Atlanta Drive GC will be the name of the Arthur Blank-owned TGL golf franchise, it was announced by AMB Sports and Entertainment on Tuesday.
The Atlanta Drive Golf Club logo also was unveiled. It is an electric red logo that uses a driver and golf ball to form the letter A. White, black and ice gray will complement the primary color as it does for the other Blank-owned teams, the Falcons and Atlanta United.
“As much as anything, we wanted to personalize it and have it connect with our city,” said Dick Sullivan, CEO of PGA Tour Superstore who will oversee operations of AMBSE’s entry in TGL. “I’ve been here for over 30 years now, and as you know Atlanta has gone through a lot of positive change. We are clearly more than a destination with a big airport. It’s a city that is driven to succeed. It’s driven to be the best. We are driven to win, not such our franchises but all of our teams. Part of our core values here is we are driven to give back to our communities and driven to grow the game of golf. It fit perfectly with all the core values under the Arthur Blank businesses.
“We love it. Other teams might be more pedestrian in nature, but every person in Atlanta and a resident of Georgia is a member of Atlanta Drive Golf Club.”
The team will feature four yet-to-be-named players who compete on the PGA Tour who will play in a specially built studio in Palm Beach, Florida. The league will feature top players, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. It is scheduled to start in January. Its season will consist of 15 matches, played in prime time, that will be either broadcast or streamed live, followed by playoffs.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
Sullivan said the four golfers assigned to Atlanta will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sullivan recently visited the state-of-the-art simulator in Florida. Built in a basketball-type arena, golfers will hit drives into a large IMAX-type screen on half of the court. The other half of the court features a putting green built on 60 pistons that can create different undulations. Real bunkers can be moved around the putting green complex. Golfers also will have to hit out of sand and different roughs.
Fans will be on top of the action.
“You are going to have thousands of fans sitting courtside screaming,” Sullivan said. “And all the players will be mic’d up. It’s really taking an outdoor sport and moving it indoors.”
In addition to Atlanta, teams in Los Angeles, Boston and New York have been announced. Additional franchises are scheduled to be announced soon.
Other golfers who have committed are Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel, Tyrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Tom Kim.
The schedule is slated to begin Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Jan. 9 and Jan. 16.
Credit: TGL
Credit: TGL
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