TPC Scottsdale, boisterous galleries are a great recipe for golf tournament fun

The par-3 16th hole on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale gets all the attention at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and rightly so.

Honestly, watching group after group suck it up and deal with the encompassing 20,000-plus fans who cheer, heckle and boo as they try to negotiate the short hole is probably one of the most entertaining shows in golf.

But as I said in this review we just posted at TravelGolf.com, take away the crowds and the bleachers, and it’s probably one of the least memorable holes on the golf course. The ones surrounding it, 15 and 17, are actually far more interesting, and the 18th, a medium length par-4 with water all down the left side and bunkers dotting the fairway, is a pretty decent finishing hole.

In truth, though, the Stadium Course is not a real difficult golf course, and that’s perfectly OK. Camilo Villegas fired a 9-under 62 today, and it would be surprising if nobody matched that score in the next couple of days, given the great conditions.

Sometimes, too much is made of tour players carving up a course, but golf fans want to see players do what they can’t do - go really low. It wouldn’t be good if it happened every week, especially during a major, but every once in a while, an environment like this is fun. Especially with crazy galleries.