The Phoenix Open isn’t just the 16th hole.

This is the insider’s guide: history, hidden spots, best days, and the mistakes locals never make.

If you’re going in 2026, read this first.

Your favorite driver!

HUM is a mobility app that blends the convenience of rideshare with the luxury of having your own private driver. Enjoy flat-rate fares with no surge pricing, plus the ability to pre-book and ride again with drivers you trust… like having a caddie, but for your everyday rides.

How locals actually do The Greatest Show on Grass

Let’s get something out of the way.

If you come to the Phoenix Open and only see the 16th hole, you didn’t attend a golf tournament. You went to a tailgate with grass.

And that’s fine. But if you’re reading The Cactus Club, you’re here for the full picture. The golf. The chaos. The hidden angles. The parts that don’t show up on Instagram.

Here’s how to do the 2026 Phoenix Open the right way.

It earned it.

The Phoenix Open dates back to 1932, making it one of the oldest events on the PGA Tour. It was revived in 1939 by Bob Goldwater Sr. and the Thunderbirds, who still run the event today and quietly funnel millions back into Arizona charities.

In 1950, the tournament was briefly renamed the Ben Hogan Invitational after Hogan nearly died in a car crash the year before. That tells you everything you need to know about the original DNA here. This was a players’ tournament long before it was a spectacle.

The real shift came in 1987, when the event moved to TPC Scottsdale. The desert stadium layout made it scalable. Loud fans didn’t ruin the tournament. They exposed their personality.

Treat it that way.

The Coliseum didn’t fall from the sky. It grew organically, fueled by ASU students and Arizona fans who refused to clap politely for wedges.

Tiger’s hole-in-one in 1997 turned the 16th into mythology. Since then, it’s been copied, studied, and misunderstood.

For 2026, the 16th gets a major upgrade. A new multi-story structure, expanded capacity, better sightlines, and more flexible ticket access. Translation: more people, more noise, more chaos.

Here’s the spicy truth.

If you build your entire day around 16, you will miss the best golf of the week.

Hit it once. Early. Intentionally. Then move on.

That’s why it’s great.

This course doesn’t have water everywhere. It has decisions.

Ask Rickie Fowler, who lost a two-shot lead in 2016 and watched Hideki Matsuyama outlast him in a playoff.

Ask Andrew Magee, who made the only par-4 hole-in-one in PGA Tour history here.

Ask Phil Mickelson, who nearly shot 59 in 2013 and still couldn’t escape the tension.

Late Sunday at TPC Scottsdale isn’t loud because it’s fun.

It’s loud because people know something can break at any moment.

Stand behind the 18th tee when the tournament is on the line. That sound stays with you.

1. This is the greenest event in sports.

Zero waste. Everything is recycled, composted, or converted to energy. The loudest tournament in golf is also the most environmentally disciplined. Quiet flex.

2. Monday and Tuesday are the best-kept secrets.

Free admission. No chaos. Full access. If you actually like golf, these are elite days.

3. The best roars aren’t always on 16.

They happen when a drive on 18 clears the water and lands in the fairway with a tournament on the line.

Best days

Entry strategy

Use WestWorld or Salt River Fields and shuttle in.

If you want calm, enter through the Princess Gate and work holes 4–9 first. Most people never see that part of the course.

Where to watch

Skip the generic stands.

Find the Thunderdog, beer-marinated and unapologetic.

If Little Miss BBQ is back at Desert Oasis, don’t overthink it.

Shade, sightlines, and shorter bar lines beat chasing the loudest crowd every time.

Hydrate. Sunscreen. Comfortable shoes. This course humbles calves.

They treat the Phoenix Open like Coachella with golf clubs.

The move is treating it like a golf tournament that throws the best party in the sport, not the other way around.

Go early once. Go loud once. Go intentional always.

The Phoenix Open rewards people who respect the whole course, not just the loudest hole.

And that’s why locals keep coming back.

See you out there!

Want more Arizona golf stories you won’t find anywhere else?

The Valley: Top 20

Big Game 4 is here.

9 holes. Real skins. No fluff.

Join us at Encanto on February 13 @ 3 pm for a fast, competitive 9-hole skins game built for players who want action, pressure, and bragging rights.

Use game code “gngpz” at signup and receive a Phoenix City Golf Card.

1–3 minutes. One lucky member wins a $250 gift card every month.

Might as well be you.