Family-Friendly Green Adventures at the Waste Management Phoenix Open

Golf Travel Tips

The WM Green Scene: Where Learning Meets Fun

The WM Green Scene is a fan zone designed specifically to engage kids and families with hands-on sustainability education. This isn't a boring lecture about recycling. It's a full-blown experience where children can participate in games that make environmental concepts click.

One of the most popular activities is the chip-and-throw game, where participants try to place items into the correct compost or recycling bins. Think of it as mini-golf meets environmental education. Kids love the competitive element, and parents love that their children are actually learning something valuable while having fun at a major sporting event.

A free water bottle refill station is also available at the Green Scene, allowing families to conserve water while saving money on bottled drinks during the day. The PGA Tour events are a great opportunity to teach your kids about sustainability while also lightening their wallets, a benefit that any parent can appreciate.

Educational Infrastructure That Actually Works

Walk around the WM Phoenix Open and you'll notice something different from other tournaments. More than 4,800 color-coded recycling and compost bins are strategically placed throughout the course, making it crystal clear where waste should go. This isn't just infrastructure for the sake of appearances. It's part of a comprehensive system that has diverted millions of pounds of waste from landfills since 2013.

WM ambassadors and on-site signage guide visitors through "Recycle Right" messaging, explaining what items go into recycling versus composting and why food and liquid contamination matter. For kids, seeing this system in action provides a real-world education that goes far beyond what they learn in school. They're not just reading about recycling. They're participating in the largest zero waste sporting event in the world.

The tournament is certified by the Golf Environment Organization and achieves 100% diversion of materials from landfill through recycling, composting, donation or energy conversion. In recent years, approximately 62% of materials were diverted as recyclables, 20% as compostables, 15% through energy recovery, and 4% as donations. These aren't just impressive numbers. They're teaching moments for families who want their children to understand that large-scale events can operate responsibly.

Balancing the Party Scene with Family Zones

Family-friendly tournaments like the WM Phoenix Open rely on understanding that everyone experiences the event differently depending on their position. There is a party zone on the 16th hole for adults. The Fan Zone and other family-friendly areas, however, provide interactive exhibits and activities for kids without sacrificing any of the excitement of the big game.

In the Fan Zone, kids can explore small garbage trucks, fill up their water bottles, and participate in interactive displays. When compared to other professional sporting events, this is an incredibly affordable family outing for children 15 and under.

Smart families visit on specific days with lighter crowds or take advantage of complimentary entry opportunities. This strategy lets you experience sustainability education and quality golf without navigating the wild party atmosphere. You can enjoy the best of both worlds by spending mornings in family zones and catching golf action on quieter holes, then heading out before the rowdier evening crowds arrive.

Green Merchandise Kids Actually Want

All giveaway items and promotional materials at the event must be reusable, recyclable or compostable, which means kids aren't collecting cheap plastic trinkets that end up in the trash. Instead, they get quality items that align with the environmental lessons they are learning.

Tournament merchandise partnerships include shirts made from recycled plastic bottles through recycled-fiber technology, like those from Peter Millar. For families, this means purchasing keepsakes that carry environmental value beyond just being tournament souvenirs. Your kids can wear their WM Phoenix Open gear knowing it was made from materials that would otherwise be waste.

The Green Out Day Tradition

Among the tournament's most engaging family traditions is Green Out Day on Saturday. Wearing green triggers donations to the Working for Tomorrow Fund, which benefits projects focused on emissions reduction, water restoration, and renewable energy on tribal nations.

Through fan participation, color-themed fun, and philanthropic initiatives, children will learn how their actions contribute to larger environmental goals. Wearing green and helping the environment is a simple concept that kids love. There is nothing like seeing thousands of green-clad fans to make an experience memorable for children.