I’ve been part of a golf forum for quite a few years now and a group of golfers from the forum usually get together around this time of year in Phoenix to golf. I joined a couple group rounds this year and one of those rounds took place Wednesday afternoon at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. I played the course about 12 years ago and enjoyed my round so I was excited to return.

The Stadium Course hosts the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open every February and thanks to its rowdy patrons, TPC Scottsdale is probably one of the more well-known PGA Tour venues. The facility is also home to the not as well-known Champions Course, which is located across the street from the Stadium Course. I haven’t made it to the Champions Course yet, but have heard good things.

For those who may not be familiar with the Phoenix area, TPC Scottsdale is located in the middle of town, close to the Scottsdale airport. The course is convenient to all of Scottsdale and probably no more than 25 minutes from the Sky Harbor Airport. The flip side of the course’s in-town location is that the property doesn’t have any of the dramatic elevation changes or cool views like you’ll find at courses closer to the outskirts of town.

From what I’ve read, plenty of folks think that the Stadium Course is overrated. However, I’m not one of those people and enjoyed my second spin around the course just as much as my first. I certainly can understand the disappointment of paying $300+ to golf here during the winter, but I think the $125 off-season rate to play a tour course is quite fair. I’ll admit the front nine isn’t anything special, but the back nine is packed with interesting and fun golf holes.

The Stadium Course was built in 1986 and renovated in 2014. Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish are credited with the original design and Weiskopf ended up doing the renovation work. Overall, the course has a modern feel to it with beautiful bunkering and tricky green complexes. Compared to many courses in the desert, the Stadium Course has plenty of width, without any target golf. The course looks a little unfinished without the massive grandstands seen on TV, however I still think it presents well. It has a manicured desert appearance, with nice landscaping and crushed rock separating the holes.

While the front nine has many nondescript holes, the interest and drama build on the closing holes. Starting on the 11th hole, the course is filled with risk/reward options, varied yardages and a lot of water. The back nine is one of the reasons that make the WM Phoenix Open so fun to watch! For example, the 11th and 12th have water guarding the greens. There are sides to miss, but if the pins are tucked then water is nearby. Next, the par-5 13th is probably one of the best holes on the course thanks to a couple desert areas that pinch in along the fairway.

While the short par-3 16th gets most of the attention from the media, I think the holes before and after it are much better. I played the players tees at 71.5/131/6614 (par-71) and from there the 15th is a 498 yard par-5 and the 17th is a 294 yard par-4. The 15th has the island green – which just tempts someone who hits the fairway to go for it in two – and then the 17th is reachable for the longer hitters. I had 240 yards into the 15th and decided to wait for the green to clear. Of course I hit a crappy shot but that gave me a taste of what the pros face. Thankfully, I redeemed myself on the 17th where I knocked a drive up short of the green and got it up and down for birdie.

The conditions were the best of the six courses we played on this Arizona trip. The fairways were full, the ball sat up and there was a good amount of cushion. The tees and rough had good coverage as well. The sand in the bunkers was great, a nice change from the nasty sand found at many courses in the desert. The greens were pure and a medium-fast pace. Our group agreed that the surfaces here are super confusing to read. Overall, I’d say trying to read putts is the most difficult thing about the Stadium Course.

If you read my page much you’ll know that I love playing a course where the pros play and the Stadium Course is no exception. Personally, it is one of my Phoenix favorites because of the connection between watching the tournament on TV every year and having a chance to try the same shots. If you can find a fair price then I’d certainly recommend a round here.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):