by putting on a flat home mat.

The Hitting Turf: Lighting and Surface

TGL uses a combination of short turf and rough-like mats with integrated lighting strips. The lighting is purely for TV. The turf is standard simulator-grade artificial grass.

The home equivalent: A quality hitting mat is the most important component in your simulator after the launch monitor. The SIGPRO Softy strips ($600) are the best in class. Country Club Elite mats ($400-$800) are a close second. The Carl’s Place HotShot mat is a budget option that performs well. Carl’s Place mat review →. Don’t cheap out on the mat. The wrong mat will destroy your elbows and wrists before you hit 1,000 balls.

The Full Build: Three Tiers

Here’s what a complete TGL-replica home sim costs at different price points.

Tier 1: The “I Want TGL’s Exact Setup” ($15,000-$18,000)

• Launch monitor: Full Swing KIT ($5,000)
• Software: Full Swing consumer subscription ($400/year)
• Enclosure: Carl’s Place premium enclosure ($1,500)
• Screen: Carl’s Place premium impact screen ($600)
• Projector: BenQ 4K short-throw ($3,500)
• Hitting mat: SIGPRO Softy strip ($600)
• Turf: 10x10’ putting turf ($300)
• PC: Gaming PC with RTX 4070+ ($3,000)
• Assembly, cables, trim: $500

Why you shouldn’t buy this: The Full Swing KIT is a fine launch monitor, but the Uneekor Eye XO ($7,000) is more accurate indoors and has better GSPro integration. Full Swing’s software is fine. GSPro is better. This setup spends money on the wrong things.

Tier 2: The “Best Value for Your Money” ($7,000-$9,000)

• Launch monitor: Uneekor Eye Mini Lite ($2,500)
• Software: GSPro annual subscription ($250/year)
• Enclosure: Carl’s Place standard enclosure ($1,100)
• Screen: Carl’s Place impact screen ($500)
• Projector: BenQ TH671ST 1080p ($800)
• Hitting mat: SIGPRO Softy strip ($600)
• Turf: 10x10’ putting turf ($300)
• PC: Gaming PC with RTX 4060+ ($2,000)
• Assembly, cables, trim: $400

This is the sweet spot. The Eye Mini Lite is the best launch monitor under $3,000. GSPro is the best simulator software on the market. The Carl’s Place enclosure and SIGPRO mat are proven, reliable components. This setup matches TGL in every meaningful way except screen size. You’ll hit into a 10-foot screen instead of a 53-foot screen. The ball physics, the course variety, the shot tracking — all identical.

Tier 3: The “Budget TGL” ($3,500-$4,500)

• Launch monitor: Square Golf Omni ($1,200) or Garmin R50 ($1,500)
• Software: GSPro (with Square/Garmin integration) ($250/year)
• Enclosure: Carl’s Place budget enclosure ($800)
• Screen: Carl’s Place budget screen ($300)
• Projector: Optoma GT1080HDR ($800)
• Hitting mat: Carl’s Place HotShot ($300)
• PC: Gaming PC with RTX 3060+ ($1,200)
• Assembly, cables, trim: $300

What you lose: The Square Omni and Garmin R50 are less accurate than the Uneekor Eye Mini Lite, especially on spin axis and short game. The budget screen is thinner and will need replacement sooner. The projector is 1080p instead of 4K. The PC won’t run GSPro at max settings.

What you keep: The same software. The same course library. The same ball flight physics. The same shot feedback. A recreational golfer with a 12 handicap will not notice the difference between this setup and a $15,000 setup. That’s not a theory. That’s what I’ve seen in dozens of head-to-head comparisons.

What TGL Actually Gets Right (That You Should Copy)

The Hammer rule. The shot clock. The match play format. TGL’s best innovation isn’t the technology — it’s the game design.

The shot clock: Set a 40-second timer on your phone. Play ready golf. Hit. Walk to the next shot. Hit. The fastest way to improve is to stop overthinking every swing. A shot clock forces that.

Match play: Stroke play is boring in a simulator. Match play — where each hole is a new battle — creates drama. Play with a friend. Alternate shot. Format it like TGL: three-hole triples, then singles. You’ll have more fun in 90 minutes than you will in four hours of solo stroke play.

The Hammer: This is the one rule you should steal. Once per match, one player can “throw the Hammer” — doubling the point value of the current hole. The opposing team can either accept (double points) or decline (forfeit the hole). It creates agonizing decisions and massive swings. I’ve seen a five-hole lead evaporate in two holes because of a well-timed Hammer. Steal it. It’s free.

What TGL Gets Wrong (That You Should Ignore)

The actuated green is a production gimmick. The short season is a scheduling crutch. The fact that Tiger Woods played two matches in Season 2 and still got to the Finals is a format problem.

None of that matters for your home sim.

You’re not building a TV show. You’re building a place to get better at golf and have fun with friends. TGL proved that hitting golf balls indoors is legitimate. It proved that the technology works. It proved that sim golf is entertaining.

The rest is up to you.

The Bottom Line

TGL is a $50 million advertisement for the fact that home simulators work. The Full Swing KIT they use costs $5,000. The GSPro software you’d run costs $250 a year. The enclosure costs $1,500. The mat costs $600. The PC costs $2,000.

You can build a 90-percent TGL experience for $7,000. You can get a functional, fun sim for $3,500. And in both cases, you’re hitting real golf balls into a real screen — the same thing Tiger Woods does at SoFi Center — just in a smaller room.

The TGL hub page has everything else you need to know about the league itself. The GSPro review walks through the software you’ll actually use. The launch monitor comparison helps you pick the right one.

Or you can just measure your garage. Order the Tier 2 build. And start playing.

TGL’s third season starts in December. By the time the first match airs, you could be playing the same game at home.

— Ace