Golf is a game of ritual and tradition – and nowhere is this more true than in the grandstands and fan galleries of the WM Phoenix Open. Off-the-course rituals have become an intrinsic part of the Open experience over its 94-year history, from Saturday morning’s half-mile foot-race at dawn to “snake” sightings at the infamous 16th hole. Along the way, you’ll find informal fashion shows, beer-infused hot dogs and a giant white party tent in a parking lot where you might meet your future spouse.
ROAD RUNNERS
Arising in the early morning hours of a Saturday in February to run nearly half a mile at full speed just to sit in a hard plastic seat and wait at least three hours to see some golf? Crazy, right? Not here. That journey happens every year in what observers have dubbed the “Running of the Bros” – the tournament’s most publicized tradition. Mostly male crowds gather at TPC Scottsdale well before dawn (and even the night before, in some cases) determined to grab one of the coveted general admission seats on the 16th hole. But you have to earn that honor. When the gates open at 7 a.m., the mad dash begins. It’s no longer quite the free-for-all it used to be at the since-relocated main entrance across the street (now occupied by the DraftKings Sportsbook), but the energy of the fans – variously dressed as Big Bird, the seven dwarves and bright yellow bananas, among many other costumes – runs as wild as it ever did.
The Beer Snake
Unlike its counterparts found slithering around the Sonoran Desert floor, this singular reptile (scientific name: serpentes emptycupae) floats above ground, making its sinewy journey around the general admission seats on the 16th hole. Sadly, it tends to have a brief lifespan, meeting its demise at the hands of tournament and security officials after reaching an extraordinary size, nurtured by the fans. On occasion, the creature meets a more organic demise, when the empty plastic beer cups that form its body simply collapse onto the handlers passing it above their heads. No one is quite sure what its maximum size might be, but any authentic WM Phoenix Open snake surely crosses the 100-empty-beer-cup mark with ease. How prevalent is the species? Well, in 2024, you could go to the tournament’s on-site merchandise tent and buy a green beer can koozie that said, “Make the Snake.”
THE FASHIONISTAS
They are not here to see the golf. Instead they come to be seen. And you can’t miss them, especially on the walkways along holes 16, 17 and 18, and inside the corporate suites. Sporting the latest trends, the impromptu fashion show they provide – think the highest of heels and the shortest of skirts – can be both amusing and headshaking. Their theme? Usually style over function, and exposure over discreetness. Often traveling in pods and frequently posting selfies on Instagram, they also provide their fair share of entertainment, especially later in the day after overhydrating just a bit. It’s a dangerous job, too – just watch as some avoid the crowded walkways and delicately try to traverse the spectator mounds. Hello, sprained ankles, grass-stained dresses and bruised egos. Don’t underestimate the golf-dandy dudes, either – they’re also out in full force in their form-fitting garb.
FULL NESTERS
The WM Phoenix Open party doesn’t end when the golf concludes. Quite the contrary. For golf fans catching a second wind after a day at the course, or for music fans who skip the tournament altogether, the scene migrates just a few hundred yards across Hayden Road. That’s where a parking lot transforms each year into the legendary Birds Nest. Inside a massive white tent there, an estimated 8,000 revelers watch country, rock, pop and techno acts lay down the notes, riffs and beats in concerts Wednesday through Saturday night. Hard to say how many short- and long-term relationships have begun (or ended) at the venue, but for four nights a year, partying at the Birds Nest becomes the hottest ticket in town. Performers have been as eclectic as the outfits worn by the crowd; the list ranges from Snoop Dogg to Duran Duran to Dierks Bentley to Kygo. Golf? What golf? Time to party!
GOING TO THE DOGS
As cultural delicacies go, this menu item won’t be featured on any “World’s Best” list, nor get anywhere near a Michelin star. But devoted connoisseurs of the Thunderdog, a long-time staple sold only at the WM Phoenix Open, could care less about rankings. They know exactly what they are getting, and they absolutely love it – a massive, quarter-pound, all-beef hot dog brined in a beer/water mixture before grilling, with green bell peppers and onions as the only potential toppings. Almost 5,000 are sold each year at $9 a pop – all proceeds go to charity – at a small tent just to the right of the 10th green and next to the driving range. It’s manned by veteran Thunderbirds, also known as Lifebirds, who banter playfully with old and new customers waiting in what can become a lengthy line. Get your wieners here, indeed.
THE SACRED HOLE CUTTING
Perhaps the least-known WM Phoenix Open tradition takes place on Saturday just after sunrise at the par-3 16th hole. It’s performance art that takes place in three acts. The show begins at the tee box, from where a member of the TPC Scottsdale grounds crew slowly walks through the hole’s desert landscape and onto the green as the crowd roars. He’s holding an 8-foot-tall flagstick that will mark that day’s front-left hole location. The second act sees him inserting a cup-cutter tool into the flawless turf to create the standard golf hole (4.25 inches wide and 4 inches deep). More cheers from the crowd. The final act? He inserts a white cylindrical plastic cup into that hole. For the encore, he faces the adoring crowd while holding the flagstick up in the air before placing it in the hole with a flourish. He bows to the cheering fans before walking off the green and back into anonymity.
