Attending the TPC WM Phoenix Open 2025...

One of the Biggest Events of the Year

Last year, I missed out on attending the TPC WM Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale Golf Course in Scottsdale, AZ. Come to think of it, I am not too sure why I didn't buy a ticket and go.

WM Phoenix Open Logo

The real reason could have been that it's a long drive from my mom's house in Sun City, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ. More about that later.

As a result, when the TV commercials for the TPC WM Phoenix Open started to run, I was determined to buy a ticket to this year's tournament.

Now, I don't follow golf as closely as I used to when I tried playing golf in high school. Back then, I remember going to the city-owned Los Altos Golf Course in Albuquerque, NM (my hometown) after school to play the short course before sunset. Besides, the TPC WM Phoenix Open is one of the BIG events on the Maricopa County social events calendar, so it seemed appropriate that I attend.

Last year was something of a wash out for the TPC WM Phoenix Open as it rained in the Phoenix area for several days. Event organizers were caught under-prepared for large crowds and rainy weather. Well, the "rainy season" for the Phoenix area does primarily occur in December, January, and February. Usually.

Cover of the TPC WM Phoenix Open Souvenir Program

The Cost of Buying a Ticket

Thus, in late January 2025, I went on the TPC WM Phoenix Open webpage and started looking at ticket prices. Depending on the day that you were planning to go, the prices varied. Initially, I was interested in attending one of the concerts held at the TPC WM Phoenix Open. On the Friday or Saturday before the start of the tournament, the tournament organizers typically book a big name Country and Western star to perform a concert at the famous 16th hole. This year's performers were Blake Shelton and his wife Gwen Stefani. It's what is known as "The Concert in the Coliseum". To be honest, I am not a fan of either artist, BUT, like I wrote earlier, the TPC WM Phoenix Open is a BIG event that people from across the world attend. According to the website, tickets for the concert ran as high as $525. Considering my current financial situation, that was definite No-Go.

The costs associated with attending the TPC Phoenix Open will be a recurring theme of my post.

Getting back to the ticket prices.

• For Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (February 3rd, 4th, and 5th), admission to the TPC WM Phoenix Open was FREE.
• For Thursday (February 6th), a General Admission ticket cost $75.
• For Friday and Saturday (Februrary 7th and 8th), a General Admission ticket cost $125.
• For Sunday (February 9th), I don't remember what the price of a General Admission ticket was. It may have been higher that $125.

Why were the ticket prices organized the way they were?

Well, Monday and Tuesday were scheduled as practice rounds for PGA Tour pros only. That is, golf professionals like Scottie Scheffler get a chance to spend a couple of days essentially practicing and warming up for the tournament after traveling to Scottsdale from their previous tournament. No official play occurs on these two days. Fans are allowed to come and watch the golf professionals practice for free due to corporate sponsorship from Ford Free Days.

The overbearing corporate sponsorship will also be a recurring theme of my post.

On Wednesday, the Annexus Pro-Am Tournament was scheduled to occur. On Thursday, the first round of the TPC WM Phoenix Open was scheduled to occur. The golf tournament has officially started. On Friday, the second round of the TPC WM Phoenix Open was scheduled to occur. On Saturday, the third round of the TPC WM Phoenix Open was scheduled to occur. On Sunday, the fourth and final round of the TPC WM Phoenix Open was scheduled to occur.

It's important to note that the General Admission ticket price was just the base price. As I found out, the there are only certain things you can do with a General Admission ticket. In no particular order, you can do the following:

• Gain entrance to the TPC Golf Course.
• Sit or stand anywhere General Admission ticket holders are allowed.
• Enter the tournament gift shop to buy souvenirs.
• Access to the Talking Stick Resort Fan Zone (various food and drink vendors).
• Access to the Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden, the Fairway House, Kiva Club, and Lifebird House.

As I understood it, General Admission ticket holders were allowed to gain entrance to the viewing stands for the 16th hole; however, seating was on a first come, first served basis.

