the best times to go are the practice rounds. players are really relaxed and do a lot of interacting with the fans. you can take pictures and get autographs, too. it's fun to talk to them as well. during a practice round for the '95 PGA i asked one of the players if the rough was really as difficult as the tv guys say it is. he said it was pretty nasty because the club really doesn't move through it easily or smoothly.
following players around during the tournament is best to do on thur-sat. on sunday, i like to find a comfy area to sit that has a scoreboard nearby and watch everyone come through.
the club tent tickets are nice. shorter lines and a place to watch of the tv coverage. good for a break.