While the Pines course at Lake Arrowhead tends to be the local favorite, it was the Lakes that spoke most to me.
Designed by Ken Killian and opened in 1998 (16 years following the Pines), the Lakes course is probably the more challenging of the two at Lake Arrowhead, featuring tree-lined fairways, undulating greens, strategic bunkering, subtle but effective changes in elevation and, as its name implies, plenty of lakes and water hazards (seven significant ponds come in to play) throughout its modern design.
Tipped out at 7,015 yards and with a slope of 140 and rating of 74.8 from the black/back tees, the course has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most challenging in Central Wisconsin. That great challenge is just part of what’s kept Lake Arrowhead an integral mainstay on Wisconsin’s list of regular state tournament venues over the past four decades, especially since the addition of the Lakes course.
With 36 beautiful golf holes, the club regularly hosts big-time tournaments like the State Match Play Championship (played on the Pines course in 2023 and to be contested on the Lakes in 2024), the Wisconsin PGA Junior Invitational and the Pater Filius (the WSGA’s most well-attended event every year), while still keeping 18 available for daily and member play.
These big, memorable tournaments have gone a long way in helping put Lake Arrowhead on the map over the years. Afterall, what other championship event could produce memories as indelible as the father/son Pater Filius, which the club has hosted eight times since 2000? Or the state PGA Junior Invitational they’ve hosted the past 36 years and counting?
These are significant, impactful tournaments that connect golfers viscerally to a golf property. Ask around about Lake Arrowhead, especially to current and former competitive players, and you’re likely to hear a lot of excited answers and great memories.
The Lakes is a very challenging golf course, but it’s fair, beautifully maintained and picturesque throughout. Like its sister course, the Pines, it’s my belief that it’s quite under-rated across the Wisconsin golf environment.
I’ve written about this extensively in the past, but I think that’s because of the Central Wisconsin golf scene. A relative new-comer to everyday golf enthusiasts, the area’s now got a lot of eyeballs on it both in-state and nationally.
Recent and ongoing developments at Sand Valley, along with much-deserved attention paid to SentryWorld (eg: The 2023 US Senior Open and beautiful RTJ II renovation work) and Stevens Point Country Club (a rising star among the state’s elite private tracks following an incredible renovation by Craig Haltom) have left a palpable buzz in the region.
Nowhere in Wisconsin will you find a better one-two punch of high-end courses that couldn’t be more aesthetically opposite than SentryWorld and Stevens Point Country Club.
The great courses that were already there are now part of something they never were: A hot golf scene. With players now visiting from around the world (literally – you should see the private jets now flying into Wisconsin Rapids!), previously underrated properties like Lake Arrowhead, Bullseye and others are finally getting their opportunity to shine.
And it’s not just Lake Arrowhead, Sand Valley and Bullseye that are benefiting from this elevated attention, but others in Central Wisconsin including the aforementioned SentryWorld (Wisconsin’s original destination golf course) and Stevens Point CC (both a 45-minute drive from Rome/Nekoosa), as well as Northern Bay (25 minutes), Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in Wisconsin Dells (less than an hour), and even The Golf Courses of Lawsonia an hour and 10 minutes southeast in Green Lake.
Central Wisconsin has supplanted itself as one of the top golf destinations in the Midwest and the entire country, let alone in the state, and Lake Arrowhead has long helped lead the way.
Our day
One of my favorite things is when my wife and kids are able to join for my golf escapades, and while having the brand new (not yet available at the time) and luxurious eight-bedroom Eagle’s Nest Guest House III to ourselves we had a perfect opportunity to make a family weekend out of my visit to Rome/Nekoosa. Literally down the block from the world-famous Sand Valley Golf Resort and its Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Lido and [coming soon] Sedge Valley courses, Lake Arrowhead is a 2-1/2 hour drive from the Milwaukee area and well worth visiting on its own, but is also a perfect add-on for out-of-town visitors to the Keiser development.
With two well-designed parkland courses and terrific conditions, an incredibly friendly and hospitable staff, excellent food and beverage, a fun atmosphere and affordable rates, Lake Arrowhead provides a great tack-on golf experience for all visitors to Sand Valley and Central Wisconsin, and is well worth the drive for all in-state golf enthusiasts.
Having played the Pines course (review in the works) in the morning with my cousin, Frank, and two of his buddies, it was just Frank, Charlie (my six-year-old son) and me for our round on the Lakes. My wife and daughter tagged along as we made a great day of golf [and maybe a couple cocktails] out of it during a beautiful stretch of mid-September weather.
Frank and I played from the 6,585-yard blue tees, and Charlie started most holes from around 150 out. We kept a good pace throughout the afternoon and Charlie kept a fantastic attitude. This was the first time he’d ever played more than nine holes at a time, and I couldn’t have been prouder of the way he stayed positive while hitting a lot of good shots and, of course, plenty to forget… I couldn’t help but think about potentially playing a Pater Filius event here together someday – a dad can wish 🙂
Nobody pushed us during our round. Everyone we saw was friendly and engaging, and the golf staff could not have been more accommodating. Not knowing Charlie would have a chance to play with me, we left his clubs at home and faced a last-ditch effort to locate a left-handed junior bag/setup (which is basically like finding a leprechaun or unicorn). While the staff at Lake Arrowhead was not able to come up with it there, they did help source them from nearby Bullseye Golf Club (which is Frank’s home course).
