2023-11-07

Author

Jonathan Chen
November 08, 2023

Good morning! Welcome back to The Birdie Brief where we are serving up golf news sunny-side up - every time!☀️

Here’s what’s on the menu this morning:

  • TGL’s Final Team Name Announced … And Yes, He’s on the Roster

  • 🐅Tiger’s Bittersweet Health Status

  • 📈The Explosive Growth of the Billion Dollar Golf Sim Industry

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: our weekly mental nugget to shift your perspective and mindset towards lower scores.

Jupiter Links GC Completes TGL Roster with Tiger Leading the Charge

Excitement is kicking into high gear as we introduce the final piece of the puzzle: Jupiter Links Golf Club. Recent Trademark Filings confirm the news along with the reveal of San Fran’s team name: Golden State Golf Club.

Lets sum up what we know so far about who is backing these teams:

  1. Atlanta Drive GC
    - Led by Arthur M. Blank, AMB Sports and Entertainment.

    - Associated with Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstores.

    - Team roster includes Justin Thomas.

  2. Boston Common Golf
    - Led by John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Fenway Sports Group.

    - Affiliated with Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing.

    - Team roster includes Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Tyrrell Hatton, and Adam Scott.

  3. Los Angeles Golf Club
    - Led by Alexis Ohanian, Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams.

    - Also supported by the Antetokounmpo brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, and Michelle Wie West.

    - Team roster includes Collin Morikawa.

  4. TGL New York
    -Led by Steven A. Cohen, Cohen Private Ventures.

  5. TGL San Francisco

    -Led by Avenue Sports Fund with Marc Lasry, Stephen Curry.

    - Also with limited partners Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson.

  6. Jupiter Links GC
    - Led by Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer.

    - Associated with Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders, Crystal Palace FC, Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals, Joe Gibbs Racing.

    - Team roster includes Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods himself is taking to the green screen as the first player for the Jupiter Links GC, with more players to be revealed soon. But the big question remains: Will he be ready to compete come the TGL debut on January 9th?

Earlier this week we asked you guys if you would watch TGL golf, 67% of you would give it a watch. But do you believe it’s going to make it past season 1?

Here’s MyGolfSpy’s results on if TGL will be a success:

Pain-Free Ankle but Lingering Challenges for Tiger

In the latest update on his recovery, Tiger Woods sheds light on his current health status, emphasizing the alleviation of pain in his previously fused right ankle.

“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever … That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for … But all the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems and I still do … So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”

Despite this positive development, Woods highlights the persisting challenges within other areas of his leg, complicating his return to the golf course.

During his recent caddie duties for his son, Charlie, at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, Woods showcased promising signs of progress.

He was seen walking and carrying Charlie’s bag - a huge improvement in my books compared to the last 2 times we saw him at the PNC Championship relying on a cart to get around.

By the way, he caddied for Charlie all 4 days of the tournament. “I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days,” Woods said. “It was a flat course, thank God.”

Based on this, his comeback might be closer than we think. Dare I say it?

Golf Sim Market Expected to Double in Less than a Decade💸

The golf simulator market has been riding a crazy wave lately. Latest forecasts suggests it's currently valued at about $1.5 billion, with a projected surge to over $3 billion by 2030.

It’s growing almost twice as fast as the Golf Equipment market. The forecasted CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is around 9% for the next eight years. Compare this to the golf equipment CAGR of 5% for the next eight years.

Google searches have exploded in the last few years.

These simulators were already gaining popularity pre-Covid, but the pandemic sent their demand skyrocketing as more folks shifted to remote work and dived into the world of golf.

So, what's driving this craze? It's a combo deal, really. Pre-Covid, it was all about tech advancements and affordability. Post-Covid, the enthusiasm for on and off-course golf took off.

Tech keeps getting better, and you can now snag a simulator for under $10,000, while a launch monitor might just set you back a couple of thousand.

The older SkyTrak launch monitors are going for approximately $800 on eBay, whereas the newer SkyTrak+ is selling for $2,700 brand new.

Don’t want to pay the ridiculous markup for an out-of-the-box solution? One redditor shows the true cost of a complete DIY simulator setup once all is said and done:

Got a bigger budget and just want to plug and play? Here are a couple options for under $10,000:

Both options are around $7,500 and include hitting turf, a screen, and an enclosure.

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