The Greatest Show on Grass Returns to the Valley

Next week, the biggest party of the year comes to Arizona. Taking place up in North Scottsdale, the event is crawling with celebrities and draws crowds larger than the Super Bowl. Attendees will party it up all day long for five days, and finish off the night with concerts from Flo Rida, Florida Georgia Line, and Nelly. For the next week, the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course will be Arizona’s hottest place to be as more than half a million people flock to watch the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

This is NOT your ordinary golf tournament. The “people’s major” is described by GOLF Magazine as “the wildest scene on the PGA Tour.” At the Phoenix Open, the golf tournament takes a backseat to the… to the spectacle, I suppose. What is this beautiful sporting event, and why should you attend?

A Brief History of the Phoenix Open

The tournament began back in 1932 but didn’t get any traction until the Thunderbirds – easily recognized in their purple coats – began sponsoring the event in 1939. The Open bounced around a few different sites and sponsors until finally arriving at TPC Scottsdale in 1987 where it began to shape into the event it is today. The final year of the tournament at a non-TPC site (1986 at Phoenix CC) brought a 7-day total of 186,000 spectators. The year 2017 saw a total of 655,434 fans in attendance, including 204,906 attendees on Saturday alone. Only the Indy 500 has brought more fans out to a sporting event.

Hole #16

Have you ever attended a college football or basketball game? If so, you have a pretty good feel for hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale. The par 3 is completely enclosed by bleachers and skyboxes, holding over 16,000 fans. The hole is famous (or infamous) for being the “rowdiest hole in golf.” The stadium is filled with fans wildly cheering, booing, and heckling every player who steps up to the tee. Hole 16’s unique nature has led to some of the most electric moments in golf, including this hole-in-one from Tiger Woods back in 1997.

The hole also used to be home to the caddie races, in which the caddies would go on a dead sprint to the green after each player took their shot. The races produced great moments like this one, but were unfortunately banned by the PGA due to injury concerns.

Only about 3,700 of the seats around 16 are general admission, so if you want to be seated there, be sure to arrive when the gates open at 7 in the morning.

Phoenix Open Crowds

The people-watching experience the Phoenix Open is matched only by the Vegas strip. You will see some of the most… unique individuals you’ve ever seen, but I’d say you can classify most attendees into a few categories.

• Twenty-somethings trying to see and be seen– Be prepared to see thousands of girls in rompers that are, uh, probably too short, and thousands of guys in sunglasses and salmon-colored shorts trying to pick up said girls.
• Middle-aged men in football jerseys with sizable bellies– You have an uncle like this.
• Old people who just want to watch some golf– For every 20 wild people, you’ll have one old couple in their 70’s watching the crowd with disgust.
• Families– You will see many, many young children out there making their first golf memories. The Phoenix Open is very family-friendly, although I’d strongly recommend staying away from the back 9 if you are coming with young siblings.
• The Crazies– In past years, I have seen five men in full frog costumes, a couple banana onesies, as well as several ‘Merica suits.

Tickets

Tickets will cost 50 dollars on Saturday (40 on Sunday), but kids under 17 get in free with a paying adult. You can purchase in advance here, or at the gate. Parking is free, but can be a bit of a zoo. I’d recommend checking out info about parking here before you head down.

Do’s of the Phoenix Open

Have a Plan– This is, by far, the best advice I can give you when you are heading to the Phoenix Open. The crowds are gigantic and the course covers massive amount of space, so you need to know where you’re going and what you want to see before you arrive. If you want to avoid the big crowds, I’d recommend heading to the front nine and picking a group to follow around. If you’d prefer to be in the middle of the madness, make a beeline for holes 15-18. If you really want to sit in the stadium at 16, you’ll need to arrive when the gates open at 7 A.M. and make a sprint to the grandstands. If you select this route, be prepared to sit in the stands waiting for four hours until a group arrives at 16.

Know Basic Golf Etiquette– The etiquette rules aren’t as strict here as other tour stops, but a spectator should still know the basics. Be quiet and still while people are hitting, silence your cell phone, and don’t walk into the roped off areas. All are pretty easy rules to follow.

Wear Sunscreen and Drink Water– The temperature will be cooler than it has been in past years, but you’ll still be out in the direct sunlight for hours. Dehydration+sunburn=sadness.

Don’ts of the Phoenix Open

Fear Crowds– You will be rubbing shoulders with a whole lot of strangers, especially if you choose to head to the back nine of the course. The crowds thin out once you get deeper into the course, but getting to your destination can be a battle.

Be (Overly) Obnoxious– Remember, you are there to watch the crazies, not be one of the crazies. If you become the people-watchee instead of watcher, you’ve made a grave mistake.

Parting Words

Throw out whatever country club notions you have about golf. The People’s Open is unlike any golf tournament, nay, sporting event in North America. We Arizonans are lucky to host this event yearly, an event which will draw more attendees on Saturday than Tempe has residents. If you decide to come out, I’ll be following ASU grad Jon “Rahmbo” Rahm’s group. Come say hello!