What PGA tournaments have you gone to and how were they?

[PEZGolf]

I have been to many, and my favorites are the Heritage (I love Hilton Head) and practice rounds for the US Opens at Winged Foot (1984), Medinah (1990), and Oak Hill (1989).

[Marty2019]

I go to the Players Championship every year, and last year I went to the Heritage.  I really liked the Heritage because it is so small compared to the Players.  That makes for fewer other spectators to deal with, and you can get a lot closer to the golfers.   I followed Jordan Speith for a few holes and was able to stand almost right next to him on several shots.  You can hear the players' conversations with their caddies at the Heritage.  There are not as many star players at the Heritage, of course.   But as I recall they had Spieth, Kuchar, and Furyk, among others.  The one bad thing about the Heritage last year was that they had a real hard time getting the spectators to and from the course.   The shuttle bus system was inadequate, to say the least. 

[saevel25]

I've been to The Memorial Tournament (Muirfield) and The Bridgestone Invitational (Firestone).

Muirfield is a much better golf course, but it's not ideal for a golf tournament for walking around because there is no good crossover points between golf holes. Firestone is good because the course is up and back on a lot of the holes. So you can bounce between holes really easily. 

Firestone has some nostalgia because i've been going to that tournament since I was in grade school. I still have a hat signed by Greg Norman, Fuzzy Zoeller, Nick Price, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and a few more. 

[PEZGolf]

6 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

I go to the Players Championship every year, and last year I went to the Heritage.  I really liked the Heritage because it is so small compared to the Players.  That makes for fewer other spectators to deal with, and you can get a lot closer to the golfers.   I followed Jordan Speith for a few holes and was able to stand almost right next to him on several shots.  You can hear the players' conversations with their caddies at the Heritage.  There are not as many star players at the Heritage, of course.   But as I recall they had Spieth, Kuchar, and Furyk, among others.  The one bad thing about the Heritage last year was that they had a real hard time getting the spectators to and from the course.   The shuttle bus system was inadequate, to say the least.

My son has been to the Players (the darned rascal did NOT invite me----actually he was there with his college golf team from St. Lawrence).  I would love to go.  Apparently, the World Golf Hall of Fame is not too far away, in St. Augustine.  I would really, really love to go there.  Have you?

[DaveP043]

I've been to Congressional CC a bunch of times, at first for the old Kemper (won by Fred Couples and Greg Norman in those days), then again for the Senior US Open in 1995 and the US Open in 1997, for which I volunteered.  I also went to the Kemper a few times when it was virtually next door at TPC Avenel.    I've also been to the three US Opens held at Pinehurst #2 (1999, 2005, and 2014), as a volunteer each time.  In every case, the practice rounds are more "fun", because the course is less crowded and the players are much more relaxed.  On the other hand, its a different feeling when the tension gets ratcheted up and the crowds start buzzing, watching the leaderboards for every change of position.  I'd say I've enjoyed the Pinehurst events the best, mostly because we stay with friends at their home within walking distance of the front gate.  

[Pretzel]

I went to the BMW Championship at Cherry Hills in 2014 and enjoyed it, but my only complaint was that I did not arrive soon enough to really watch anyone on the range. I like the driving range because it lets you see all the players and their swings, multiple times, but I got there as the last couple of tee times were going off. The parking was also an ordeal, since Cherry Hills is actually a high end neighborhood you aren't allowed to park anywhere near it. You had to park at the Broncos stadium, then take about a 20 minute shuttle ride to get to the course.

I enjoyed it though, it's fun to watch players up close like that. Since my Grandpa was a veteran (and I was a minor) we were able to get tickets for the Saturday round for the two of us at a grand total of $1, which included free food, drinks, and seating in the veteran's hospitality tent set up directly behind the tee box of hole 15, the 242 yard par 3. That was a pretty good spot to be to see all of the players, and I also was able to get a spot near the green to watch the short game and putting of the pros later on in the day.

[Golfingdad]

My first tournament was the AT&T at Pebble in, I think, 1995 (won by Peter Jacobsen) and I had a blast.  One day my brother and I roamed around Pebble a bit checking out all of the celebrities (was shoulder to shoulder with Barbara Bush for a bit watching her husband tee off on 2) then took the shuttle over to Spyglass to Davis Love III hole out for eagle on a par 5, among other things.  Then on Sunday, I walked the Pebble from 1 through to 12 with my dad watching Fuzzy Zoellers group, then we camped out on 12 and watched it through to the leaders.  Followed them until the logjam got too crazy around 16/17/3/4 and we called it a weekend.

Next was Mercedes TOC at La Costa in 1998 on Saturday.  Don't remember who won (looked it up, Phil Mickelson apparently) but do remember lucking out and walking past hat was probably the 9th fairway when Tiger hit a tee shot that ended up 10-15 feet from the ropes in front of us, so we got to see him swing once from up really close.  Also remember watching a few guys on the range that day.

Went to Buick Invitational at Torrey 2 or 3 times.  Nothing really stands out too much except my friend assisted Stewart Cink once in finding his ball in the rough. :)

Lastly, it was the 2008 US Open - I think we went on Friday. That was a lot of fun as well.

[Marty2019]

40 minutes ago, PEZGolf said:

My son has been to the Players (the darned rascal did NOT invite me----actually he was there with his college golf team from St. Lawrence).  I would love to go.  Apparently, the World Golf Hall of Fame is not too far away, in St. Augustine.  I would really, really love to go there.  Have you?

