I have heard your comments and I promise to be more positive. Consider me Bart Simpson writing “I will be more positive on MyGolfSpy articles” on the board (but not too positive because some things just need to be said).
Let’s start here: golf on TV just got better in 2026.
I’m hard on golf coverage because I feel like it generally lags behind other sports. At the beginning of this year, I wrote about all my complaints with golf coverage. I’m happy to report that some of those complaints have already begun to be remedied.
There are several aspects – such as heavy commercial cargo and the ongoing game of Whac-A-Mole between which streaming services fans need — that continue to be frustrating.
However, we are not here to talk about that!
Here are five ways golf coverage has improved in 2026.
1. Shooting tracking with multiple drones
A theme throughout this list will be the creative use of drones.
Drones are being used to give new perspectives to shots beyond the typical shot tracker we’ve grown accustomed to over the past decade.
Golf is an outdoor game, often played in beautiful locations. This is one advantage that golf has over other sports that are confined to a stadium or arena. Drones can help show amazing places like Pebble Beach and the Riviera.
PGA Tour broadcasts have begun using multiple drones to track shots, allowing fans to view shots from polar opposite angles. The first drone shows the angle down the line and the second drone captures the tracker mid-flight to show where the ball is landing.
While this has a bit of a video game feel and isn’t necessary for every shot, I think it’s a cool option that provides better context for elevation changes.
It also just draws your eyes to the screen.
2. Smart tracking with Drone AR technology
While this technology was introduced in 2024, there have been additions made this year.
CBS began using Drone AR’s intelligent tracking by displaying a live, color-changing ball track that predicts where the ball will land in real time.
It’s super cute and interactive. You hold your breath when the circle indicates that a ball is headed for a hazard.
Now there’s been the addition of Smart Trace, a drone tracker where the tracer line changes from green (fairway) to red (offline) while the ball is in the air.
I’m very much in favor of any tool that provides a better understanding of how good the shot is once it’s in the air.
3. Applied real-time weather metrics
Golf broadcasts have played with real-time wind application in recent years, but not like this.
Now fans can see 3D modeling of wind direction and severity, even showing how it rotates.
The tournament is using Weather Applied Metrics, a sports technology company that uses advanced 3D modeling to assess the impact of elements such as wind, temperature and humidity. Additionally, Virtual Eye, a New Zealand-based company specializing in 3D sports graphics, has provided Weather Metrics visualization along with Drone AR technology.
This isn’t an “every shot” kind of tool, but it’s really useful for certain moments.
When Collin Morikawa was in the 17th on the final day of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, wind metrics provided valuable insight into what he was up against.
4. Entering shot shape data
Have you ever watched a golfer and wondered how often they hit a fade or a par?
This information is now being included in the broadcast.
The Tour has soft-launched Shot Shapes, which uses data to dig into players’ preferred left-to-right or right-to-left shot patterns and allows broadcasters to tell stories about it.
This is something broadcasters mention all the time, but seeing the numbers really makes it more concrete.
5. More interactive graphics packages
Other sports seem to have many packages where live graphics are placed directly on the field of play. We see this in football all the time when they do a QB comparison or something.
It seems like golf has always been ripe for interactive graphics packages, and now we’re seeing that happen more often through Drone AR technology.
It’s just one of those little details that add gravitas to the broadcast.
So these are some of the innovations that golf fans have enjoyed.
Golf broadcasts, while still struggling in some areas, are feeling more modern and interesting to watch. These are some advantages that professional golf has on YouTube—drone tracking technology is clearly superior.
I’ve also heard that the Tour has more trail graphics/analytics on the way for future streams, so that will be something to watch out for.
Did you like these new features? Let me know below in the comments.
Post 5 golf broadcast innovations that changed the way the game is watched this year appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
