Can you imagine a par 3 surrounded by 20,000 spectators cheering on their favorite players and visually resembling a soccer stadium more than a golf course? Well, it exists, and it is the 16th hole of the Stadium Course at TPC Scottdale in Arizona, which dresses up as such during the week of the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February. It could be said that, in a certain sense, it is the most spectacular hole in world golf. It certainly doesn’t lack for spectacle.
And things are not like a few years ago, when players like Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson or Rickie Fowler took the opportunity to encourage the stands by throwing balls, and even Padraig Harrington kicked one in the 2013 edition in the purest American soccer style. Already in 2014, caddy races, which delighted the audience, were banned to avoid possible injuries, and in 2015, “for safety reasons” the throwing of balls into the stands by players and caddies was banned.
Even so, the spectacle around this 149-meter par 3 with a green protected by four bunkers is guaranteed. When the players enter the stadium gate at the tee of the hole, the crowd roars, cheering those who hit good shots and booing those who don’t, because the hole is too easy by PGA standards. Perhaps because, with so much shouting from the cheering spectators, it is somewhat reminiscent of the ancient Roman arena where gladiators fought, the hole is known as the Colosseum.
But if the stands on the 16th are impressive, even more so is the number of spectators who come to the Stadium Course during the week of the Phoenix Open and who have made this golf tournament one of the most attended sporting events in the world. In recent years, the figure of half a million spectators during the four days of competition is well over half a million, in 2016 the attendance record was set, with 201,003 spectators on a single day (Saturday, February 6) and last year a total of 720,000 were counted during the week, 63,000 more than the previous year. Only one indoor sporting event would surpass the Phoenix Open’s numbers: the Indianapolis 500, with 235,000 spectators in the stands and some 400,000 in total around the famous Midwest racetrack oval. Other sporting events could draw larger crowds, but they would be in open spaces, such as the New York Marathon, with one million spectators, or the Tour de France, of which the first stage in 2014 was seen on the ground by an estimated two million people.
Many of the spectators filling the stands are students from nearby Arizona State University in Tempe. Famous moments at the Coliseum include the 1997 Saturday when Tiger Woods caused the bleachers to erupt by throwing cups and other objects into the crowd.
The most popular player on the US PGA Tour at the Phoenix Open is undoubtedly Phil Mickelson, an Arizona State University alumnus, with three tournament victories.
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YOU CAN ALSO
If you want to enjoy the Stadium Course when the Phoenix Open is not being played and try to emulate the best golfers in the world, without the crowds of thousands of spectators watching your game, you just have to drop a good handful of bills: $245 with tee time from 2:40 p.m. or $389 if you want to play at an earlier time.
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12 MILLION FOR CHARITABLE CAUSES
The Waste Management Phoenix Open and tournament host Thunderbirds raise money for charities, most of which offer programs that benefit youth. Recent beneficiaries have included Phoenix Children’s Hospital, First Tee of Phoenix, Special Olympics Arizona, Homeward Bound, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, Waste Not, Junior Golf
Association of Arizona, Elevate Phoenix, A New Leaf and Tumbleweed. The Waste Management Phoenix Open raised more than $12.2 million for charity in 2018, setting a record in that regard, and the Thunderbirds have raised more than $134 million in the tournament’s 82-year history.
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IMPACT ON ARIZONA
For Arizona, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is much more than a media attraction in the world of golf. It is also a magnet that attracts money by the bucketload to the U.S. state. According to the latest economic impact study released by Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business for the 2017 edition, the tournament injected $389 million into Arizona’s economy that year. The study was contracted by the tournament’s host, the Thunderbirds. The economic impact of the 2017 tournament was up 65.4 percent ($222 million) over a similar study conducted in 2012.
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TICKETS ARE NEVER SOLD OUT
Daily general admission is free on Monday and Tuesday thanks to the sponsorship of a car dealership, on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday it costs $40, and on Friday and Saturday it is $50.
Children under the age of 17 are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets for the Waste
Management Phoenix Open never sells out and is on sale at the TPC Scottdale box office.
during the week of the competition. Pre-sale closes on the Friday prior to the tournament.
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THUNDERBIRDS (Thunderbirds)
The Thunderbirds, organizers of the Phoenix Open, got their start in 1937 when the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce expanded its role as a convention and tourism bureau. A special events committee was needed to venture into new fields. Five young executives were selected to lead the committee. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce suggested that the committee become an official group and expand its membership. Each of the five selected ten additional members to form a committee of 55. The name Thunderbird was chosen because this iconic bird of American Indian iconography was and still is the emblem of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute funds raised through the Phoenix Open. The goal is to help children and families in need and improve the quality of life in communities. Donations raised are directed to organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona.
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CODE OF CONDUCT
“We are proud of the fact that the Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament, presented by the Ak-Chin Indian Community, has become one of the best sporting events in the country, drawing a large number of spectators from the United States and around the world. To ensure that we all have a fun, safe and memorable experience, we ask that you abide by the tournament’s Code of Conduct:
Spectators shall respect tournament players, caddies, officials and other spectators.
Spectators shall enjoy the tournament by refraining from behavior that disrupts the conduct of the event including but not limited to foul or abusive language, obscene gestures, fighting, throwing objects, attempting to disrupt play or distract tournament participants. Such behavior includes annoying players, caddies and officials, volunteers or other attendees. Those who engage in such actions will be subject to immediate expulsion from the tournament, in addition to possible prosecution.
Attendees shall avoid engaging in behavior that jeopardizes the safety of players, caddies, officials, volunteers or other attendees.
Spectators consuming alcoholic beverages will do so in a responsible manner. Those who are intoxicated or impaired will be ejected and subject to possible legal prosecution.
Minors or anyone who contributes to the sale or delivery of alcoholic beverages to minors will be promptly and safely removed and will be subject to prosecution.
Tournament volunteers, security and Police personnel are trained to intervene when necessary to ensure that the above regulations are followed, and spectators are urged to report any inappropriate behavior to the nearest tournament representative.
The Thunderbirds reserve the right to admit or expel attendees if they exhibit inappropriate behavior.
Spectators who choose not to subscribe to these provisions may be ejected without refund. Hospitality Package purchasers and/or their guests who are identified as violating any of these provisions will be subject to revocation of their suite, box and/or package for the remainder of the tournament and all future tournaments.
“The Thunderbirds thank you in advance for complying with the Waste Management Phoenix Open Code of Conduct. Your cooperation assures us that this tournament will continue its tradition of being not only the largest event on the PGA Tour, but also the best!”
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