In 2024, golf participation in the United States went up 5% from the year before, hitting a record 47.2 million. But that doesn’t necessarily mean good news for the PGA, nor does it suggest you should run out and invest your savings in a golf course. Of the 47.2 million golfers, only 28.1 actually visited a course. The real winner was off-course golfing, which involved 33 million Americans.
Those are 33 million visitors to places like Topgolf, as well as virtual golf lounges and bars. And of the 33 million, 19.1 million only played at off-course golfing facilities. The game is expanding, but in cheaper venues and places where you can play faster rounds. It is golf for the budget- and time-conscious consumer, and it fits perfectly with the audience that the new indoor golf league, TGL, is hoping to draw.
This week began with the third match of the TGL season, and it was the most competitive of the three. The Atlanta team, featuring Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay, beat the New York team, 4-0, which features Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, and Matt Fitzpatrick.
The first two weeks of competition had two very lopsided matches. The Bay Club beat the New York Club, 9-2, and the Los Angeles Club beat Jupiter Links, 12-1. But even though the matches weren’t very compelling, the fans tuned it. According to Nielsen, there were 919,000 viewers for the debut, and that bumped up to 1,005,000 with the Tiger Woods-led Jupiter Links on the schedule in week two. The third match was the best, golf-wise, but the TV audience was not there. Just 682,000 watched the match on ESPN on Tuesday night, representing a more than 30% drop.
In comparison, last year the average PGA television audience for non-major championships was 2.2 million.
January 27 Match – Jupiter Links GC vs Boston Common Golf
For the first time this season, the Boston Common team of Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, and Adam Scott play a match. In the much-anticipated Rory vs. Tiger matchup, Boston faces Jupiter Links, who were beaten badly two weeks ago by Los Angeles.
Boston has seven major championships as a team, with McIlroy’s four titles and one each for the other three team members. Jupiter Links has Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner, and Tiger Woods, and they have 15 major titles as a team. All 15 belong to Woods.
Boston has the better team from top to bottom, and they are the big favorites in this match, paying -250 on the moneyline. A bet on Jupiter to get the upset pays +145.
TGL Tournament Odds
The inaugural TGL season will crown a champion on March 25, and at the moment, we have co-favorites to finish on top. The Bay Golf Club and Los Angeles Golf Club are both paying +300 to be the last team standing.
Atlanta Drive Golf Club is paying +320, Boston Common Golf is at +350, and New York Golf Club is some distance back at +1200. Bringing up the rear is Jupiter Links, paying +1500 to win the TGL Finals.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