Now, for the General Admission ticket, there were various add-ons that you could choose from. However, those add-ons could get rather expensive. Quickly. What kind of add-ons? Well, there was a group of covered viewing stands, known as hospitality venues, clustered around the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. From what I could tell, many of these hospitality venues offered fine dining and greater food and drinking options, in addition to providing shade. Predictably, the hospitality venues also had corporate sponsorship (Coors Light, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Draftkings, Smead Capital Management, North Dakota Tourism, and so on). Anyway, getting access to these various corporate hospitality venues was going to cost you additional money on top of the price for a General Admission ticket. Want to go to the Coors Light Bird's Nest at the end of the day? No problem. However, it's going to cost you additional money to go in.

Not that I am a fan of Coors Light Beer. OK, I admit it. I am a beer snob that looks down at people who drink Coors Light.

On top of all of that, there were late afternoon concerts given at the Coors Light Birds Nest Entertainment Tent that started on Wednesday (Jelly Roll, Nickelback, Luke Bryan, and DJ Tiesto).

Charging for all of these extras might be fine for wealthy spectators and corporate junkets. Hey, I get it. Most of the people who follow golf, play golf, and travel around the country to attend tournaments, like the Masters and the U.S. Open, aren't exactly hurting for money. Golf tends to attract people from the upper echelons of society. Plus, let's face it, the people who vacation in Scottsdale aren't exactly poor either.

I can definitely tell you that I am not wealthy, nor do I work for a Fortune 500 company. Plus, I don't have any corporate sponsorship. I'm definitely not in the target audience for the TPC WM Phoenix Open marketing department, but I wasn't going to let that prevent me from attending.

Given all of that information, I went ahead and bought a General Admission ticket for Thursday, February 6th, for $75. I think that tickets for Saturday had already sold out.\

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my $75 General Admission ticket ended up being $96 due to all of the various processing fees that were charged to my ticket. On the positive side, it didn't cost anything to download the AXS e-ticket app onto my Samsung S24 cellphone. At least that was free.

Course map of TPC Scottsdale.

Preparations for a Journey

After buying my ticket online, I began my planning for attending the TPC WM Phoenix Open. According to the website, here were the rules for visitors to each round.

• Bags must be clear plastic or clear vinyl and do not exceed 6" x 6" x 6" or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag.
• No outside food or drink allowed.
• Cellphones are allowed and must be on vibrate. Phone calls in designated areas only.
• Must have items: Sunscreen, hat, comfortable shoes, binoculars.
• No re-entry is allowed.
• Umbrellas without sleeves are permitted.
• ATMs are onsite.
• Concessions are cashless.

Back in February 2024, it rained during the TPC WM Phoenix Open. According to news reports from the time, many spectators were left soaked and wet due to a shortage of shelter for inclement weather. This year, tournament organizers worked with local authorities on contingency plans for both rainy weather and the possibly of unseasonably warm or hot weather.

While I initially decided to bring a clear plastic stadium-approved bag containing sunscreen, a light jacket, and some sunscreen, I ultimately decided to travel light for my day at the First Round of the TPC WM Phoenix Open. The night before the official opening day of the tournament, I checked the weather forecast for Scottsdale on the evening news. The weather was predicted to be mostly sunny with some scattered clouds with a high temperature somewhere in the low to mid 70s F. In other words, the weather was going to be perfect for watching golf. That meant wearing a nice shirt, a nice pair of shorts, ankle socks, my new pair of New Balance running shoes, and a baseball hat. The only other items that I needed were my car keys, my cellphone, and my wallet. Since I had bought a new cellphone prior to the tournament, I took the time to set up the AXS app on my phone for accessing my electronic ticket. I also set up Google Pay and Samsung Pay on my phone for contactless payments.

Taking the 101

After purchasing my ticket from the tournament website, my next step was to figure out the location of the TPC Scottsdale Golf Course. A quick search on Google Maps revealed that the TPC Scottsdale Golf Course is located at the intersection of East Bell Road and Hayden Road in northern Scottsdale. The golf course is also just west of Highway 101. The location of the golf course meant that I could have a relatively easy, if long, drive out to Scottsdale from the Sun City-Peoria, AZ. All I would have to do is get on Highway 101 near Bell Road and 83rd Avenue and then drive east for approximately 30 miles.

