TPC Scottsdale

As an avid golfer I could feel the buzz almost from the moment I moved to Scottsdale in 1986 about the Phoenix Open's move to the new Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale from Phoenix Country Club. It seemed like everyone was talking about it, golfer and non-golfer alike. The first "Open" to be played at the TPC of Scottsdale was in January of 1987 and since then it has attracted more spectators per event than any other PGA sanctioned tournament in the history of the PGA TOUR. (At the 2007 FBR Open, more than 500,000 fans made their way to the beautiful TPC Scottsdale). In those days, then Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, Deane Beaman was busy building his dream, what he called "Stadium" golf course designs where spectators were offered views of multiple holes and tees from elevated positions along with stadium style seating. This had been done successfully at other venues including the venerable TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship.

TPC HISTORY

On the relatively flat fairways of the Phoenix Country Club spectators who weren't right up against the ropes had to use those periscope devices to see the action and as the tournament grew so did parking and other logistical problems. In 1987 the TPC of Scottsdale was considered to be out in the middle of nowhere and depending on who you asked, you got varying opinions on it's future success or lack of as a PGA Tour Event Host. One thing was for sure, if they came, there would be plenty of parking!

Organized and conducted by the Thunderbirds, a special branch of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, The FBR Open (formerly the Phoenix Open) is celebrating their 73rd anniversary with this year's event. The Thunderbirds are a civic organization  devoted to raising money for charities like the Special Olympics and Boys and Girls Clubs of Scottsdale. From the first tee shot of the Phoenix Open at it's new home at the TPC of Scottsdale in 1987 until now, the tournament has raised millions of dollars for charity and was a hit with the fans from the get-go. And as they like to point out "The Greatest Show On Grass" gets better every year.

This is an interesting golf facility in that it is situated on federal land, owned by the City of Scottsdale and managed by the PGA TOUR. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Hotel sits adjacent to the Stadium Course (behind #5 tee) and offers preferred starting times for it's guests but in any other sense it is a public, daily-fee golf course, the only TPC that I know of that is not private. There are two courses on the property, the Stadium Course where the FBR Open is held and the new re-designed Desert Course (now the Champions Course).

The Stadium Course is where the FBR Open is held (always finishing on Super Bowl Sunday - which by the way is also in Arizona this year (2008). This is the course everyone wants to play. They see the tournament on TV and when their first opportunity arises to come to Scottsdale the TPC is a "must play." Late fall is the best time to play here as they are working feverishly to get it in prime condition for the Open, fall overseeding has done it's job and made fairways and tees emerald green in stark contrast to the brownish color of the dormant bermuda grass that surrounds them. Green fees are a bit friendlier then but they start limiting play in December so that the course is immaculate by the time the Pro's arrive. By the time the FBR Open is concluded and the course is turned over to our visiting golfers the price has gone up to it's peak rate (the mid 200's)

To us in the business of golf in Scottsdale it's almost incomprehensible where green fees have soared to. We keep asking ourselves where the ceiling is, how can so many golfers afford to come here and pay these rates? Well, I guess our premium golf courses have eliminated a certain percentage of the traveling golfer who can't (or won't) pay those kinds of rates but they still seem to get more play each year. So I guess until the time comes when it costs $500. to play 18 holes of golf in the year 2020 we will just have to wait and see what happens. It's a shame though because Scottsdale's desert golf courses are certainly unique and the TPC is no exception, it sits in a beautiful desert environment with spectacular views of the nearby McDowell Mountains. It's also sunny, warm and almost windless in Scottsdale during the winter months when the rest of the world is freezing. I suppose if I was a golfer visiting from Minnesota and had ONE opportunity to play it (like Pebble Beach) I would grin and bear it.  

TPC NOW

I love these golf courses. I play the Stadium Course as often as I can, usually in the late spring (when the rates are lower). Named one of the “Top 10 Public Golf Courses in Arizona” by Golf Digest, the par-71, 7,216- yard Stadium Course was designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf. It was built mainly to serve as the stage for the PGA TOUR’s Phoenix Open (now the FBR Open) – the largest spectator golf event in the world. As I mentioned it is best to play this golf course either right before the Open or during the winter months following the event. It's fun to see it on TV and then go out and test yourself on the same fairways that the PGA Pro's play. Each year somebody shoots lights out and it's not uncommon for the winner to post 22 under par for the week. The course is set up very long and the greens are lightning fast. The fairways are fairly wide but you need some distance off the tee if you are going to have any shot at birdie. Approaching these greens with a long iron or fairway wood is not what you call risk-reward, it's mostly all risk. The greens are guarded by deep bunkers and Par is a fine score if you can manage to get up and down.

Rivaling its famous sister course in both beauty and playability, the re-designed Randy Heckenkemper  Champions Course (formerly the Desert Course) offers a great desert golf experience, at municipal golf prices.  Featuring 7,115 yards of  Bermuda fairways, pristine greens and challenging bunkers, the par-71course is fun to play and will challenge all skill levels. I used to be a member of the men's club here and played the course for many years as it was the best deal in town and today it still is. To be honest I have not played the new design (for shame) since it just re-opened in December of 2007 after a year of being closed. I can only imagine it's a lot better because it was a fun course before the changes. According to the TPC Scottsdale's website "It meanders over natural ravines and picturesque foothills, with five par-3’s and a diverse variety of par-4’s and par-5’s." Once I get the opportunity to play it I will write a review but since it is a PGA TOUR managed facility you can be assured of it's quality. 

Some accolades of the TPC Scottsdale

17020 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona 85255

One of the "Top 10 Public Courses in Arizona" - Golf Digest.
"One of America's Best Courses" - Golfweek Magazine.
One of the "Top 50 Golf and Resort Destinations in the World" - Conde Nast Traveler.
One of the "Top 50 Golf Course for Women in the U.S" - Golf for Women Magazine.
The Stadium Course's Golf Shop is one of the "Top 100 Golf Shops in America" - Golf