No. 16: One of the 'Seven Golf Wonders of the World'

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The fans around the 16th hole often throw things at the players and serenade them with chants.

They are expecting more than 72,000 fans in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday for Super Bowl XLIII.

Those die-hard Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers fans, though, have nothing on the rowdy crowd gathered at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during this week's FBR Open.

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The 162-yard par 3 has been turned into its own private stadium -- complete with jumbotrons for instant replays. No other golf hole is completely enclosed, and more than 20,000 fans are expected to pack the grandstands and skyboxes there each day.

"It's probably a cross between roller derby, a hockey game and who knows what else," Tom Lehman said. "It's like playing a golf hole inside the Rose Bowl. The people go crazy, they're having fun. With every group they're looking to have fun with you.

"Walking through the tunnel you get the feeling like it's the Christians going to the lions at the Coliseum. You walk through this long tunnel and there's a little light at the end and you walk up on the tee as you get to the other side and people go crazy. It's just a pretty 'nuts' place."

No golfer is immune, either. There are raucous cheers -- think Tiger Woods' famous ace in 1997 -- as well as jeers, and sometimes flying objects, that accompany any shot that fails to reach a green that Pat Perez describes as looking like a "dime" off the tee. Like the Cameron Crazies at Duke, the crowd is nothing if not inventive and prepared.

"They knew my high school mascot, which was kind of nutty," Lucas Glover said. "Come on, who knows that? It's a cool scene. If you like sports, you've got to like it."

"I guess they Google you pretty good to come up with this stuff," Arizona State grad Jeff Quinney agreed.

Brandt Snedeker calls the 16th one of the 'Seven Golf Wonders of the World" and tells all his friends it's a must-see experience. He's prepared for anything that happens, although he is a little worried after shooting 77 in the final group on Sunday at Augusta National last year.

"They definitely do their homework," said Snedeker, who tied for ninth at the FBR Open last year. "I told everybody after the Masters last year that I was really scared to get back to 16 because who knows what they're going to do to me.

"They're very 'informed' fans, to say the least."

From the minute the pros walk through the tunnel under the skyboxes until they exit beneath the bleachers, they're as exposed as Ben Roethlisberger is when the Steelers quarterback steps back to pass on Sunday. Some players do better under that scrutiny than others.

"This is a tournament that I circle on the calendar every year because I watched it, I watched Tiger make that hole-in-one, and I saw everybody throwing their cups at him and all the beer going around and people going wild," Anthony Kim said.

"I'm looking forward to giving that a shot for four days, and hopefully the fans will have something to cheer about."

With his bejeweled 'AK' belt buckles and brash demeanor, Kim is perfectly suited to the extracurricular activities at the 16th hole. Not everyone is comfortable embracing the crowd, though, and those players had best stay home.

"If you say anything about the hole, you're going to get killed when you get there," said Perez, who made last week's 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer his first PGA TOUR victory.

"I like it. I think it's loud, it's football. The only reason it becomes that way is how it's talked about. Everyone keeps saying it's the loudest hole in golf and everyone is crazy and everyone does this, so everyone continues to do more every year to make it as loud and obnoxious as possible.

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Chris DiMarco says the secret to No. 16 is acknowledging the fans.

"I went to ASU so I've kind of got that on my side. But it's nerve-wracking, that hole. It's not that hard of a hole, and you get up there and you feel like you're hitting on a dime. It's cool. You get it once a year, and it's such a cool-looking hole now with the stadium effect.

"You've got to like it. You either like it or you don't play."

Chris DiMarco has the perfect antidote. And that's not just the late-early tee times he hopes for so he can get off the course before too many adult beverages are consumed on Friday afternoon.

"The main thing is, you've got to recognize them," DiMarco said. "You have to let them know you hear them. You know they're going to be rowdy and as long as they see some type of acknowledgement, they'll be great.

"They know I'm a (Florida) Gator, and I give them a big Gator chomp and they love it. Other than that, it's one of the more nervous shots you'll have. I'm glad there's no water out there. That would make me really nervous.

"(The 17th hole at TPC) Sawgrass is probably the most nerve-wracking 9-iron we hit all year, and this is certainly the most nerve-wracking 8-iron."

Dudley Hart has considered another approach to neutralize the crowd. And he understands the bottom line.

"When I get there I wish I was up there with the fans instead of playing," he said. "Most of the fans are very respectful, until you hit a bad shot, which is fine. I've been booed and I'm sure I'll be booed again this week.

"It's a lot fun out there. It's great for the tournament, it's great for the city, it's great for the charities. That's all people talk about. It's famous for it. No other place on TOUR is close."