The sounds of a fraternity party mingled with the familiar fragrances hops and malted barley are the essence of the 16th. Most of the golfers and virtually all of the fans love it.
As word spread that there was a party going on at 16, where fans could also view the 15th “island” green and the driveable par-4 17th, the crowds swelled.Then Tiger Woods came along and provided a viral moment that helped solidify the 16th hole’s reputation with one glorious shot. He aced the hole in 1997, and the skies opened and the beers came raining down.
The hole not only has 3,700 general admission seats but is topped off by suites and skybox seating. Fans line up at the tournament entrance long before the sun rises and there is a sprint to No. 16 for the open seating. Fans make the hole unique. Fans from across the country gather there, many wearing goofy, extravagant outfits. They serenade players with their college fight songs, boo loudly when a shot that normally would receive a polite “golf clap” lands further from the hole than they’d like. They even created “caddy races” there several years ago, with fans picking their caddy and roaring in celebration if he or she reached the green first.