Route taken to TPC WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, AZ

For public parking at the TPC WM Phoenix Open, organizers wanted people to park their cars at Westworld of Scottsdale, a multipurpose venue near TPC Scottsdale. There was a nearby lot for people that were using Uber or Lyft to get to the tournament.

WM Phoenix Open Parking Map

On the morning of Thursday, February 6th, 2025, I didn't leave the house until around 10:00 AM. I could have left for the TPC Scottsdale Golf Course earlier in the morning. However, I was willing to wait for rush hour traffic to somewhat dissipate before heading out. I opened Google Maps on my cellphone and plotted a course for Westworld of Scottsdale. Surprisingly, the drive out to Scottsdale was smooth and uneventful. I couldn't believe that I was driving on Highway 101. Before I knew it, I had made it to the exit for North Pima Road. From there, I followed the long line of cars to Westworld of Scottsdale. There was some confusion as I ended up at the drop off point for Uber and Lyft riders. However, I still managed to drive over to the unpaved parking lot near Westworld of Scottsdale and park my car.

Going Through Security

After being guided as to where to park my car at the unpaved parking lot, I parked my car. I did one last check to make sure that I had my cell phone, my wallet, and my car keys. Since I had just completed the 30 mile drive to Scottsdale from the Sun City-Peoria area, I wasn't going to screw things up. After locking my car, I followed other spectators through the parking lot to the security check point. The security check point was quite similar to going through security at State Farm Stadium. There were four or five lines of people waiting to go through security. Once I got to the front of the line, I took everything out of my pockets and put all the items into my hat. I walked through the metal detectors without any problems. I picked up my hat with all of my items and then boarded the nearest coach bus. Once the bus was loaded full of spectators, the bus driver left the parking lot. After a short ride of five to ten minutes through northern Scottsdale, the bus arrived at the drop off point.

Parking lot at Westworld of Scottsdale.

Standing in line for the shuttle buses.

Waiting to go through security checkpoint.

Walking to the Main Entrance

Entrance sign for the WM Phoenix Open.

As people were leaving the bus, the bus driver was telling people that they needed to board "Bus Number Two" in order to get back to their cars. After getting off the bus, I began to see just how enormous an event the TPC WM Phoenix Open truly is. There were buses dropping off spectators everywhere. Entire streets had been closed to the general public. I could see the Coors Light tent in the distance as I exited the bus. Moreover, there were people everywhere, and they were all moving in one direction toward the main entrance of the golf course. As a result, I decided to follow the crowd. It was around this point in time that I began to really start taking photos with my cellphone.

Leaving the shuttle bus. 

Walking toward the entrance gate.

Welcome to the WM Phoenix Open

Starting to notice other people wearing different wristband colors.

Getting closer to the golf course. 

One detail that I quickly picked up on was that many people were wearing different colors of wristbands on their arms. Since I didn't receive a wristband in the mail, I was curious as to what was going on. I asked an employee at the Will Call window about the wristbands. The woman explained that the color of the wristband determined what areas of the golf course you could have access to. She also explained that General Admission ticketholders did not receive a colored wristband. That it explained why I didn't have a colored wristband. Remember when I wrote about tiered pricing earlier in my post? That's what the wristbands were for. Some wristbands were red; others were blue. There were stands and restaurants that you couldn't get into with a General Admission ticket. Plus, I am certain that many of the viewing stands at the golf course were for employees of corporate sponsors. Not a surprise. No worries as I was at the tournament to watch professional golfers play golf.

Getting closer to the golf course.

I know I am getting closer as I can hear the spectators.

Walking under the viewing stands for the 18th hole.

Relieved, I continued walking toward the main gate of TPC Scottsdale. The number of people entering the golf course continued to get larger and larger. All of a sudden, there it was, the main entrance to the golf course. At the main entrance, I opened the AXS e-ticket app on my phone and had my General Admission ticket scanned. Well, actually, the ticket was more of a QR code. Interestingly, the QR code for the WM Phoenix Open was designed to constantly change, so you couldn't take a screenshot. Despite having my e-ticket scanned, I still wasn't at the golf course. After an additional five minutes of walking, I FINALLY made it to the tunnel. Well, it wasn't exactly a tunnel. It took me a second, but I realized that everyone was walking underneath the concourse for the viewing stands for the 18th hole. However, I could see that the light at the end of the tunnel was really, really close. 

