Waste Management Phoenix Open

When there on a Tuesday, best day for golf purest people. You can walk around, no ropes, visit with players and sit almost anywhere you want at #16 it’s empty. I’d like to see the Thunderbirds take the next step at 16 hole and do a «dome» on it. That’s right put a min-​dome at #16 and enclose the entire hole. Make is so spectacular that it’s never going to be replicated or duplicated at another venue. Do it, be original. The hole is unique on tour, but its already old and getting worn out, take the next step be a first.

Always have a great time at the open. I only went on Wednesday, so no rain (yeah!) And it was busy. They change the parking and the taxi service every year Nd it always seems a little chaotic, but with so many people I assume it would be hard to make it not chaotic. The service is always great. A lot of drunks, I think they over serve but I am sure people go to different servers so it would be hard to know who drank what and how much people have had.

Give this event 3 starts … not enough bloody mary vendors … there needs to be more!!!
there used to be one stand every other tee, what happened to that!!!
Also heard from folks standing in line for the 16^th hole they were waiting for 2+hours, not cool.

My wife and I attended Thursday 1÷29÷15. Spent six hours in the stands on 16 hole. Had a great time, you have to go with the flow. We had a lady next to us that was offended by the loud, ruckus crowd. Not your normal golf tournament.
I only had one issue. The bus transporting to & from lot W was terrible. We arrived at 8:30 along with hundreds of folks, they had very few buses in service. We stood for over almost an hour before more buses showed up. Finally they put more in service, ok we surprised them on day one arrival. Fast forward to the end of the day. They had the bus lines to lot W and lines to the Birds Nest (after party venue) combined. This caused mass congestion and was simply poor planning. Again the buses were late to the rush. It started raining, people were getting upset. They talked some folks into walking almost 4 miles in the dark and rain. Very poorly orchestrated. They hold this event ever year, they should have this down. Very poor logistics.

Great golf, great vies, limitless drinks and AZ eye candy. What’s not to enjoy? Oh Ya… the Birds Nest and awesome concerts and cigars. Almost guy heaven!

Alright event to attend. Got some free passes to a box on the 16^th hole.
Apparently there is a group that puts this on called the thunderbirds… who dress EXACTLY like what I imagine golfers look like… ridiculous pants, and lots of visors.
Cool part was that we went on the celebrity tournament day, so I got to see two childhood Heros play. Randy Johnson and ken Griffey jr! See pictures for more.
Tiger woods also lead a good of celebrities… it was odd to see how stark quiet it got when we put a foot out on the grass. It was like god had stepped forth and whisper «silence!» As a commandment and everyone followed suit.
All in all, if you have free passes with catered food and free drinks, go for it. It is probably not worth wading through drunken 30k millionaires on a Saturday afternoon

Look — how could I give it less than three stars even though it’s more like the areas biggest drunk fest. I actually had a few of the drunks thinking I was weird Al Yankovic’s brother!
I received a free ticket worth free food and ten free drinks. The place is huge and amazing and there were some pros practicing — anyone famous — I really have no idea — I know very little about golf and probably wouldn’t know even Tiger if he said hello to me. Took some pics — drank — ate and looked around —
The grass actually looks fake — I had to get right down and touch it — pick some just to prove it was real — simply amazing!

Been coming here for years now and it’s always a good time! I always come on Saturday to be one of almost 2000k people in attendance. I like to come to watch golf and the people that attend. Always entertaining. Tip, if you actually want to come and pay attention to golf, come any day except Saturday! Very crowded and hard to move around. Try coming sat and sun for the best experience because you will be able to watch golf on Sunday. The 16^th tee has become more and more commercialized as years past so if you want to get a seat and don’t have passes, get in line early and prepare to wait!

Woohoo! Free drinks at the open! Drinking and People watching… my 2 favorite sports!
Had a blast being one of the 189,000 in attendance on Saturday.
We even caught some golf action in between.
The process of parking in a lot far away and riding a bus was painless on the way in, but since we didn’t want to wait an hour in line to get back to our car, we walked the mile or so to get out.
I’ve been given Corporate Village tix to this event before, but I’ve never used them. From now on, I’m going!

