The Waste Management Phoenix Open….The Greatest Show on Grass!

It has been well documented that Scottsdale Az throws down when the PGA Tour rolls into town. I have attended every one of my 6 years as an Arizonian. It gets better and better each year! this may be attributed to many things but none the less it has gotten better.

They call this thing the greatest show on grass mainly for one reason. The 16th hole. They have turned this thing into a stadium of mayhem and hoopla, drinking games, and general tomfoolery. They found a way to enclose the entire thing with stadium stye seating. They clearly have no consumption limit here, and the frat boys run wild!

Sometimes creative and often stupid chants break out and the entire crowd joins in, and believe me they will say just about anything to get a reaction. Speaking of reactions, this year saw 15 fist pumps, a hat over the face, a iron toss, and a European birdie..(not the good kind).

It is wild, crazy and BRILLIANT. Its one of the easier holes on the PGA Tour schedule. Roughtly 165 – 180 yds, barely any trouble, pretty large size green, they needed a way to make this thing a little harder. Around 2004 the stadium @ the Stadium Course began to develop and you can see a major decrease in birdies. In 2003 43.75% of players were recording birdie on this hole. 2009 say a mere 15% record a birdie.

It gets the exposure to the city, the tour, and clearly the field is getting better and better every year. Even without Tiger, it is well worth the trip. Since they have no limit to ticket sales it is probably the cheapest tournament to go to. With beer gardens, and food stops everywhere you turn, there is no shortage of entertainment.

Recently, well as in 2009 and 2010 they have added a few new places to hang out. Down the 18th hole is quickly becoming a longer version of the 16th hole. Although it isn’t stadium style (yet) its is definitely brewing. The Tilted Kilt has put up a 2 story floating bar, jammed full of their best employees and more draft beer than could ever be consumed. Easy access to bathrooms and easier access to getting the players attention this thing is only going to get better. Secondly, this year straight across from the 2 stories of heaven is a new beer garden. This year I believe it was sponsored by Rock Bottom Brewery. It spans half the hole, open to the public, and had the some Tempe12.com employees getting the party going. I can foresee some interesting events taking place. If one side were to begin chanting, the other would easily hear them…just saying.

The total attendance was down this year, but you can chalk that up to the local weather channels saying saturday was going to be raining all day…It wasn’t! The weather was perfect, the scenery was perfect, the greatest show on grass remains supreme. I will see you guys next year, you will find me on 18 fairway, 2 stories off the grass!

WoodJock 2010: A Big League Jam Fest….Coming Soon!

Jake Peavey's WoodJock JamFest

Jake Peavey's WoodJock JamFest

So its been awhile for a post, but we were..umm..uhh..well waiting for the good stuff to start happening for 2010. Yeah thats it! Anyhow, here is one that is near and dear to this humble rockstar at iTourAz. Jake Peavey’s,  WoodJock 2010 Big League Baseball Jam. In a nut shell, some major league ball players are gonna use their musical talents to raise funds for some great causes.

These causes happen to be

  • Team Focus: A community outreach program for children 10-18 who do not have a father figure in their life.
  • Stikeouts for Troops: This is an organization dedicated to providing the “comforts of home” and lift the spirits of our wounded troops.
  • AUTISM SPEAKS: The bombest charity in all the land. These guys provide advocacy and education for families who have individuals on the autism spectrum in their lives. They host the grass roots fundraising effort Walk Now For Autism Speaks. Held every year in Arizona in late October early November. This year it will be on Ocotober 31st!. Yes that halloween, but its in the morning and fun! Amongst being super cool, this particular walk partners up with SARRC (Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center). I could go on for days about the amazing things they do there but that is for another post. Either way, this is hands down the best charity I have ever known and I would elect them president if I could!! (sorry, I just really like them).

Can you tell which charity I am affiliated with? Well, the point here is to highlight the first kickoff event for this years fund raising efforts. Although the name is sorta weird, mildly catchy, and brings a smile to my face for many juvenile reasons, it is going to be awesome. The first of its kind, it is going to showcase the abilities of some current and past major leaguers who happen to have other talents that don’t involve sticks and balls (hehehhehe).

Here is some inside info for ya. We know that Jake Peavey of the Chicago White Sox is headlining this event. Also committed are some names such as Hall of Famer Peter Gammons your favorite Sportscenter know-it-all. Barry Zito of the Giants, Bernie Williams ex-Yankee and future HOF’er.(hehehe) Just to name a few. Head here to see the entire line-up. I know, thats not insider info, its coming..keep your pants on. It was released today that other famous musicians who happen to be friends with these guys have committed to be there as well as some MAJOR names in baseball. They won’t release the names until closer to the show but rumor has it this thing is getting BIG!

On a serious note, it should be clear that I do have Autism in my life. I have 4 year old on the spectrum. I can say without the help of SARRC  I would have been so utterly lost. My son has made some major advancements and I feel I owe a majority of it to SARRC. So that is why this is an important event. The bonus to all of this is 1) I am on the entertainment committee for the walk so hopefully I can bring you some inside views of some cool fundraisers this year. 2) I will be firmly seated in the VIP section and behind the scenes for this Jam so hopefully I can sneak you some inside info about this awesome event…and maybe about some of these guys behavior, but don’t tell anyone!

So buy your tickets now before they are all gone. The event is Thursday March 11th @ The Venue Of Scottsdale
Tickets vary

  • General Admission – $39.00
  • V.I.P Admission – $200.00
  • V.I.P Group Packages – $700

These prices will change as the event gets closer, so get your VIP and come talk to me and I will hook you up with something good!

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