The WM Phoenix Open, a staple event in the City of Scottsdale's calendar, has once again drawn in massive crowds, with the police department reporting an uptick in both services and interventions. According to statistics published by the City of Scottsdale, the 2025 edition of the golf tournament and its associated Birds Nest festivities attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and necessitated a total of 1,011 calls for service.
Keeping up with traditions, although there was a broad effort to maintain security across the city, the entertainment district swelled with fans, setting new attendance records. Scottsdale Police, seemingly prepared for the surge, stepped up their game with 63 arrests, a noticeable increase from the previous years—18 in 2023 and 54 in 2024. Ejections highly outnumbered arrests, with a record 319 people being removed from the event for various reasons in 2025, according to the same report.
Weather plays a role in managing the crowds, and 2024 saw an impact on attendance given adverse conditions. However, in 2025, the elimination of 'any day ticketing' paved the way for a more consistent turnout, fueling a predictable pattern of rowdiness primarily on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The report detailed that this year's event's heightened service calls and security measures were part of a carefully choreographed response to behavior that "fell outside an appropriate level of conduct for the event and outside the law."
With the revamp in planning measures for the latest WM Phoenix Open, the authorities clamped down on misconduct without compromising their commitment to public safety. Improved weather conditions and strategic ticketing changes appeared to have evened out attendance throughout the week, leading to a controlled environment where "most arrest totals occurred on our traditionally busier days," as the report reflects, indicating a clear pattern matching the high-energy cadence of these golf-infused revelries.
