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The notorious 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, will become the USPGA Tour’s first-ever true Stadium Golf Hole when the FBR Open tees off there on January 26th.
Golf’s loudest golf hole – players are vehemently ‘booed’ if they fail to get anywhere near the flag – has just got louder.
Tournament hosts The Thunderbirds have added close to 3,000 new general admission bleacher seats behind and to the right of the green on the 162-yard, par 3.
The 16th is now fully enclosed by bleachers and skyboxes and has capacity for between 15,000 to 20,000 golf fans.
“As tournament hosts and organisers, we know we have something pretty special and unique here in our 16th hole,” said 2009 FBR Open Tournament Chairman John Felix.
“There are certain holes on Tour that are identified simply by their number. When you say 17, you know people are talking about the island green at TPC Sawgrass. When you say 16, you know it’s the FBR Open and the TPC Scottsdale.”
In addition to the new bleacher seating (also known as tip-up seats) a new tunnel has been added underneath the new seats from the 16th green to the 17th tee for the players to walk through.
The 16th hole fan experience will also be enhanced at the 2009 FBR Open as a video board display has been added to the west side of the hole. The 51 ft. x 19 ft. video display will be located behind the tee box and will give fans an up-close view of all of the action regardless of where they’re seated.
The FBR Open is the best-attended golf tournament in the world and has raised more than $61.7 million for charities, with more than $33.6 million generated in just the last five years alone.
