The 1st thing you notice when you turn off Butterfield Road into the parking lot of Arrowhead Golf Club (http://www.arrowheadgolfclub.org/) in Wheaton is the sparkling combination banquet hall/sports bar/clubhouse that was built several years ago at a cost of many millions of dollars (16, I was told by a reliable source). The 3 nine hole courses (East, West, South) hidden behind have gone through an extensive redesign over the last decade, and what was recreated is a gem of a layout, a scenic, wooded parkland style course that is a ton of fun to play.
All 3 nines are used in the 18 hole rotation, with the South 9 almost always used as the front side and the East or West switched out for the back depending on the day, with the other used for 9 hole rounds. The last few times I’ve played at Arrowhead the East nine has been used, but I have played the West course in the past, and all 3 nines are equally good in their own unique way. The South course features rolling hills and water on 4 holes, while the East course has a similar feel but with more elevation change. The West course is less hilly but is more heavily wooded and features the quasi island par 3 that seems to be a feature of many courses nowadays.
The South course has arguably the most dramatic hole on the property, as #3 is a short dogleg left par 4 with a blind tee shot and an approach straight downhill to a large green guarded by a pond front left, several bunkers right and thick woods behind. Both par 3’s are winners; #4 is all carry over the pond to a wide, shallow green, and #6 is over 200 yards with forest on the right and water/wetlands left with a huge sand “beach” next to the hazard. The hardest par is #5, an uphill 440 yarder with wild flowers framing the view off the tee, a tough hole to reach in regulation if into the wind. The par 5 8th hole has a deep bunker about 120 yards from the pin that will obstruct the view of the green if too far to the right, and the 9th hole finishes the front with a flourish, a downhill par 4 with water on the right near the green, and the clubhouse providing the background and a great photo-op.
The East course starts with one of the toughest par 5’s, a narrow ribbon of fairway between water right and woods left that will test your accuracy all the way to the green. I really liked the 2nd hole, a good par 4 with water and native grasses protecting the entire right side. #4 & #5 are both tough, scenic par 4’s, 420 and 440 yards respectively, with the back to front tilted green on 4 surrounded by an amphitheatre of trees, and 5 featuring a drive from an elevated tee with a large tree to the left that will come into play if you’re not careful (I unfortunately found this out first hand). The 6th hole is a short, uphill par 5 that is reachable in two, but the green is tucked behind a huge tree that provides a significant obstacle. The only hole that I felt remotely uncomfortable with is #9, where the water on the left is closer than it appears and you might be surprised when your drive goes through the fairway and into the hazard.
I am least familiar with the West course, but the holes that stand out in my memory are #3, at 300 yards the shortest par 4 on the 3 nines, but with a 2nd shot all carry over a pond; #6, a tight, tree lined 550 yard par 5; and #7, a 170 yard par 3 surrounded by water.Arrowhead is several miles to the west of the Village Links of Glen Ellyn, and has many of the same features as that course, right down to the $77 green fee. Wheaton Park District residents get a significant discount, and if I lived there I would definitely be a regular. The fairways were in great condition for late in the season, and the greens played firm and fast but a bit bumpy (if only people would fix their ball marks!). The only negative I found were the sand traps, which are sub standard by any measure, but particularly for a course that charges over $70 (the plan I heard is to restructure all the traps over the next 3 years, can’t happen soon enough). But overall, this is a classic parkland course loaded with views, a very fair but challenging test (6,700 yds/72.5 rating/132 slope) for all levels of players, and without a home anywhere near the course (as mentioned on the Arrowhead web site), always a plus in my world. With the fall rates under $50 w GPS equipped cart, I’d have Arrowhead on my short list of courses to play before the end of the season.
Mr Z Rating
Layout (20%) - 9
Playability (20%) - 8.5
Conditioning (15%) - 8
Aesthetics (15%) - 8.5
Amenities (10%) - 8.5
Value (20%) -7.5
Total Score - 83.25
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