True to its «Wasted Management» moniker, the Phoenix Open did *not* disappoint.
We parked ten minutes up the street, and before we even entered the gates, we saw police dishing out MIPs like candy, and even attendees handcuffed to golf carts before 11am. I heard many a drunken ASU/​UofA fratter yell to his bro for more Coors Light (apparently Natty Light is losing share in the college market?).
After pushing through the crowded entrance, we made our way back to 11, 12, and 15 which were significantly less crowded, and surprisingly, featured golf! Yes, we actually watched professional golfers attempt to score, which put my wife and me in the minority of attendees who weren’t trying to do the «scoring» ourselves. ;)
Basically, if you’re in college or on a bachelor/​bachelorette party, then the Phoenix Open might be just your scene. There is definitely no place like it!

Crazy is the only word to describe this event! 200,000 people, most of them drunk.. .it’s like a crazy part with golf in the background. Kind of price — most vendors do not accept credit cards.

I was shocked to find out that I was smack dab in the middle of a tournament and never noticed. This event was much to do about everything except golf. The crowds, the fashion, the debauchery, VIP tents, punch card drink tickets, drunk chicks, MILFs, frat boys, and DILFs galore. It was mayhem and I loved every hot messy second of it. It was also a great time to catch up and spend quality time with some of my favorite people. We caught up on old times and made plans for our future. So much has happened in the last year or so… One of us became a mom, one of us is in a fabulous LTR with a really cool guy and one of us is basking in the upside of being perfectly single and absolutely happy.
There were so many moments of wonderful that happened throughout the day but nothing compares to that split second one of your friends commits the one forbidden faux paz just as a tee off was about to happen which resulted in a crowd of head spins and scathing glares. OH NO SHE DIDN’T!!! It was priceless!
This day could not have been any better.

Honestly whats not to love about Phoenix Open? Golf, booze, girls trying to walk on grass in stiletto heels, drunk girls just simply trying to walk or stand up for that matter! Drunk dudes trying to pick up on said drunk girls who can’t stand up! Year after year the Phoenix open seems to never disappoint!

I love this tournament. I play golf and I respect the rules and the tradition. But, I also play with a few guys who are more about having a good time than actually worrying about whether they missed a 3 foot putt or not. Clearly the professionals that are playing in the tournament take it seriously (well, most of them). But, this tournament is unique in that the periphery is about the fans.
My firm has a client who has one of those big private party tents and I manage to get an invitation every year. While it’s nice hanging out with the one-​percenters and enjoy free food and drinks I mostly enjoy walking around and «people watch».
You’ll see everything here. Old men who glare at you if you scratch your nose while someone is putting, women walking around with the required clear plastic bags — one woman was obviously having her period or was just carrying supplies for a friend, frat boys sitting in the stands on the 16^th hole drinking beer and hooting after each shot, and my favorite — women wearing high heels; it cracks me up watching an over-​dressed, glamorous statuesque woman pull her heel out of the ground. There just isn’t a classy way to do that.
Yes, the parking is a royal pain (they have valet parking available for a fee), the concession food is so-​so and expensive, the merchandise prices are outrageous and, as the week goes on, the crowds get larger. But, you should still go. The tournament brings a lot of money into the valley, supports a great charity and especially this winter we get to say «neener-​neener-​neener» to everyone who lives north of us.

Two Words… super green. Literally. The grass is gorgeous and there are no trash cans to be found. Only recycle and compost bins. Love it.
I was volunteering this particular day, so wasn’t able to walk around and people watch much, but when the weather is this gorgeous this event is a must see!

This is always a fun day. It’s nice to be outdoors, follow your favorite golf pro’s AND the people watching is stellar. Try to score VIP tickets if you can. «Free» trumps the $ 7.00 beer anyday!
The Open is well organized, civil, and ahem, lots of bathrooms available. The parking/​shuttle system works seamlessly. We prefer Sunday when it is less crowded. Haven’t attended the parties or music events but they look fun. It is an annual event we look forward to.

