TGL presented by SoFi is an innovative golf league, created by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley of TMRW Sports which combine cutting-edge technology with teams of top PGA TOUR players for weekly two-hour prime time matches.
Pizá, the founder and principal golf course architect at Pizá Golf, was selected to design a series of golf holes for the first season of the fast-paced, prime time, team golf league. He joined Nicklaus Design and Beau Welling who collectively designed 30 golf holes.
Pizá, acclaimed internationally and the recipient of numerous awards, has established a distinguished reputation for “Re-defining Golf Facilities” through his innovative design concepts such as Wellness Golf®, Multi-purpose Golf, and Butterfly Golf®. His creative prowess has been acknowledged by Forbes Magazine, which has twice named him among the top one hundred inventive minds from Mexico. All which contributed to his TGL appointment.
“It was exciting to be chosen to design a collection of holes for TGL. The opportunity to create thought-provoking and unique golf holes for this innovative league was and is truly an honor,” commented Pizá. “Starting with a blank canvas presented an exhilarating challenge, free from the constraints of surrounding landscapes or natural elements, which allowed pure creativity to drive the design process.”
To create extraordinary designs, Piza needed to connect with his inner child and then apply expertise as a designer. “One of the things that came to was, how can we create something extraordinary, something wild, something completely unconventional, yet still honor the integrity of the game,” Pizá explained enthusiastically.
The first week of TGL showcased Pizá and his creativity and imagination with The Flex, which featured a green surrounded by molten lava., you heard that! “I am 110% responsible for that lava in the The Flex,” Pizá said. “All of a sudden you think volcano! I dreamt, I dreamt of it after I got the call from TGL.”
The TGL matches are providing Pizá an amplified and a new kind of visibility. The first two holes in the second match were also his. The Plank and Pick Yer Plunder.
STRATEGIES FROM PIZÁ
“For The Plank, we wanted to design something simple but also something that required you to think through your shots. To achieve this, we positioned the bunkers to create several dynamic diagonal lines across the hole,” shared Pizá.
“For Pick Yer Plunder, a 590 yard par 5. The whole idea is you can take that middle section, and you will be rewarded. You will only have a 200 yard shot at the GreenZone to get on in two,” added Pizá.
Award-winning architect Agustin Pizá has earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from ITESM and a Master’s Degree in Golf Course Architecture from the Edinburgh University in Scotland. He is a proud member of both the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA) and the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).
For 26 years, Pizá has worked on world class golf developments. His designs are known for delivering quality, aesthetic, and strategic golf courses. He and his design team have worked and have been involved in more than seventy projects on three continents.
For more information on Pizá Golf, please visit www.pizagolf.com