Deciding Where to Go

After walking underneath the concourse, I came to a digital screen that provided information to spectators, such a map of the golf course, directions to important places (viewing stands, bathrooms, first aid, restaurants, etc.), and the leaderboard. The digital screen was constantly updating. There were two windows of time for players to tee off on the official first day of the TPC WM Phoenix Open. The first window of time was from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM. The second window of time was from 11:35 AM to 1:15 PM. Well, I arrived too late to see the first batch of players play the first tee. It didn't matter as I had just arrived at the golf course for the second batch of players to begin playing. 

The official TPC WM Phoenix Open digital billboard.

Digital billboard close-up.

Looking back at the concourse.

Looking towards the clubhouse.

Large group of people entering the golf course. 

More people entering the golf course. 

After trying to orient myself after studying the digital billboard, I noticed that the 18th hole was just a short walk away from where I was. There it was the 18th hole. An early group of golfers were finishing up their first round as I walked over. There were three golfers on the putting green, waiting to finish their putts for the 18th hole. The viewing stands were already packed. In fact, just about every viewing stand that I could see was full of spectators. After watching the golfers finish their putting, I thought about where to go next. I ended up walking over to the gift shop for the TPC WM Phoenix Open. 

 

View of the 18th Hole.

Another view of the 18th Hole.

Tournament officials.

To the PGA FanShop

I followed the pathway to the Official PGA FanShop. The exterior of the building gave the impression that the souvenir shop was going to a building of modest size. The reality couldn't have been further from the truth. Once I entered the building, the souvenir shop had to be at least as long as an American football field. Inside the souvenir shop was just about every conceivable souvenir item that had been branded with the official logo of the TPC WM Phoenix Open. There were official T-shirts, official polo shirts, official dress shirts, official sweaters, official hoodies, official rain jackets, official pants, official shorts, official umbrellas, official hats, official golf balls, official golf shoes, official golfing gloves, and even official whiskey shot glasses. Just about everything was commercialized for the TPC WM Phoenix Open. I thought about getting a souvenir hat (Do I really need another hat?) and a shirt of some sort. Depending on the manufacturer, the logo printed on the hat, and type of hat, prices for your typical souvenir baseball-style hat started at around $38, I think. If you wanted the official TPC WM Phoenix Open wide-brimmed hat to wear the next time you played golf, you were going to pay a good chunk of change. If I remember correctly, prices for a souvenir T-shirt started at around $50. Obviously, souvenir polo shirts and souvenir dress shirts were going to be more expensive. I thought about what I was going to buy as wandered around the PGA FanShop. The building was full of customers just buying up the store. There were people were easily spending hundreds of dollars on souvenirs. For some spectators, money definitely wasn't an object. People want everyone everywhere to know that they attended the TPC WM Phoenix Open. Lines at each cash register were long and crisscrossed the store. Ultimately, I decided against buying any souvenirs. I didn't want to stand in line for a long length of time nor did I want to carry a bag around with me. After walking around the PGA FanShop for about 20 minutes or so, I left the building and walked through the Fan Zone. 

Walking to the Official PGA FanShop.

Inside the Official PGA FanShop.

A selection of official TPC WM Phoenix Open hats.

Spectators standing in line.

More spectators standing in line.

