Often referred to as “The Greatest Show on Grass,” the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale is the PGA Tour’s best attended events, drawing more  than 500,000 golf enthusiasts each year.  It’s schedule for February 2 through February 5 this year and will be one of the first events on the 2012 PGA Tour calendar.

One of the most famous aspects of the WM Open is the 16^th hole, which features an enclosed stadium for up to 15,000 fans (see photo above).  The tournament benefits Thunderbird Charities, an organization that donates millions of dollars to Arizona charities.  Find out more about the Waste Management Open on the official event website.

See the crowds at the hole 16 and a Jarrod Lyle’s hole-in-one from the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open in this YouTube Video.

Host of several annual PGA Tour events, including the Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale offers two legendary championship courses: the Champions Course and the Stadium Course. The Stadium is ranked as one of the top golf courses in a state full of great golf courses.

Both courses are open for public use and each includes a fully functional clubhouse with casual and formal dining facilities.

Each year more than 500,000 fans attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Condé Nast Traveler has named TPC as one of the Top 50 Golf Resort Destinations in the World. Find out more about this world-class golf center on the TPC Scottsdale website.

If you find yourself having to lay off golf in the winter or take it easy because of an injury, it’s important to keep yourself in golf-readiness shape.  One of the most important aspects of golf fitness is flexibility.  The range of motion required for an effective golf swing demands that your joints and muscles stay as loose and flexible as possible.   

For more information, check out this informative article on golf flexibility.  It recommends that you perform golf flexibility exercises at least four times per week and describes suggested exercises.

You can also find golf exercise videos on the PGA Tour website, including videos related to golf flexibility.

Grayhawk Golf Club is a daily-fee golf club located near Scottsdale that offers two outstanding 18-hole golf courses.  Since their opening in 1994, the Talon and Raptor courses have hosted many high-profile events, including the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open.   Each of the unique courses at Grayhawk is situated amidst the spectacular scenery of the Sonoran Desert.  Each of the courses also offers its own challenges and design features.   Golf Magazine and Golf Digest have rated these courses within the Top 100 in the nation.

The Club amenities include the Golf Shop & Trading Company, The Quill Café and Phil’s Grill, which is named for Grayhawk’s PGA Tour Ambassador Phil Mickelson.  You can find out more at the Grayhawk Golf Club website.

Rickey Barnes was the 2002 U.S. Amateur Golf Champion while attending the University of Arizona. He currently plays on the PGA Tour. At the 2009 U.S. Open, Barnes set a 36-hole record score after shooting 8-under 132 throughout the first two rounds, despite soft and rainy conditions. In the 3rd round, he became the 4th player ever in the U.S. Open to reach double digits under par. Unfortunately, he shot a 76(+6) in the final round and ended up in a tie for 2nd place, two shots behind winning golfer Lucas Glover.

See Rickey at home in Phoenix in this PGA video.