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NAPA, Calif. - I'm feeling the day-after scars of 'too good a time' at the 2023 Fortinet Championship ... aching feet, a sunburn and a lost voice.
Not many PGA Tour events will steal your vocal chords from too much cheering, but the third round at the Fortinet Championship did for me. No, I wasn't screaming to celebrate the bunker hole-out for eagle by Justin Thomas or the improbable rise up the leaderboard by veteran Matt Kuchar on the North Course at Silverado Resort & Spa. It was the cool Saturday night concert by Stone Temple Pilots that got me. It's this perfect of combination of golf, the Napa life and concerts that have earned the Fortinet Championship the reputation as the PGA Tour's most fan-friendly event. We named it fifth among the PGA Tour events worth attending in a 2022 story.
With the rise of LIV Golf, the fan experience of the PGA Tour has come into question. Could it be better? Should the 'quiet-please' vibe that worked for decades be dropped for a louder, music-infused, entertainment-driven spectacle? Some younger fans think so. I'm not so sure. I think there's a delicate line that Fortinet walks the right way. The muted golf claps during the day are replaced with letting your hair down at night during the concerts. Fans get the best of both worlds without one infringing on the other.
While I haven't been to every PGA Tour event, I've been to lots of them. Many could learn from the creativity shown by the Fortinet Championship tournament organizers. This year - the third under the Fortinet sponsorship - marked a major change in the setup. The North Course was entirely rerouted so fans could easily park on-site at the adjacent South Course to walk through a fan village of vendors and concessions right into the golf action. No shuttles. No hassles.
Note to other tournament organizers: The fan should come first in every decision made. Even if it means breaking with tradition. The competition for a fan's dollar and attention has never been more fierce. Getting people off their couches to attend tournaments takes both making the experience unique and a price point that feels like a good bargain.
What it's like attending the Fortinet Championship
Let's be honest. The timing of the Fortinet will never be conducive to attracting most of the world's best players. Many Tour pros take the fall off to rest after a long summer. The biggest names to compete this year were Ryder Cup teammates Max Homa, the two-time defending champion, and Justin Thomas, who drew the biggest crowds and loudest cheers. Both finished among the top 10 with Sahith Theegala winning his first PGA Tour event at 21-under-par. Without a marquee field, it's hard to build buzz in a crowded Bay Area calendar.
That's where the concerts provide the draw and the value. Daily grounds tickets cost only $45 on Thursday and Sunday and the $75 on Friday and Saturday includes admission to the post-round concerts. That's a really good 2-for-1 deal. Weezer, Bush and Billy Idol have been past concert headliners. Parking is an additional $25.
Premium pass tickets cost $150 for Thursday and Sunday and $250 for Friday and Saturday allow access to certain hospitality tents. My wife and I hung out at the 18th Hole Skyboxes for much of our day. If you can afford this splurge, it's entirely worth it because the food and drinks are free. It gives lucky fans a home base with comfortable seats, shade and access to TVs.
If you can't afford that spend, there's still plenty of food, drink, seating, shade and fun walking the course for a full day. A Bushmills tent sold premium drinks and offered whiskey tastings. The famous Original Burger Dog set up a portable truck in the fan village, as well as its location in the middle of the course.
Walking different holes gets fans much closer to the players than most other Tour events. It was easy to find open spots along the ropes near a green or tee just feet from a J.T. putt or a Kuchar drive.
My wife, who's not much of a golf fan, loved seeing one volunteer allow a young boy inside the ropes on a tee so he could see better. It's little moments like this that can create a golf fan for life.
After the golf ended, fans were allowed to leave the venue to grab extra clothing in their cars for the night-time festivities. The 1990s rock band LIVE opened as the co-headliner. They were good - I knew more songs than I thought - but 'STP' was great. I belted out every word. The new front man, Jeff Gutt, went into the crowd several times to crank the energy up a notch.
Combing golf and music on the course doesn't always work - whether you're playing a round or watching a tournament. It will be interesting if the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger ever happens, will more tournaments pump tunes into the venue to create more of an upbeat 'vibe'? Like a lot of pro golf events, the Fortinet Championship can feel a bit sleepy at times.
Some golfers might love the addition of music. It's what has drawn certain fans to LIV Golf. Others probably won't. Hosting a tournament by day, though, and a concert by night? Now that's something every golf fan will love. I've got the sore throat to prove it.
What's been your best experience attending a PGA Tour event? Let us know in the comments below.
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