ROGERS -- A new entrance, more seating, a bigger children's area and cooling tent will all be part of June's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G this year.

"We're really investing in 17," said Jay Allen, tournament chairman. "There really isn't a hole like it on the LPGA tour."

Fans are encouraged to cheer at the 17th hole, dubbed the Gatorade Loudest Hole on Tour, in a sport that's traditionally quiet.

The stands and atmosphere of the 17th hole were appreciated by tournament-goers last year, said Harry Hardy, tournament director, but the sponsor's only pavilion was at capacity.

This year there will be an additional 4,000 square feet of canopied structures around the 17th hole. Covered stands with seating for 200 will be open to the general public, and replace the bleachers there last year. A private hospitality room joins the sponsor's Malibu Party Deck, and a new $275 all-inclusive ticket will give ticket holders full-service hospitality.

"We wanted everybody to be a part of this hole and not just the sponsors," Allen said.

Fans' first view of the course will be like walking into a stadium as they enter the 17th green through a tunnel under the covered stands, Hardy said.

"You're walking onto the stage almost," he said.

The tournament is geared not just at golf fans, but at families who want to make it a day out, Allen said.

A cooling tent will be added near the food village, which will feature restaurants. The children's center has expanded from just under 3,000 square feet to 6,300 square feet. A 25-foot-by-10-foot video wall will have scores and interactive content.

"If you're a golf fan, and you live locally, you know about the event. Our growth is with people who are not already golf fans," Hardy said.

Golf is a great sport to watch because a rope line is all that separates the fans from the pros, Hardy said.

"Everybody has a seat at the 50-yard line," Allen said.

For golf fans the draw isn't limited to the 17th hole.

Golfer Kenny Wilkins of Bella Vista said he looks forward to watching the action at the 14th and 15th holes. The 14th hole is a good par 5, but a birdie isn't impossible, Wilkins said.

The island 15th hole is described as Pinnacle Country Club's signature hole. The greens, the water and the play combine for great effect on the short par 3 hole, Wilkins said.

"If you're looking for a great viewing experience, it gives golfers everything," he said.

Other holes might have better golf action, but the stands at the 17th hole and nearby features add atmosphere to the LPGA, said Darryl Muldoon, golf pro at Bella Vista Country Club.

The experience is patterned after the 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which also is billed as the loudest hole in golf.

A cheering crowd can energize a player as she walks onto the course, but golf etiquette shouldn't go out the window entirely, Muldoon said. Subdued tones are appropriate as the players tee up and start a pre-shot routine.

"Watch the shot and then cheer and go wild after the shot," he said.

He plans to take his children, ages 9 and 6, around the course this year, ending the day at the 17th hole.

There is more than one type of golf fan, Muldoon said.

Some people will want to follow a single golfer around the course, others will stay at a particular hole and watch the shots come in. The stadium feel at the 17th hole allows viewers to relax, he said.

"I think it's exciting. It'll bring a lot to the hole and to the LPGA," Muldoon said.