Outstanding event. The weather was great this year.

JD hit this review right on the head. If you’re a big golf fan and not a freshmen in college looking to drink your face off, this is NOT the place you want to spend Super Bowl weekend. More people come to party than they do to watch golf. I would recommend attending this thing during the week (Saturday had record attendance at 178,000+ which meant spending an hour to get in and an hour getting out of this place). Overall, we had a good time though.
If you’re planning on coming next year, here’s a few tips: 1) pay for reserved parking– the course is at least a mile from the parking lot and if you do this, they will transport you back and forth in a charter bus, 2) COME EARLY– otherwise you will spend 45 minutes waiting in line for a bracelet that is REQUIRED to order a drink (your ID alone will not suffice), 3) wear sunscreen and drink a lot of water– the weather was suppose to be in the high 60s /​low 70s… it felt like it was closer to 90 and 4) BRING CHAIRS AND SET UP SHOP AT YOUR FAVORITE HOLE– you don’t want to fight this crazy crowd following 1 player from hole to hole. You won’t get to see or enjoy anything. By doing this, you won’t have to fight for a good view and you can sit back, relax, drink a beer and see all the players go through.
We salvaged our time and will try again next year, 2 Stars ** for the WMPO in 2013.

I guess the nickname «Wasted Management Open» makes sense for this tournament. It’s got to be the only PGA tournament were more people attend for the non-​golf activities than to actually watch golf. It’s an amazing event for sure. Some observations:
+ Valet parking is the way to go. It’s near the entrance and although it costs $$$, it is worth every penny in my opinion. The other lots are too far for my tastes… I’m an impatient guy. Luckily, I scored a Valet pass.
+ Be sure you plan to give your liver a rest after the tournament. If you’re going to do this the right way, you’ll be drinking like a fish for 4+ days/​nights.
+ The best golf holes to watch in my opinion are 17 and 18. I like the pin positions on the 17 green and the water hazard surrounding the green makes you pay dearly if you try to hit driver off the tee and go for it in 1… it’s a short Par 4 and it’s fun to watch many pros go for it off the tee.
+ For a 1^st timer, 16 is a must see. However, unless you can get in a skybox, it’s tough to get in on Saturday and Sunday. I heard people were waiting since 7 or 8 AM to get in on those days. Luckily, we were in a skybox.
+ The Thunder Dog is really good. Priced at $ 5, it’s a deal. You can find a Thunderbird stand selling them between Hole 16 and the practice range. It’s worth waiting in line for it.
— The Bird’s Nest is fun for a first timer. However, this was my 2^nd year going and I didn’t have much fun there this year. It’s way too packed and it gets uncomfortable. Last year,
rocked the house. This year it was Dirks Bentley and Roger Clyne. Roger Clyne had the entire tent packed… he could have headlined all by himself. It’s way too crowded and full of drunks. Next year, I will pass on this for sure.
Overall, it’s a pretty fun scene. It should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list to experience at least once.
Return Factor — 90%

Whether you’re going to watch golf, people watch, network for business purposes, party at the Bird’s Nest, or just be part of the scene, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is the place to be in Arizona during Super Bowl week.
The Phoenix Open attracts everyone and everyone has a great time when they go. Sure, there are a lot of people and you have to wait in a few lines to get tickets, food and drink, or even just to catch a bus back to the parking lot at the end of the day, but everyone is in a good mood and its a lot of fun!
Despite the crowds, you can still find holes where you can get right up by the tee box or the green and really get a chance to see some great golf. If you just go for the social scene, the food and beverage area is great and of course, the world famous 16^th Hole is the place to be. The Bird’s Nest brings in world-​class entertainment every year and is definitely the place for the single and young at heart.
So if you’re looking for something to do during Super Bowl week in the Valley of the Sun, head on out to the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Even those who find golf to be boring will have a good time.
Oh, and if you’re going to drink, get a designated driver. Scottsdale P.D. are out in force and getting a DUI isn’t a good way to end a great day.