Walking Through the Fan Zone

The Fan Zone was right next to the PGA FanShop. The Fan Zone was a collection of various food and drink vendors, such as Tortas Paquimé, Zinburger, and Tito's Vodka, among others. The tortas from Tortas Paquimé smelled really good. I liked that there were several video screens that allowed spectators to watch the TV broadcast of the first day of official play as they ate their food. An admittedly nice touch was the green astroturf that had been laid down to simulate a putting green. I'm not too sure why I didn't go check out, say, Tito's Vodka or get a torta from Tortas Paquimé. My thinking may have been that since I had just entered the golf course, I wanted to spend some time looking around the golf course before I decided on what to do. Plus, the time was already past 12:30PM. Before I knew it, I was on my way over to the driving range to watch professional golfers take some practice swings before their tee time. Before I left the Fan Zone, I did stop by a drink vendor to buy a beer. The beer selection was Miller Lite, Coors Light, and a couple of hard seltzer-style drinks. That was it. With all of the walking that I had already completed, I was getting thirsty. Even though I am a beer snob and prefer to drink craft beer whenever possible, I bought a Miller Lite beer. A 16-ounce aluminum bottle of Miller Lite was $14. To me, it seemed a little pricey, but I was getting thirsty. It was my first Miller Lite in a long time. It wasn't too bad. 

Wandering around the Fan Zone.

More wandering around the Fan Zone.

Still wandering around the Fan Zone.

People eating lunch at the Fan Zone.

Tortas Paquimé at the Fan Zone.

Zinburger at the Fan Zone.

Tito's Vodka at the Fan Zone.

Leaving the Fan Zone for the driving range.

Hanging Out at the Driving Range

Carrying my aluminum bottle of Miller Lite, the driving range was a short walk down the cement path from the Fan Zone. I didn't recognize any of the golfers that were hitting range balls for practice. One golfer who may have been at the driving range while I was there may have been Scottie Scheffler. One thing that amazed me was how effortlessly the professional golfers hit a golf ball. No hesitation. No shank balls to the immediate left or right. No divots. No broken tees. Of course, there were a couple of mishit balls here and there. Basically, the professional golfers were the exact opposite of me when I go hit range balls at the golf course. The driving range had a set of bleachers for people to sit in. My feet were already starting to ache, so a short rest was needed. After finishing my Miller Lite beer, it was time to move on. 

 

People at the driving range.

Golf pros hitting range balls.

Hashtag #GreenestShow

So, what does #greenestshow refer to? That is a good question. It has to do with the tournament's main corporate sponsor, Waste Management. I did some research into the hashtag. Here is a breakdown. 

The hashtag #GreenestShow is used in relation to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a golf tournament known for its sustainability efforts and nickname "The Greenest Show on Grass," encouraging fans to participate in green initiatives and share their practices. 

WM Phoenix Open's Sustainability Focus:

The Waste Management Phoenix Open, held at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a leader in sustainable sporting events, aiming to be a zero-waste event.  

#GreenestShow Campaign:

The hashtag #GreenestShow is used to promote the tournament's sustainability efforts and encourage fans, sponsors, and the community to share their daily green practices and participate in the tournament's sustainability initiatives. 

Zero Waste Goals:

The tournament aims to divert 100% of tournament waste away from landfills and into recycling and composting facilities, focusing on educating vendors and attendees about proper waste disposal.  

Community Engagement:

The #GreenestShow campaign encourages fans to wear green and participate in the "Green Out" on Saturday, with donations made to sustainability charities for each person who wears green. 

Examples of Sustainability Efforts:

• 100% of waste from the 2023 tournament was diverted from landfill and recycled, composted, converted to energy, or donated. 
• The tournament has reused signage and donated building materials and unused food to local organizations. 
• The WM Phoenix Open has a history of restoring water to the TPC Scottsdale since 2015. 
• The tournament uses recycled materials for signage, golf balls, and tees. 

The environmental goals are certainly laudable, regardless of where you lie on the political spectrum. Besides, a golf tournament does produce A LOT of waste, so you might as well recycle as much as possible. 

Spectator near the putting green for the 10th Hole

Starting at the 10th Hole

After leaving the driving range, I made my way over to the tee box for the 10th hole. I don't remember any of the names of the golfers that were getting ready to tee off. Here are some golf tournament ethics for future golf tournament spectators. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. 

• Spectators may get as close to the pro golfers you want as long as you don't go past the white security rope. 
• Spectators must put their cellphone on vibrate so as to not distract golfers prior to making their shot. 
• If you need to use your cellphone, please move away from the players. 
• When the "Quiet, please" signs are raised by golf course personnel, please remain quiet until the signs are lowered.
• When golfers are walking to their next shot or to the next hole, spectators are allowed to use their cellphones or engage in conversations. 

