Desert Classic Event Photography • 2026
Behind the Lens at the Desert Classic:
Five Years. One Camera. Every Moment.
How Arizona’s premier women’s golf tournament at Papago Golf Course became the most rewarding event photography assignment of my career, and why we keep coming back year after year.
“I have the most fun I have ever had on any job. Not just on a golf course, not just any photo shoot. Of all my clients and all the photo work I’ve ever done, this is by far the most fun and the most rewarding.”
Five years ago, I got a call that would change how I think about event photography. Tori Totlis was looking for a photographer for a women’s golf tournament at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. Someone had mentioned my name. Then someone else did. My immediate answer was yes. I had no idea what I was walking into.
What I walked into was 220 women, four days of competition, live music, shopping vendors, pre-dawn DJ setups, a tire change on the side of the road, and more energy than most photographers see in a full year of work. That first Desert Classic event photography assignment changed what I thought was possible at a golf tournament.
Now in its fifth year, the Desert Classic has grown into a full production: two tournament weeks back-to-back, 440 players, swag bags stuffed for three and a half days, a 14-piece band, Bingo Loco, and a team of people who have been running this thing since day one. Tori and her team have been documenting it all, and I have had a front-row seat through my lens. If you want to see what corporate event photography in Phoenix looks like at its most alive, this is it.
The Desert Classic is a women-only event, and that is a big part of what makes it special. It is a space built specifically for women to compete, connect, and celebrate the game together. For couples who love golf and want to experience it side by side, my wife Nicole and I document that world through Mr. and Mrs. Golf, our couples golf brand where we play and review public courses across all 50 states. Two different sides of golf culture, both worth following.
My relationship with Tori extends well beyond the Desert Classic. Over the past five years I have traveled with her to Ireland, Spain, Scotland, Sea Island in Georgia, and Pinehurst in North Carolina, photographing her golf retreats and trips as they have grown into their own world-class productions. Coming up in 2026, she has trips planned to Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Wimbledon in England (with a day at the actual tournament), a return trip to Scotland, and a Canadian trip to close out the year. More destinations are already in the works for 2027. Tori keeps building and the photography keeps getting more interesting.
This year, Tori launched a behind-the-scenes documentary series on YouTube. Three episodes in and it is already the most honest, unfiltered look at what it actually takes to pull off an event at this scale. I appear in a few of those moments. More importantly, what you will see is a team and a community of women that is genuinely unlike anything else in golf.
Desert Classic Event Photography
Watch the Desert Classic Documentary Series
Episode One
The Tournament, the Team, and the Tradition That Started It All
The first episode drops you straight into the chaos and joy of Desert Classic week: pre-dawn setup, the “Hype” ritual that kicks off every shotgun start, flat tires, team breakfasts, and the women who keep showing up year after year. You also get the full origin story of how Tori went from a frustrated beginner who quit halfway through rounds to building a 440-player tournament that sells out fast.
This is the one that shows you what it actually looks like behind the scenes. The 4:30am wake-ups. The team that has been there since the beginning.
Episode Two
Swag Bags, a Surprise Dad, and What Tori Didn’t Tell Anyone
Episode two goes deep into the preparation side: three and a half days of stuffing 440 custom swag bags, organizing gear in trailers, coordinating vendors, and the kind of logistics that most guests never see. You will also meet Alex, Tori’s sister, and watch the moment Tori’s father surprises her mother at the tournament.
This episode gives you a real look at the family behind the event and the personal story that runs underneath five years of building something this big. Worth watching start to finish.
Episode Three
Shopping Night, the Band, and the Energy That Keeps Women Coming Back
The third episode captures Desert Classic from the guest’s perspective: shopping night with vendors, a 14-piece live band, Lisa Long Ball’s clinic out on the course, the Vision 54 coaches leading the afternoon session, and the Bingo Loco finale that closes out week one. This is the part that is nearly impossible to explain to someone who has not been there.
