- T-Mobile is doubling down on golf with a new multi-year USGA partnership
- The carrier will serve as the Official 5G Network Partner for USGA tournaments
- USGA rules officials will get access to an optimized 5G network slice when they’re on the course
T-Mobile is expanding its turf in the world of golf, announcing today that it inked a multi-year partnership with the United States Golf Association (USGA), making T-Mobile the Official 5G Network Partner of USGA tournaments.
This follows agreements T-Mobile has with the PGA, for which it most recently provided 5G enhancements at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.
“The USGA has shaped the game of golf for more than a century, and this partnership marks an exciting expansion of T-Mobile’s growing presence in the sport,” said Amy Azzi, VP of Sponsorships at T-Mobile, in a statement.
The USGA partnership starts this year with the June 1-7 U.S. Women’s Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, followed by the June 15-21 U.S. Men’s Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., and extending to additional USGA national championships.
Debuting at the U.S. Women’s Open is something they’re calling a first-of-its-kind “rules review,” which gives USGA officials a 5G network slice so that they can access video footage and communicate in real time with others on the officiating team to deliver rulings from anywhere on the course without delays or dead zones.
Inside T-Mobile’s golf game
Zooming out, golf is a sport near and dear to the heart of T-Mobile President of Technology John Saw, who’s an avid golfer.
During a panel discussion before the F1 Grand Prix race in Las Vegas in November, Saw talked about the big pain points they’re trying to solve at major events like the PGA, Ryder Cup and Grand Prix.
The first one is always congestion. “When you have 300,000 fans descending on one small area, it is actually every operator’s nightmare. They all want to use their phones at the same time, which means none of them could if we don’t design the network just right,” he said.
That requires major network investments long before the sporting events actually happen, installing permanent infrastructure as well as relying on temporary assets like Cells on Wheels (COWs), he said.
The second pain point has to do with all the wired infrastructure that historically gets used during sporting events. T-Mobile’s partners were wary at first about removing wires, so they started small, with one hole on a golf course, for example, eventually adding more wireless terminals.
Now, T-Mobile can use 5G to cover far more holes on a golf course than it did just a few years ago, providing more immersive experiences for fans on the course and those watching at home.
T-Mobile taps NR-DC
T-Mobile debuted its first live New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) deployment at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
NR-DC is the combination of 5G standalone (SA) on midband spectrum and millimeter wave (mmWave) to deliver ultra-high capacity and low latency. It gives broadcast journalists, for example, the ability to better capture and send video across more sections of a golf course.
Since then, T-Mobile has used NR-DC to support broadcasters at events like the Kentucky Derby, where NBC Sports used it to connect eight iPhone 17 Pros to get owner, trainer and jockeys’ family reactions in the stands.
Perks for T-Mobile customers
As for the USGA partnership, T-Mobile emphasizes its “signature member perks” for T-Mobile members attending the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Open.
One of the perks golf fans can pick up is a complimentary lawn chair – because, why not? – as well as food and beverage vouchers and wristbands for reserved grandstand seating.
Fierce asked T-Mobile how its customers become “members.” Turns out, all T-Mobile customers are T-Mobile members; they just need to tap into the T-Life app on their phone to access all the goodies. For customers on qualifying plans, they can access the “Magenta Pass” through T-Life to get access to exclusive experiences at events sponsored by T-Mobile, like the U.S. Open Championships.