I am ashamed to say, no, I have never been to the World Golf Hall of Fame, even though I live about 30 minutes up the road in Jacksonville.   I am definitely going to go there in the next month.  It's right here!   I can't believe I haven't been there. 

[DaveP043]

This just prodded my memory, the first pro tournament I went to was the Hall of Fame Classic at Pinehurst, in 1979.  I was in grad school at NC State and spent that summer working in Raleigh.  If I remember right, the original location of the World Golf Hall of Fame was in Pinehurst, down behind the 4th green and 5th tee.  The only thing I remember was watching Arnold Palmer hit a drive on #10, and watching that old low-launch rising ball flight that the good players got with persimmon heads and balata balls.

[djfajt71]

I've never been to a golf tournament, but I'm attending 2 tourneys this year.  I'm going to the Final round of the Valspar and the Opening round of the US Open at Oakmont.

[allenc]

I've been to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach once and the Shriners Open in Las Vegas several times.  Pebble Beach is a beautiful place and it's fun to walk around in the atmosphere of the US Open but you can't see jack.

For pure golf viewing I much prefer the smaller tournament.  At TPC Summerlin you are basically walking straight down the fairway with the players and only a few other spectators and can see every shot.  You can follow a player the entire round while rarely seperating by much more than a couple dozen yards.

Last year it was particularly brutal but hysterical when Las Vegas local Kevin Na bogied 17 tied for the lead.  He chose to chip from about 15 feet off the green and another 20 to the hole and flubbed it. I play that course often and everyone I play with would always chose to putt there and get up and down almost every time.  It's a smooth fairway and basically just a 35 foot putt.  An acquaintance I was watching with had bet $1000 at 30-1 on Na and he went from buying everyone drinks after the birdie on 16 to going apeshit -- the hysterical part.

Now I'm totally digressing but it just reinforces my philosophy of never chip, always putt.  Chips can just wind up awful and everybody is so much worse at them than they think. Even Kevin Na sucks at chipping.

[jsgolfer]

1994 and 1995 Greater Hartford Open

2002 US Senior Open Caves Valley - Was a Walking scorer as well, kept score for Don Pooley who shot 62 in the third round and won the tournament over Tom Watson

2003 US Open at Olympia Fields

2007, 2008 & 2009 Senior PGA Champsionship at Baltimore Country Club East Course

2011 US Open at Congressional

2013 Quicken Loans - Congressional

[PEZGolf]

I really miss the BC Open. I am glad the Dick's tournament is at Enjoie's, however.

[Marty2019]

I think the PGA Tour's new scheduling requirement, while still too weak, is a step in the right direction.  The idea is to spread the players out to more tournaments and help the smaller tournaments.   I like the way Spieth still went to the John Deere Classic a week before the Open, and he also went to the Heritage a week after winning the Masters.   I hope more stars take a cue and do the same type of thing.   

 

 

[gogolfing]

Went to Canadian Open in 2005 at Shaughnessy which ended up being the second toughest set up on tour statistically that year and saw Calc win it, and then US Open at Chambers Bay in 2015. Viewing as a spectator wasn't always the greatest but couldn't beat the excitement on Sunday. Went with my 14 year old son, and my buddy and his son, for Friday through Sunday. Got to spend Father's Day with my boy there in the grandstand on Sunday and it was real special. 

[No Mulligans]

I've gone to Torrey Pines tournaments, including the U.S. Open, about 5 times.  I enjoyed it but am a bit mixed because of the logistics of getting to and from the tournament.  And, I prefer watching pga tournaments on TV.

Maybe this year I'll just play a round of golf somewhere instead.

[davechen]

My first tournament was the Greater Greensboro Open back when I lived in Chapel Hill, NC.  When I lived in Houston I went to the Shell Houston Open once or twice.  More recently I've been to the AT&T and the US Open at Congressional, which is about 5 miles from my house.  The crowds at that US Open were nuts, but I was pretty close to Rory on one tee shot.

I would like to go to an LPGA tournament one of these days.  They seem to be much less crowded, the distances they hit are closer to me, and, well, there are some pretty attractive players.  I haven't seen any tournaments particularly close to me though.

[Gunther]

14 minutes ago, davechen said:

My first tournament was the Greater Greensboro Open back when I lived in Chapel Hill, NC.  When I lived in Houston I went to the Shell Houston Open once or twice.  More recently I've been to the AT&T and the US Open at Congressional, which is about 5 miles from my house.  The crowds at that US Open were nuts, but I was pretty close to Rory on one tee shot.

I would like to go to an LPGA tournament one of these days.  They seem to be much less crowded, the distances they hit are closer to me, and, well, there are some pretty attractive players.  I haven't seen any tournaments particularly close to me though.

Been to a few Colonials and Nelsons and a couple years ago I took in the Dallas LPGA event with my daughter.  Completely different ballgame there.  All the big names show up at most events so we got to see Wie, Lewis, Park, etc. My kid became a Lexi fan due to her color coordination (teal bag, headcovers, clothes, etc.)  Thousands fewer fans so the girls are in very close promiximity, especially between holes.  Not as many drunks.  Really a lot of fun, I highly recommend attending your local LPGA event.  The girls love the support.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Gunther