The Phoenix Open at the TPC of Scottsdale An otherwise average course that once a year transforms itself into the single largest golf tournament in the world. On any given year, the Saturday crowd alone exceeds 120,000, including a gallery that rates as the craziest, loudest and sometimes worst on Tour. For example: As Tiger made his now famous hole-in-one on the 162-yard par-3 16th in 1997, not only did people toss empty beer cups on the tee box as he left (that was shown on TV), but about 15 folks down front turned around and mooned His Swooshness (not shown on TV, for obvious reasons). Each night of the tournament is replete with huge parties and, as one Pac-10 football coach who was raised in Phoenix once told me, "If I were a single man, a party at the Phoenix Open would be a can't-miss." 2. Bank One Ballpark 3. America West Arena 4. Scottsdale Stadium and Tempe Diablo Stadium during spring training 5. Sun Devil Stadium . For Arizona State football, not the Arizona Cardinals' brand of play.

Tubing on the Salt River Located a brisk 30 minutes east of Phoenix in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains is the Salt River (or, as developers downstream in Tempe like to call it, Rio Salado). You can bask in the sun for anywhere from two to four hours as you drift gently down the stream. A local company now provides tubes and transportation, whereas in olden days you and your friends either had to bring two vehicles or hitchhike back to your car. 2. Pinnacle Peak Patio and Rawhide restaurants. Yes, both of these Wild West establishments are tourist traps, but lasso your inhibtions and just enjoy yourself. 3. Scottsdale Fashion Square and Biltmore Fashion Park. Because Phoenix has as many beautiful people as it does cacti and most of them seem to congregate at these two meccas of retaildom. 4. Camelback Mountain and Squaw Peak. The Valley's two highest peaks are located just 10 minutes from one another on fabulous Lincoln Drive. While Squaw Peak is higher in elevation, Camelback provides the more arduous climb. Savor the views at the top. 5. Mill Avenue, Tempe. This once-sleepy street adjacent to the ASU campus now rivals the Franklin Street scene in Chapel Hill.

Six, also known as 6 The newest hip bar on Stetson Drive in Scottsdale, a haven for the young, wealthy and beautiful. The food here is awesome but the people-watching is even better. 2. Kona Grill, Scottsdale 3. Dos Gringos, Scottsdale. For the steak tacos, served in a basket. 4. Alice Cooperstown, Phoenix. Don't worry, you ARE worthy of eating and drinking at Alice's restaurant. The demon of darkness himself, Alice Cooper, is the proprietor here, where the food is good, the mood is festive, and the live bands kick ass. 5. Cowboy Ciao, Scottsdale

	Big Surf, Tempe The progenitor of outdoor water parks is still cool -- if you're 13. Otherwise, not so much. 2. The Fountain at Fountain Hills 3. Biosphere 2 4. Maricopa County Jail 5. Standing on a corner in Winslow, Ariz. I've done this and have yet to see a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me.

The Gar Heard 'Round the World The 1976 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics against the upstart Phoenix Suns, perhaps the most tanned team in the history of the league. In Game 5 at Boston Garden, Suns forward Garfield Heard hit a last-second 25-foot jumper to send what many regard as the best game in NBA history to a third overtime. Alas, as is so often the case when it comes to Phoenix professional sports, the Suns lost the game and the series. The only other triple OT NBA Finals contest featured the Chicago Bulls and -- yes -- the Suns. It occurred in 1993 at Chicago Stadium, and this time Phoenix upended Michael Jordan and the vaunted Bulls. 2. John Paxson's three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 1993 3. Martin Luther King Jr. Day fiasco leads teams to spurn Fiesta Bowl, 1990 4. Penn State defeats Miami 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl, 1987 5. Tiger Woods' hole-in-one at the Phoenix Open, 1997