Sounds reasonable, right?

It was interesting to watch the professional golfers play the game in-person, from the tee box to the fairway to the putting green. Interestingly, there wasn't a lot of time wasting between shots. Each golfer knew the etiquette and the rules of play. Once every player had sunk their putts, the players rapidly made their way to the next hole.  

 

At the 10th hole. 

Spectators between the 10th and 11th holes.

At the tee box for the 11th hole.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of this pro golfer.

The fairway for the 11th hole.

Looking across the fairway to the viewing stands for the 16th hole.

Spectators walking toward the 16th hole.

Looking towards the McDowell Mountains. 

Looking towards the McDowell Mountains 2. 

At the tee box for the 12th hole.

Tee box for the 7th hole.

Pro golfers on the putting green.

An Oasis in the Desert

After following the pro golfers I was with until about the 12th hole, I FINALLY got hungry to eat something for lunch. Since I was already at the 12th hole, I could have walked over to the Fairway House, which was nearby, and bought something to eat. I didn't do that. Instead, I walked down the hill and over to the Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden, which lies between the 5th, 6th, and 7th holes. The Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden just sounded appealing to me. 

Heading over to the Desert Oasis BBQ & Beer Garden.

Entering the Desert Oasis BBQ & Beer Garden.

Looking for something to eat for lunch.

After looking around the Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden, I ended up buying a barbeque beef brisket sandwich, a small bag of Doritos tortilla chips, and an aluminum bottle of Coors Banquet Beer. The barbeque beef brisket sandwich cost $18. The rather puny bag of Doritos tortilla chips came with the sandwich. The 16-ounce aluminum bottle of Coors Banquet Beer cost $13. With the customary 15% tip, my bill to eat lunch at the Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden came to a total that exceeded $31. You read that correctly. My bill to eat lunch was over $31. To be honest, the barbeque beef brisket sandwich was really, REALLY good. The small bag of Doritos had like five tortilla chips inside. OK. That might be an exaggeration. The bag may have had less than a dozen tortilla chips. The Coors Banquet Beer was actually quite refreshing to drink. It had been ages since I had a regular Coors Beer to drink. I can remember when it was a popular beer to drink once upon a time. 

BBQ brisket sandwich, Doritos tortilla chips, and Coors Beer.

There was quite a crowd at the Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden, so finding an empty table or a place to sit for lunch was tricky. Eventually, I did find an empty table to stand at and eat lunch. Fortunately, the table was near the large TV screen, so I could watch the TV coverage of the tournament as I ate lunch. As I was eating my beef brisket sandwich, I noticed on the TV screen that Scottie Scheffler, the ranking World's Number One Golfer, was playing nearby. According to the Golf Channel, Scottie Scheffler and the rest of his group were finishing up at the 5th hole. Scottie Scheffler. Now, there was the name of a professional golfer that I was familiar with. Of course, everyone remembers when he was detained by local police on his way to a golf tournament near Louisville, Kentucky. As a result, I quickly finished eating my beef brisket sandwich and my tiny bag of Doritos tortilla chips. 

Confessions of a Scottie Scheffler Groupie

With my Coors Banquet beer in hand, I quickly walked over to the 6th hole to catch up with Scottie Scheffler and his threesome. The other two golfers he was paired with were young, up-and-coming South Korean golfer Tom Kim and veteran golfer Max Homa. Among the three professional golfers, Scottie Scheffler had won the most tournaments with 13 career wins. Scottie Scheffler is no stranger at the TPC WM Phoenix Open as he won the tournament two years in a row in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Tom Kim has won three tournaments, while Max Homa has won six.  For a list of the winners of the TPC WM Phoenix Open for the last ten years, see the table that I constructed for this post below.

Scottie Scheffler biography from www.pgatour.com.

Tom Kim biography from www.pgatour.com.

Max Homa biography from www.pgatour.com.

Tom Kim (left) and Scottie Scheffler (right) on the fairway for the 6th hole.

Tom Kim (left) and Scottie Scheffler (right) on the fairway for the 6th hole.

