Opinion | Food, drinks and a lot of hole-in-ones at the Phoenix Open

Every year, the state of Arizona is flooded with thousands of people who attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. Being an Arizona native, I had to check it out this year. Photo by MEGAN FORRESTER, features and entertainment editor

Let's get one thing straight — I have never been an avid watcher of sports. 

When it comes to watching sports on television, I always glaze my eyes over the screen during football games and fall asleep to the monotone voices of the golf announcers. But witnessing a game in person is a completely different experience. 

Megan Forrester, features and entertainment editor

I'm not sure if it's the alcohol flowing through everyone's system, the endless supply of junk food or the group environment that makes the simple task of hurling a ball across a field more exciting than in your home, but regardless my love for the game increases 1,000% in person. 

This enthusiasm was there at Fenway Park when I was in high school attending a Red Sox game, where I was screaming "Sweet Caroline" during the eighth inning. It also showed up at the age of ten when I went to a Los Angeles Lakers game and actually wanted to keep track of the score, along with meeting Magic Johnson while wearing a bedazzled Lakers hat. 

The adrenaline of an in-person sports game is an indescribable experience. But, I had never been able to test if my love for live sports events reigns true in the world of golf. So, it was time to attend my very first professional golf tournament. 

But it wasn't just any tournament — it was the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 

Now for those who are not from the Grand Canyon State like myself, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is the "biggest party in golf." The tournament, which is hosted every year in Scottsdale for four days (Thursday through Sunday) is the place for non-stop food, a copious amount of drinks and, of course, golf. 

The tournament can gather up to 700,000 people in attendance throughout the weekend, and I was surprisingly one of them. 

I’ve been curious about the Phoenix Open ever since I can remember, but my parents kept reminding me of the crazy crowds and that I should wait to attend until I can legally order a cocktail of my choosing. Well, I am 22 years old and decided that this was the year I would finally see what all the fuss was about. 

Now that we had secured general admission tickets for the tournament, it was time to prepare. The most important thing in my mind was my outfit. After seeing hundreds of pictures on social media over the years of my friends and high school acquaintances at the Open, I noticed there was a certain aesthetic in everything they were wearing. It was as if you wanted to achieve the perfect spring look that would be adequate for a less classy version of the Kentucky Derby. So, I found a cream romper that would be paired perfectly with sneakers and my favorite "M" initial necklace. 

When it was time to head over to the tournament, which is held at the TPC Scottsdale courses, we opened the Uber app to order a ride. Normally it takes about 10 minutes tops for a car to pick me up at my house, this time it took almost 45 minutes. 

My dad would always say that "Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities," but I would never really believe that. Phoenix was my desert hometown, not a big city like New York or Chicago. But right now with the Phoenix Open, and the fact that the state was hosting the Super Bowl as well, I am starting to believe my dad. 

After finally securing an Uber and getting dropped off at the tournament, my boyfriend and I  could see hundreds of thousands of people walking in. It took about an hour to grab our tickets at Will Call, go through security and actually arrive inside the golf course. There's a scene in the show "Friends" where Chandler (played by Matthew Perry) complains about all the crowds at tourist attractions in New York and says, "There are so many people being corralled like cattle and there's always some idiot that goes 'MOO'" — I couldn't have related more to this statement in that moment. 

Once in the actual event, we saw dozens of different food and drink stands, merchandise for sale and of course the luscious four miles of a green golf course. But before watching the players tee off, we needed something to drink. We started off with the solid choice of a Simply Spiked Hard Lemonade, with the alcohol going straight to my head since I hadn't eaten anything yet. 

The 18th hole was the best view on the entire course at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Photo courtesy of Megan Forrester

After perusing all the food options, we decided on the tent set up by my favorite burger restaurant in Phoenix, Zinburger. After munching on some chicken tenders and fries, I slurped down one of their specialty cocktails, a Grapefruit Ranch Water, while also taking sips of my boyfriend's margarita. 

Now that we were feeling full and a little buzzed, it was time to actually watch golf. We started off at the 18th hole, which was absolutely stunning. Despite the fact that I kept saying to my boyfriend that I could putt better than these professional athletes (when the only time I have played golf was through Wii Sports), it was the best view on the entire course. 

After taking a photo with the "Quiet, Please" sign, we moseyed over to the 16th hole, which is advertised upon entrance as the "loudest hole on Earth." The 16th hole has become a famous aspect of the tournament every year, due to the fact that you can drink and scream to your heart's content in front of the players. In order to secure a seat at the 16th hole, many people arrive at 5 a.m. and sprint to the hole. I am not sure if I would commit that much, but I have to say the 16th hole is definitely the part-tee to be at, wink wink. 

Overall, it's difficult to describe the Phoenix Open until you actually witness it for yourself. I heard stories over the years from my parents about the crowds, but you can't picture 30,000 people in one day in your head — it seems unfathomable, but it's not. 

The thing is, people don't typically go to the Phoenix Open to watch golf. They go to see their old friends, get some food and get completely hammered. I'm not saying that's the wrong prerogative to have, because that is definitely exactly how I celebrated at The Open as well. But it didn't feel like a live sporting event so much as it did a giant rager, with the occasional golf ball in the air. 

Phoenix Open, don't worry, your local girl here will definitely be back because that was an un-fore-gettable experience (I apologize for all the golf puns, I can't help it).