For the golfers competiting in TGL who are poised to compete at The American Express this week, they may wonder how tournament organizers managed to replicate the conditions of indoor golf outside. On the other hand, they might also consider that TGL was inspired by the proverbial golf in a dome within the Coachella Valley in California. Either way, or both, it’s going to be a good time as 156 golfers pair with amateurs for the only PGA TOUR stop played across three courses.

The first tournament on the U.S. mainland begins on Thursday and promises to be played in conditions that sparked the phrase, “Chamber of Commerce weather.” The format, nuggets on the courses in the rotation and more are below.

Per usual, the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA WEST serves as the host of The American Express. The Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club help shoulder the load. For each of the first three rounds, the field will be split evenly to play each one time, and with an amateur throughout the sequence. Once three rounds are official, the low 65 and ties will survive the cut and play only the Pete Dye Stadium Course for the finale without amateurs.

The action will be anything but breathless, but that’ll be one way to describe the absence of wind for a good portion of the tournament. Not that it’s always like this in the La Quinta area at this time of year, but it is the expectation.

So are eagles and birdies. The triumvirate of par-72 tracks on which the tournament is contested yields the lowest or among the lowest scoring averages in relation to par of all courses the PGA TOUR visits. The ease serves as a tradeoff for debutants who might feel like they’re back in school, cramming for finals, what with triple the work in the same amount of time. Eliminating the variable of the weather is Mother Nature’s version of grading on a curve.

But a curveball cannot be ruled out later in the week, the timing of which could drop a hammer on first-timers, especially. The worst outcome of a weather pattern might result in flapping trousers during the third round, give or take. Or not at all. That’s the funky thing about low-pressure systems in these parts. Because they can be unpredictable, it’ll be best to capitalize on the opportunities presented across the first two days.

Once upon a time, all three courses were pushovers, but the recent renovation of the Stadium Course has separated it from its co-hosts. In its debut in ideal conditions last year, the new setup stood tall for a scoring average of 71.348. That was more than two strokes harder than each of the previous two editions, and easily its highest since wild weather was the story in 2017. Meanwhile, Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta checked in last year at 68.248 and 68.595, respectively, very much in line with their expected targets.

So, with the potential for wind on the horizon, drawing the Stadium Course in the third round will be preferred. Although it might seem counterintuitive, because of the level of skill among professional golfers, it is more challenging to go low in the wind on easier courses than it is chasing pars on harder tests. In the same conditions, scoring on easier courses rises more than scoring on more difficult counterparts.

All grasses on all 54 holes are overseeded as you’d expect. As a nod to the amateurs more than the potential for wind, greens should be governed to about 11 ½ feet on the Stimpmeter. The worst of the rough shouldn’t be taller than 2 inches.

All yardages are the same as last year. The Stadium Course is the longest at 7,210 yards, Nicklaus Tournament Course is 7,147 yards and La Quinta is 7,060 yards. The sizes of the greens increase proportionally to the course length. So, the targets on the Stadium Course are about 7,000 square feet, or about 30-percent larger than what they were pre-renovation and when the course was a little shorter.

Put it all together and the objective remains to hit greens and pour in the par breakers.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

• MONDAY: Power Rankings
• TUESDAY: Fantasy Insider; Expert Picks*; Sleepers**
• SUNDAY:Qualifiers

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