WM Phoenix Open: What is the capacity of the 16th at TPC Scottsdale?

TPC Scottsdale hosts the Waste Management Phoenix Open each year, and fans fill the capacity of the famous 16th hole.

Known as the stadium hole, it’s home to the loudest atmosphere in men’s professional golf and is a party in every sense of the word.

The par-3 sends fans into a frenzy when players find the putting surface off the tee, always to a large cheer from the gallery.

Held in Arizona, ‘the greatest show on grass’ can be a player’s worst nightmare, too, as fans won’t hesitate to boo and jeer wayward tee shots.

With music blasting and plenty of alcohol consumed, what is the capacity of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale for the WM Phoenix Open?

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Capacity of 16th hole TPC Scottsdale

TPC Scottsdale is a 36-hole complex in the southwestern United States, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, northeast of Phoenix.

It opened in 1986 and has been home to the Phoenix Open since 1987, with fans flocking to the Stadium Course ever since.

Commissioned by the PGA Tour, Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish built the course, including the par-3 16th hole, which is the only fully enclosed hole on the PGA Tour.

The 16th hole has a seated capacity of around 20,000 people, although how many fans the stadium officially holds has not been confirmed.

More than ten players have made an ace on the 16th hole, including Tiger Woods during the 1997 Phoenix Open.

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No player made a hole-in-one on the 16th hole in 2023, but fans were treated to a double delight in 2022, when Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz both pencilled a one on their cards.

In a bid to stop fans throwing beer onto the hole, which measures around 163 yards, the PGA Tour tried to offer souvenir cups.

However, Ryder’s hole-in-one was the latest case of that plan failing, while Harry Higgs is known for his relationship with the fans in Scottsdale.

The 32-year-old ‘people’s golfer’ took his shirt off on the green in 2022, after a tweet from Joel Dahmen went viral.

Meanwhile, the event is called ‘the people’s open’, as it is the best-attended event in golf, with around 700,000 people attending over five days.