Scottie Scheffler at the tee box for the 7th hole.

Tom Kim at the tee box for the 7th hole.

Max Homa (left) and Scottie Scheffler (center) wait for Tom Kim's shot.

Following the crowd after Tom Kim's tee shot on the 8th hole.

Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa on the putting green for the 8th hole.

Tom Kim readies his tee shot at the 9th hole.

Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot at the 9th hole.

Scottie Scheffler and his caddy at the tee box for the 9th hole.

Following Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa on the 9th hole.

Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa approach the putting green.

Scottie Scheffler lines up his putt on the 9th hole.

Spectators gather at the putting green for the 9th hole.

Quite a few spectators at the 9th hole.

Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Scottie Scheffler on the fairway.

I followed Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa for the rest of the day. Going through my photos on Google Photos, I see that I didn't take ANY photos for the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th holes. As I write this post, I cannot figure out why I didn't take any photos for these holes. I suppose that there are only so many photos from a distance that one can take during 18 holes of golf. Still, it would have been nice to have taken some photos from these holes. The 13th, 14th, and 15th holes were especially beautiful, so I am a little frustrated by not having any photos from these holes.

I am guessing that fatigue from standing and walking around everywhere may have had an effect. Plus, the warm weather may have also been a factor. The temperature was in the mid to upper 70s F with wispy white clouds in an azure, blue sky. The weather was perfect for an afternoon of golf. After Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, and Tom Kim completed the 10th hole, I did stop buy one of the concessions stands to buy another 16-ounce aluminum bottle of Coors Banquest beer for, you guessed it, $13.    

The Final Stretch

After Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa finished their putts for the 15th hole, it was time to head over to the 16th hole. Perhaps out of all of the holes at the TPC WM Phoenix Open, the 16th hole is the most famous. The outline of the 16th hole is the logo of the TPC WM Phoenix Open (see the graphic at the top of my post). By golf standards, the 16th hole is a short hole. The 16th hole is a par 3 at 163 yards from the tee box. Due to its short length, the 16th hole is designed to be a dramatic hole. The idea behind the design of the hole is to put the golfers into a position where they have to go for a hole-in-one. According to the souvenir program, there have been 11 holes-in-one at this very hole during the TPC WM Phoenix Open. Most recently, pro golfers Carlos Ortiz and Sam Ryder scored holes-in-one at the 16th hole during the 2022 tournament. Adding to the drama are the temporary viewing stands that encircle the 16th hole, giving the hole an appearance of a bullfighting ring. During the afternoon, there were a couple of times where you could hear the crowd at the 16th hole cheering and applauding. However, I don't think anyone made a hole-in-one on the first day of the TPC WM Phoenix Open. I could be wrong.  

On a side note, the 16th hole is the location of the famous concert that is given the Friday or Saturday prior to the start of the tournament. I thought about going to the concert; however, the ticket prices were outrageous. This year's performers were Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani. 

  

Info graphic for the 16th hole (Source: WM Phoenix Open Program).

As Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa entered the 16th hole, I was faced with a decision. Should I try to get a seat for the 16th hole, or should I move on to the 17th hole instead? Since the 16th hole is so famous, A LOT of spectators want to be there. My understanding was that seating at the 16th hole was on a first come, first served basis for everyone. I imagine that if you wanted to get a seat at the 16th hole, you had to get there quite early. Probably right when the main entrance is opened to spectators at 7:30 AM. To be fair, there did a appear to be a line you could stand in and wait for a seat to become available as people left the viewing stands. I decided to push on to the 17th hole.     

After a 10 minute or so wait, Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa exited the 16th hole and approached the 17th hole. The 17th hole was a long and narrow hole with viewing stands on both sides of the fairway. I assumed that you needed one of the colored wristbands to gain entry to one of the viewing stands. I stood about midway between the tee box and the putting green on the right-hand side of the fairway. I stood among a big crowd of people that was slowly moving toward the putting green. Before I knew it, Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa had hit their shots from the tee and into the fairway.  

Info graphic for the 17th hole (Source: WM Phoenix Open Program).

Waiting for Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa at the 17th hole.

Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim walking the fairway on the 17th hole.

Sand traps at the 17th hole.

