Charles Schwab Cup Championship: Watch It, Then Play Phoenix
Thursday morning in Phoenix, the first round of the PGA TOUR Champions season finale tees off on a parkland course in the middle of the city. A hospitality area looks down on the par-3 15th, and the party is at 17. The rest of the year, Phoenix Country Club is a private club with more than 125 years of history. From November 12 to 15, a grounds ticket gets you onto all 18 holes.
The Valley’s best courses you can book are a short drive away, so the trip comes in two parts: watch the finale, then play.
The Season Finale at Phoenix Country Club
The Charles Schwab Cup Championship closes the PGA TOUR Champions season. The field is the top 36 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, playing four rounds, Thursday through Sunday. They’re playing for two titles at once: the tournament and the season-long Charles Schwab Cup.
The PGA TOUR lists Phoenix Country Club at par 71 and 6,860 yards. Harry Collis designed the 18-hole course when the club moved to its current home at Thomas Road and 7th Street. Tom Lehman and John Fought later redesigned it, adding new greens and bunkers, enlarging the lakes and reworking all of the par 3s. The club was home of the Phoenix Open from 1932 to 1986.
Where to Watch
A grounds ticket covers the tournament grounds and every venue open to the public, so you can walk all 18 holes. Two spots stand out:
- The par-3 15th: the Champions Club hospitality area overlooks it, and the tournament calls it one of the most exciting vantage points on the course.
- The Oasis on 17: this is the loud one, with a cheer for every birdie.
Both are upgraded ticket options, sold through the same official channels as grounds tickets.
Tickets, Parking and Getting In
Tickets are sold only through the tournament’s official site or Ticketmaster. The PGA TOUR Champions event page links to the same place. A few things to know before you go:
- Digital only: all tickets live on your phone. Screenshots aren’t accepted, because each ticket carries a barcode that changes every 15 seconds.
- Military tickets: active-duty, retired and reserve military members, and veterans, can claim up to two complimentary grounds tickets per day, Thursday through Sunday.
- Parking: spectator parking is free at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1826 West McDowell Road, Wednesday through Sunday. Shuttles run to the main tournament entrance.
- Rideshare: the drop-off is near the main entrance off Osborn Road, between 7th Street and 12th Street. Cars without a parking pass can’t get into the club.
Then Play the Valley
Phoenix Country Club goes back to members on Monday. The four courses below all take tee times online and sit close enough to fit around a tournament day. For booking windows, overseeding and more courses, our Scottsdale winter golf guide goes deeper.
Papago Golf Club (Phoenix)
Papago is the easy add-on. It’s a city course in Papago Park, just under two miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor, where Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale meet. Billy Bell, the architect behind Torrey Pines, designed it, and the round plays under the Papago Buttes with Camelback Mountain and the downtown skyline in view. Arizona State’s men’s and women’s golf teams call it home.
From 2027, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship moves here from Phoenix Country Club.
Book it: Choose public tee times on Papago’s tee-time page.
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course (Scottsdale)
This is the home of the WM Phoenix Open. Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf designed the Stadium Course specifically as the tournament’s stage, and it sits in the Sonoran Desert under the McDowell Mountains. The Randy Heckenkemper-designed Champions Course next door is the second 18.
Book it: Use TPC’s tee sheet or call 480-585-4334.
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Fort McDowell)
We-Ko-Pa has 36 holes in open Sonoran Desert just outside Scottsdale, with no homes along the fairways. The Saguaro is a Coore & Crenshaw design. The Cholla is Scott Miller’s.
Book it: All tee times are on We-Ko-Pa’s online booking page.
Troon North Golf Club (Scottsdale)
Troon North’s Monument and Pinnacle courses run through ravines and foothills below Pinnacle Peak, with granite boulders scattered across the desert and bentgrass greens. Tom Weiskopf, the original designer, later renovated both courses.
Book it: Use Troon North’s tee-time page or call 480-585-7700.
Make It a Longer Arizona Trip
Our Arizona winter golf road trip carries the week south from Phoenix, and our Tucson winter golf guide covers the other end of the drive. If you’d rather stay put, our roundup of golf resorts in Arizona covers where golf and rooms come together. Arizona is also a fixture on our list of the best winter golf destinations.
The Ticket to Buy
Back to that par-3 15th. Saturday is the day to stand there. It’s moving day, when the leaders set up the finish for the tournament and the season-long Charles Schwab Cup, and this private course is open to spectators for tournament week. Then play Papago before you fly home.
Buy tickets only through the official tournament site or Ticketmaster.
