No doubt you’ve seen it on TV, but until you’ve experienced it firsthand it’s hard to describe just how unbelievably noisy the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale gets during the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The grandstands and skyboxes encompass an area a little larger than a football field, with as many as 20,000 screaming fans, many of whom spend the entire day drinking beer and betting on anything and everything. Closest to the pin; first caddie to the green; first player through the tunnel—if it moves or has a score attached to it, they’ll bet on it. And scream about it. Unlike other golf holes where a respectful hush falls over the crowd as players prepare to hit their shots, at the 16th, the noise level never abates despite repeated pleas from the PA system. Great shots merit loud cheers. Poor shots get booed. This is one hole where it’s not about the golf or the players—it’s all about the fans. It’s a college football crowd let loose on a pub crawl. It’s fantastic!

I had the unique opportunity to be both in the stands and at ground level on No. 16—a.k.a. Thunderdome—including following groups through the tunnel—during Round 2 of the 2012 Waste Management Open. There’s absolutely nothing like it in golf.