Course Review: TPC Scottsdale – Arizona, US

When Tiger Woods makes his 2015 debut at TPC Scottsdale on Thursday, he'll find that one of his favourite courses isn't quite the same as it used to be.

The City of Scottsdale has been hard at work during the past nine months making extensive renovations, both to the clubhouse and to the resort’s spectator-friendly Stadium Course.

This with the goal of modernizing both facilities to ensure the future of the club as a host of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, traditionally one of World golf's biggest crowd-pullers.

It annually attracts crowds of more than 500 000 spectators, a good few of them in Arizona to attend the annual Super Bowl football extravaganza which this year kicks off in nearby Phoenix on Sunday, February 2, the same day as the final round of the Phoenix Open golf championship.

Tom Weiskopf, one of the original architect of this purpose-built course, his design team and the Landscapes Unlimited company worked together to complete the 2014 upgrade.

“The time had come to update the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale to provide a more modern and state-of-art tournament course for today’s Tour players," Weiskopf said.

"These changes will also position the club to continue as the leader in the competitive Scottsdale resort and daily fee market. The golf course and clubhouse improvements will provide a long-term asset to the City of Scottsdale, while enhancing the venue for the world’s largest attended golf event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open.”

The big make-over saw all the greens resurfaced, with some of them, along with scores of tees and bunkers, being relocated and reshaped.

New cart paths and a new irrigation system have also been installed and some extensive desert landscaping enhancement carried out.

Changes that will be easily recognizable are the new green locations on holes 2, 3, 4 and 14 and some significant fairway and green modifications at the 13th hole.

The renovated bunkers will feature white sand which, along with the more than 250 trees that have been planted, will add a dramatic new look to the course and increase both its strategic and aesthetic value.

The clubhouse renovations, under the direction of architects Allen & Philp, includes additional locker room and meeting space, and interior upgrades to the entire facility.

“We are extremely pleased with the upgrades to the golf course and clubhouse,” Charlie Zink, Co-Chief Operating Officer of the PGA Tour, said of the TPC Scottsdale overhaul.

“The work that has been done significantly elevates TPC Scottsdale’s capacity to host the Waste Management Phoenix Open and challenge the best players in the world, while also serving as a premier golf destination."

HISTORY

Nestling in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona with the majestic McDowell Mountains as a backdrop, TPC Scottsdale is a resort offering the public 36 holes of championship golf on either or both of its two world-class layouts, the Stadium Course and its little sister, the Champions Course.

TPC Scottsdale, the sixth club to join the TPC Network, was born from the dream of the then PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman. His vision was to create a network of clubs that would stand up to the Tour’s rigorous quality standards, and provide unparalleled venues for its Tour events.

Beman stepped in after the Phoenix Thunderbirds, host organizers of the Phoenix Open, had been unsuccessful in seeking out a new tournament site which would help them grow their crowds which, they felt, were too limited by the tournament's previous location, the Phoenix Country Club.

Beman was eventually called by the Scottsdale Mayor, Herb Drinkwater. With the perfect solution. He said he could secure land within the city of Scottsdale that would offer the ideal setting for a stadium-style course similar to the TPC Sawgrass which would allow almost limitless numbers of spectators a perfect view.

Weiskopf and Jay Morrish were commissioned by the PGA Tour to design the course that was to go on and play host every year to the Phoenix Open.

With the assistance of the Bureau of Reclamation, the City of Scottsdale, the Phoenix Thunderbirds and the PGA Tour, the Arizona golf resort was built in 1986 and named the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale.

Since then the Stadium course has become world famous, most notably because of its spectacular par-3 16th hole named 'The Coliseum', which gives the rowdy crowds that pack it out what is arguably the most exciting setting in modern professional sport.

As the only hole on the PGA Tour that is fully enclosed by a grandstand, it has a capacity of 30,000 and is home to one of the most enthusiastic and raucous crowds on the PGA Tour.

So verbal do they get, it is not for nothing that it has come to be known as the "loudest hole in golf'.

A shot that lands on the green instantly results in wild cheers, but a shot that misses always earns loud boos.

Tiger Woods scored a hole in one on this hole during the 1997 Phoenix Open which raised what may well have been the biggest roar ever heard on a golf course.

CARD OF THE COURSE:

To see the card of the course along with a list of all the winners, you should click on: http://www2.cybergolf.com/tpc/images/13/201411141000-1.pdf

THE 2015 RATES:

Both course are open to the public and here is what you'll pay:

The Champions Course (18 holes; January 1 - April 5, 2015)

Non-Resident: $151.50 + tax or $111 + tax for a twilight round

Resident: $91.50 + tax or $73 + tax for a twilight round

The Stadium Course (18 holes; January 16 - April 5, 2015)

Rack Rate: $299 + tax or $235 + tax for a twilight round

NOTE:

- The Cart paths must be used until 2/2/2015

- Dynamic pricing is in effect at the club during certain days. The price may be higher than listed due to demand.

- Book a tee time online or Call 480-585-4334 x 1

THE CLUB HOUSES:

A rather unusual feature of TPC Scottsdale is that it has two clubhouses - one for each course.

STADIUM COURSE: The clubhouse here, venue for the Phoenix Open, is the larger of the two. Covering 27, 00 square feet, is has been described as "a stunning focal point for hospitality, dining, and relaxation".

It boasts:

- A world-class golf shop, voted by Golf World Business as one of its “Top 100 Golf Shops in America”
- Both casual and formal dining with Toro, which serves high-end Latin cuisine, being its best-known restaurant.
- Beautifully appointed men’s and women’s locker rooms and elegant banquet and meeting space.

CHAMPION COURSE:

At 11,000 square feet of space, this desert-contemporary styled clubhouse is considerably smaller, but nevertheless it provides a most elegant centrepiece to the Champion Course. Among its features are:

- A spacious covered outdoor patio accommodating up to 152 guests
- Expansive banquet facilities
- A Casual dining room
- A full-service golf shop featuring the latest golf apparel and equipment
- And, like its bigger brother, some beautifully appointed men’s and women’s locker rooms.

CONTACT THE CLUB:

Street Address: TPC Scottsdale, 17020 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone: (480) 585-4334; toll free (888) 400-4001
E-mail: contactscottsdale@pgatourtpc.com
General inquiries: (888) 400-4001 - (Tee times: ext. 1; Golf Shop ext. 3; Memberships ext. 226; Golf School ext. 246; Restaurants ext. 280)
Weddings and Events (866) 540-4495
Tournament Tickets (602) 870-0163

For any feedback or ideas you are welcome to email: neville@golfweather.com.