Golf is a small part of this. The friendships, the outfits, the spontaneous dance floors at 5:30am on a fairway, that is what the Desert Classic actually is. Watch this episode and you will understand why the waitlist exists.
Coming Soon
More Episodes on the Way
The documentary series is still rolling. Tori and the team are continuing to capture what happens behind the scenes at one of Arizona’s most unique women’s golf events. Subscribe to catch each new episode as it drops.
New episode coming soon
Do Not Miss What Is Next
More episodes are dropping. Subscribe so you catch every one.
Golf allows you to naturally make those friends in such a beautiful atmosphere and you just connect through it. No matter where anybody falls in our world, right or left, we have this commonality of loving the game.Desert Classic Attendee, Year 5
Stay Connected
Follow the Desert Classic Journey
The Desert Classic documentary series is just getting started. Follow Tori, PHOTO FUSION STUDIO®, and Everardo across YouTube and Instagram to catch every new episode and behind-the-scenes moment.
Tori Totlis
The full documentary series, tournament recaps, and Compete Confidence Golf content
@tori.totlis →PHOTO FUSION STUDIO®
Event photography, corporate headshots, and behind-the-scenes work from the studio
@PhotoFusion.Studio →Everardo Keeme
Photography perspective, event coverage, and the work behind the work
@everardokeeme →Tori on Instagram
Daily golf content, tournament moments, and Compete Confidence updates
@tori_totlis →PHOTO FUSION STUDIO®
Corporate event photography, headshots, and conference coverage across the country
@photofusionstudio →Everardo Keeme
Photography, golf, and life through the lens of a Phoenix-based event photographer
@everardokeeme →Also From Everardo + Nicole
Mr. and Mrs. Golf
The Desert Classic is women-only golf at its finest. For couples who want to experience golf together, Everardo and his wife Nicole document that world through Mr. and Mrs. Golf, a couples golf brand playing and reviewing public courses across all 50 states. A different side of the same love for the game.
Visit mrandmrsgolf.com →Common Questions
Desert Classic Event Photography: FAQ
What is the Desert Classic women’s golf tournament?
The Desert Classic is a three-day women’s golf tournament held at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona, created by golf influencer and Compete Confidence Golf founder Tori Totlis. Now in its fifth year, it hosts over 440 women across two back-to-back tournament weeks, featuring competitive golf, live music, shopping vendors, clinics, and nightly events. It is widely considered one of the most unique women’s golf experiences in the country. View upcoming tournaments at Compete Confidence Golf.
Important: These Events Sell Out in Minutes
Do not wait until registration opens to find out about it. By the time most people hear about it, spots are already gone. The only way to get ahead of it is to sign up for Tori’s email newsletter now so you are notified the moment registration goes live.
Get on the List Before It Sells Out →Who is the photographer for the Desert Classic?
Everardo Keeme of PHOTO FUSION STUDIO® has been the official event photographer for the Desert Classic since the very first tournament. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Everardo specializes in corporate event photography, conferences, and headshots, and has photographed all five years of the Desert Classic at Papago Golf Course.
Where can I watch the Desert Classic documentary series?
The Desert Classic behind-the-scenes documentary series is available on Tori Totlis’s YouTube channel. Three episodes are currently live, with more episodes dropping throughout 2026. You can also follow along on Instagram @tori_totlis for event highlights and updates.
Does PHOTO FUSION STUDIO® photograph golf tournaments and sporting events?
Yes. PHOTO FUSION STUDIO® covers corporate events, conferences, golf tournaments, and large-scale sporting events across Phoenix and nationally. The studio has photographed the Desert Classic women’s golf tournament every year since its founding and works with clients ranging from individual headshots to multi-day conferences with hundreds of attendees.
PHOTO FUSION STUDIO®
Bringing Your Event to Life
PHOTO FUSION STUDIO® specializes in corporate event photography, conferences, and headshots across Phoenix and nationally. If you are planning an event that deserves to be documented the right way, let’s talk.
