There’s something almost ceremonial about admitting when things are improving. Think Bart Simpson at the chalkboard, dutifully writing lines with just enough sincerity to mean it, but not so much that the edge disappears. That’s the mood surrounding golf on television in 2026. For years, broadcasts felt like they were trailing behind other major sports in innovation and presentation. Slow pacing. Repetitive visuals. Technology that felt stuck a decade in the past.
But this year, something shifted. Golf coverage is, cautiously and objectively, getting better.
That doesn’t mean the commercial load has magically lightened or that the streaming scavenger hunt has ended. The Whac-A-Mole exercise of figuring out which service carries which round still frustrates fans. Yet from a production standpoint, there’s measurable progress, particularly in how the game is visually delivered and contextualized.
Drones Take Golf Center Stage
The most striking evolution has been the creative deployment of drones. Golf holds a natural advantage over arena-bound sports: its setting. Pebble Beach at golden hour. Riviera framed by canyon ridges and eucalyptus. These venues deserve more than static tower cameras.
In 2026, PGA Tour broadcasts are leaning into that advantage. Multiple drones now trace tee shots from polar-opposite angles. One captures the traditional down-the-line view. Another picks up the ball mid-flight, tracking its descent and landing area. The effect is immersive without being overwhelming.
There’s a faint video game aesthetic to the presentation, but it serves a purpose. Elevation changes become clearer. Landing zones feel more defined. Viewers gain spatial awareness that was previously left to imagination. The camera doesn’t just follow the ball, it escorts it.
Smart Tech That Tells a Story Mid-Flight
Drone AR technology, introduced in 2024, has matured significantly. CBS’s live, color-changing ball trail predicts landing zones in real time, turning every tee shot into a small unfolding drama. When that projected circle creeps toward a bunker or hazard, the tension is immediate and visible.
The addition of Smart Trace further refines the experience. The tracer line shifts from green to red mid-flight depending on whether the projected outcome favors the fairway or drifts offline. It transforms ball flight from passive observation into active storytelling.
Weather visualization has also advanced. Instead of a simple wind arrow, fans now see 3D modeling of wind direction and severity, including how it swirls across a green complex. Weather Applied Metrics, paired with Virtual Eye’s 3D graphics engine, quantifies wind, temperature, and humidity in ways that feel tangible. When Collin Morikawa stood on Pebble Beach’s 17th tee during the AT&T Pro-Am, viewers could see precisely what he was battling. Invisible forces became visible variables.
Shot shape data adds another analytical layer. The Tour’s soft-launched “Shot Shapes” feature integrates player tendencies and fade versus draw directly into broadcasts. Commentators have long referenced these patterns. Now the numbers validate the narrative.
A Broadcast That Finally Feels Modern
Golf has historically lagged behind other sports in the use of interactive graphics. Football overlays comparisons directly on the field. Basketball integrates advanced metrics seamlessly into live play. Golf, for years, felt restrained.
Interactive graphics packages are now appearing more frequently, embedded within Drone AR frameworks. Data sits directly on the course surface, adding weight and gravity to moments that once relied solely on commentary.
There are still areas to refine. Commercial loads remain heavy. Streaming fragmentation continues to test loyalty. But in 2026, the overall presentation feels more contemporary and ambitious.
Professional golf broadcasts are beginning to look like they belong in the same technological era as the athletes competing in them. And with expanded putt path graphics and analytics reportedly on the horizon, the evolution appears far from finished.
For a sport that once seemed visually stuck in neutral, that’s meaningful forward momentum, chalkboard promise and all.
