It is a shame, however, because Tonbo is quite different from most other Sports Anime; indeed, although the show is about golf—a sport quite a lot of people seem disinterested in, and I am one of them too—it is important to note that Tonbo isn't REALLY about golf. No, what Tonbo is about is rather "Wasted Potential," which I would call a far more interesting focus for a sports anime to have than average.
As the plot synopsis for the show describes, Tonbo is about an ex-professional golfer who travels to a nearly deserted island to leave his former life behind. However, as he arrives on the island he finds not only a golf course there, but also a young girl with incredible but also highly unconventional golfing skills. The ex-golfer soon develops the desire to bring the girl into the wider world so that she might experience golf on a greater scale. However, the girl is completely disinclined towards this idea, viewing golf not as a competitive sport as such, but rather as something akin to a casual game a child might play on the playground—while also being a way for her to "deal" with her own past traumatic experiences.
What the show is then REALLY about is the two main characters basically butting heads through the playing of golf. And this is a highly compelling semi-life-philosophical confrontation to see play out—even if the characters are only partially aware of this confrontation themselves.
Now, with all of this being said, it is important to acknowledge that the art-style and animation of the show is somewhat underwhelming, frequently reusing pieces of animation during the golf-playing scenes. So the show is by no means a feast for the eyes. It is without question the characters and story-telling that does the heavy lifting.
I am not here to say that Tonbo is the greatest anime of all time, or even the best sports anime around, but what I do think it offers is a cast of some rather compelling main characters, who in turn deal with some truly interesting personal struggles. All while simultaneously managing to juggle a decently lighthearted tone throughout most of the show.
I hope this review has been helpful.
