CASE STUDY: TGL SkyTrack Ball Tacking System
Engineering Inch-Perfect Ball Tracking for Tomorrow’s Golf League
See the tech behind TGL and how we engineered the SkyTrack ball tracking system with sub-inch accuracy across 22,465 square feet of dynamic playing surface for this revolutionary golf league.
First of its Kind Golf Arena Built for ESPN Primetime.
Services
Hardware Engineering, Computer Vision, AI/ML Development, Redundant System Architecture
Project Timeline
4 months to prototype
7 months to full system installation in the SoFi Center.
Tech Stack
High-Resolution Cameras (3x 4K), Computer Vision, AI Pose Estimation, Real-time View Stitching, Redundant Hardware Architecture, Web-Based Operator Interface
What is TGL?
TGL is a tech-driven, team-based golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that blends traditional golf with advanced simulation and arena-style competition. Matches are played indoors on a large virtual screen with real short-game and putting areas, allowing fast-paced, made-for-TV events in front of fans. Six teams of PGA TOUR players compete in head-to-head contests featuring alternate shot, team strategy, and clutch moments. The league is designed to showcase top golfers in a modern, dynamic format that appeals to both traditional fans and new audiences.
Tiger’s Vision Meets Live Broadcast Reality
TGL’s ambitious vision required seamless integration between virtual gameplay in the ScreenZone and real-world competition in the GreenZone. When a ball moves from a simulated position in the ScreenZone to a real-world position in the GreenZone, it must be tracked with sub-inch accuracy suitable for live national broadcasts on ESPN.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Professional golfers competing for championship titles and large purses. Live national television coverage. A rotating, morphing green powered by 600 actuators and a 123-foot turntable. And every shot outcome depends on sub-inch ball placement and tracking.
This project takes “keep your eye on the ball” to a whole new level. Systematic Consulting Group was tasked with designing and building the tracking system that would make this revolutionary format possible.
Define & Discovery
Key Requirements
Architect & Design
Designing a Reliable and Scalable System
We designed a system architecture that balanced competing demands:
- High-resolution camera arrays positioned to avoid broadcast interference
- Computer vision optimized for oblique viewing angles
- AI pose estimation for accurate ball position calculation
- Real-time view stitching across multiple camera feeds
- Web-based operator interface for intuitive control
- Complete hardware redundancy with automatic failover
The architecture needed to deliver championship-ready performance from day one while establishing a foundation for future autonomous operation.
Develop & Iterate
Championship-Ready in 7 Months
From first prototype to Season 1 launch, Systematic delivered a production-ready tracking system in just 7 months—a timeline that demanded intense collaboration and unwavering commitment to quality.
Rather than working as an isolated vendor, our team embedded directly with TGL’s operations team and other partners like Full Swing Golf throughout the entire development process. This collaborative approach meant real-time problem-solving, rapid iteration based on operator feedback, and seamless integration with existing systems.
We worked side-by-side at the SoFi Center during installation and testing, ensuring the system not only met technical specifications but also fit naturally into TGL’s operational workflows and broadcast production requirements.
Technical Performance:
Operational Excellence:
The system exceeded expectations and performed flawlessly during all live ESPN broadcasts. We are excited to keep pushing the tech for Season 2 as we work to make the system fully autonomous.
Beyond Ball Tracking: Systematic’s Comprehensive TGL Partnership
Every system embodies Systematic’s engineering ethos—unmatched reliability, integration so seamless it disappears, and performance built for championship moments from day one. Since TGL’s inception, Systematic Consulting Group has collaborated with TMRW Sports to architect the hardware and software infrastructure enabling this innovative league.
Simulator Admin Console (SAC):
The command center and brains running the arena ensures seamless performance with redundant systems for ultimate reliability during live broadcasts.
Ball Origin Spotter (BOS):
Precision technology that brings sub-inch accuracy to the ball’s starting location in the screen zone.
Turntable PLC Integration:
Engineering and software integration for the massive 40-yard-wide, 100-ton turntable and actuator systems that transform the GreenZone’s topography to match each simulated hole.
Systems Integration and Architecture:
Our team helped design the revolutionary, Kubernetes-based microservice architecture that integrates Full Swing’s simulator technology with the physical green mechanics, creating the seamless experience that defines TGL’s format.
Each system demonstrates Systematic’s core engineering principles: reliability under pressure, invisible integration, and championship-ready performance from day one. Systematic Consulting Group has been a key contributor and technology consultant to TGL from the beginning, partnering with Full Swing Golf and TMRW Sports to develop the hardware and software systems that make this groundbreaking golf league possible.