Playing the short game at the 17th hole.

Putting out the 17th hole.

The 18th hole at the TPC WM Phoenix Open has a spectacular setting. The hole is designed such that the ball from the tee shot must travel over a water hazard in order to get to the fairway. On both sides of the fairway are immense viewing stands. At the beginning of the day, I saw the viewing stands for the 18th hole. With the sun starting to set, the viewing stands seemed to bigger and larger. Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa all successfully hit their tee shots across the water and onto the fairway. I am certain that if I was there, my tee shot would have gone into the water. As Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa approached the putting green for the 18th hole, I noticed that many people were making their way to the exit. I checked my watch and noticed that it was already past 5:30 PM. On the way to the golf course, my first bus driver said that the bus service between the golf course and the parking lot ended at 6:00 PM. Since Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Max Homa had finished their round of golf for the day, I decided that it was time to head back to shuttle buses. Moreover, I didn't have a colored wristband to enter one of the after-golf parties, such as the concert at the Coors Light Birds Nest. According to the TPC WM Phoenix Open souvenir program, Luke Bryan and Nate Smith were the headlining performers at the Coors Light Birds Nest. Besides, I knew that I had a long drive back to the Sun City-Peoria, AZ area from Scottsdale. Thus, it was time to go. 

Incidentally, Tom Kim would finish the day with a score of 67. Scottie Scheffler scored a 69, while Max Homa would finish with a 76. Unfortunately for Scottie Scheffler, the golf course seemed to be indifferent to previous two-time champions. Golf is like that. 

Info graphic for the 18th hole (Source: WM Phoenix Open Program).

Walking towards the 18th hole.

Tom Kim hits his tee shot from the 18th hole.

The water hazard at the 18th hole.

Walking towards the putting green at the 18th hole.

Looking back at the 17th hole.

WM recyclable box filled with empty drinking containers.

Heading back to the shuttle buses.

Final Thoughts

All-in-all, I enjoyed myself while attending the opening day of the TPC WM Phoenix Open. All told, I managed to spend less than $200 for a general admission ticket, a BBQ beef brisket sandwich, and three beers. I cannot forget that I had to fill up my car's gas tank the night before, so the total cost might actually be closer to $200. The amount of money spent could have been much higher if I had bought, say, a souvenir hat and a souvenir shirt. I would have spent considerably more money if I had bought one of the tiered tickets that allows you to sit in one of the covered viewing stands or gain entrance to the Coors Light Bird Nest after the end of the day and hobnob with golf's jet-set crowd. However, with a general admission ticket, I was able to follow around one of the biggest names in golf around the course. That was enough. Would I attend the TPC WM Phoenix Open next year? Certainly. There were probably things that I would do differently if I were to go to next year's tournament. Who knows, perhaps I will spend the extra money to hang out with the Scottsdale elite for an entire day or two. Lastly, just know that you can attend one of professional golf's premier tournaments, and one of the major events on Phoenix's social calendar, without spending A LOT of money. Plus, you don't need corporate sponsorship. 

Post-Script

Want to play the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, the same exact course used for the WM Phoenix Open? Well, according to TPC Scottsdale's website, that's going to cost you AT LEAST $379!!! For now, I will just settle for hitting range balls at a nearby golf course in Sun City, AZ.     

Appendix: Winners of the TPC WM Phoenix Open (2014-2024)

Year	Champion	Purse	Scores by Round	Final Score
2024	Nick Taylor	1,584,000	60 70 68 65	263
2023	Scottie Scheffler	3,600,000	68 64 68 65	265
2022	Scottie Scheffler	1,476,000	68 71 62 67	268
2021	Brooks Koepka	1,314,000	68 66 66 65	265
2020	Webb Simpson	1,314,000	71 63 64 69	267
2019	Rickie Fowler	1,278,000	64 65 64 74	267
2018	Gary Woodland	1,242,000	67 68 67 64	266
2017	Hideki Matsuyama	1,206,000	65 68 70 67	270
2016	Hideki Matsuyama	1,170,000	65 68 70 67	270
2015	Brooks Koepka	1,134,000	71 68 64 66	269