As we make our way towards the 16th Hole my friend recommends we stop for a cold beverage at a tent overlooking the 18th Hole. Tents, Cabanas, Sky Boxes, Bars, people and hey…a golf course that is meticulously manicured and breathtaking. As you depart the large tent you enter another world unlike anything I have ever seen in golf. As you enter the Phoenix Open there are two security checks and then you enter a huge tent that is basically a golf trade show with dozens of booths and vendors demonstrating and selling products.
Good to know when you need to get back to your car at the end of the day. You are then dropped off in a huge lot with each bus assigned a letter to correspond with the location you were picked up at. Once on the bus, the ride to the course only takes a couple of minutes. It is early morning so most people are normal and sober. The buses are filled to capacity with people standing in the middle isle. From the parking lot you wait in long lines to board a bus that shuttles you to the entrance of the Phoenix Open. Began in a huge parking lot adjacent to the TPC Scottsdale golf course. Getting to the Sky Box was an adventure unto itself.
This turned out to be a bargain and we were very lucky to get the tickets. Our adventure began with a friend scored Sky Box tickets on the 16th Hole for $200 each (Thursday). This has got to be the largest cocktail party in the world and there just happens to be a golf tournament happening simultaneously. It is something that has to be seen to comprehend and experienced to really understand the magnitude of the party. There is nothing like this event in the world of golf or life.