The good people from both properties going the extra mile made all the difference in making an incredible afternoon happen, and that memorable round spent with Charlie, Franky, Kelly and Quinn was one of the true highlights of my entire 2023 golf season.
The course: My hole-by-hole breakdown
Because I haven’t found a single other article on the internet going over individual holes of the courses at Lake Arrowhead, I’ll try to show and touch on all 36 in my reviews. Both the Lakes and Pines are beautiful, and golf enthusiasts should get to see them!
Hole 1: Par 4 (hcp. 9, 421/393/363/310)
A long par 4 that doglegs slightly to the left, the opening tee shot on the Lakes course should favor the right side of the fairway, avoiding the sand and trees on both sides. The approach shot is to a tight green guarded by bunkers short-left and right. At 393 yards from the blue tees, this is a tough opening hole that sets the tone for a fun and demanding round.
Hole 2: Par 4 (hcp. 11, 399/369/339/299)
Playing out of a chute of trees, the second is a beautiful par four played to a raised putting surface with sand encircling much of the green. The first of the water features that comes into play on the Lakes course borders the left side of the approach zone on two, and is potentially in play for longer drivers off the tee (probably ~ 285 yards from the blue tees).
Hole 3: Par 3 (hcp. 17, 174/142/125/108)
The third is a gorgeous little par three played over water. At 143 from the blues, this is a short shot with a green that runs laterally from left-to-right on the other side of the pond.
Hole 4: Par 5 (hcp. 7, 524/496/474/412)
Four is a mid-length par five played over and alongside two long bunkers off the tee, then has a really delicate approach shot – as the fairway runs out, a massive sand pit needs to be carried to hit this elevated, nose-shaped green complex that’s set amidst the trees.
Hole 5: Par 4 (hcp. 13, 387/360/339/296)
The fifth is a really cool dogleg right par four that plays slightly downhill to a really well-defended green, especially with the long, scalloped trap that guards the front-left entrance.
Hole 6: Par 4 (hcp. 1, 439/418/400/341)
Again playing a little downhill, six comes back along the property line across the street from The Lido. This long par four (418 from the blue tees) plays mostly straight with slight turn toward the left, has fairway bunkers perfectly placed for longer hitters and a few rugged traps short of the green. As with many holes on the Lakes course, accuracy is key on six as trees border both sides.
One thing you’ll notice on the Lakes course is that the bunkering is less rugged than on the Pines. The Pines’ sand features are a bit deeper, and much more jagged in appearance – it’s an aesthetic I personally enjoy and that fits the Pines course well, though the cleaner lines on the Lakes course fit its architectural flow very nicely, as well.
Hole 7: Par 3 (hcp. 15, 197/175/157/117)
Probably my favorite par three on the entire Lake Arrowhead property, the seventh plays over a depressed prairie-like setting and three lowered sand traps to a perched green. This hole is an absolute beauty and was a joy to both play and photograph from the air!
Hole 8: Par 4 (hcp. 3, 442/411/385/328)
Another long par four, the eighth is cordoned into two separate playing zones, with the pond that’s played over on three potentially coming into play off the tee and encroaching trees on the left side making an approach shot from that side of the fairway difficult.
Hole 9: Par 5 (hcp. 5, 572/541/515/441)
The ninth is the longest hole on the course, stretching to 572 yards from the tips. Played mostly straight, trees run the length of the majority of the hole’s layout before ending on the right side at the pond shared with the first tee box. While water does not need to be flown to hit this putting surface, it does need to be avoided right of it.
Hole 10: Par 4 (hcp. 12, 422/379/347/302)
The back nine starts out with a 379-yard (from the blues) par four played between the tree line. A long fairway bunker protects the left side of the fairway off the tee, while another on the right side defends much of the approach zone.
Hole 11: Par 4 (hcp. 10, 441/413/383/335)
Eleven was one of my favorite holes to photograph with the drone, played over a waste area to a softly left-to-right running fairway. Bunkered on the left side, the circular green is one of the smallest on the course and from the air gives a beautiful view of Lake Arrowhead on the horizon.
Hole 12: Par 5 (hcp. 8, 537/497/469/411)
Maybe the most challenging par five on the Lakes course, all three shots on the 12th hole require precision to stay out of two of the largest water hazards on property. The tee shot is best played toward the right side of the fairway, and the setup long and towards the left bend in the fairway to provide a direct third into this well-defended green complex. Longer hitters going for it in two will need to carry the pond as well as the green-side bunker occupying the space between the water and putting surface.
Hole 13: Par 3 (hcp. 16, 234/199/170/152)
The 13th is a fun little par three with a narrow, long and elevated green complex. The mounding to each side of the green holds deep, clover-like bunkers that will make recovery tough. This is a really well-secluded area of the golf course that’s scenic and provides that feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere. I loved it.
Hole 14: Par 4 (hcp. 6, 430/405/380/325)
14 was one of if not my favorite hole of the 36 at Lake Arrowhead. While I would not enjoy every hole having trees that impede well-hit shots, the lone specimen that guards the approach space of the 14th is really memorable and makes the layout really well-designed. It was also beautiful to photograph in the mid-morning light.
Hole 15: Par 4 (hcp. 14, 326/303/283/247)
The shortest par course on the course, the 15th plays to just 321 yards from the blue tees. While that distance might make you think “drivable,” the chute of trees played out of and water hazard that inhabits the entire driving zone make it anything but. A mid- to long-iron is probably your best here to set up a short approach and great chance for birdie.
Hole 16: Par 3 (hcp. 18, 161/139/118/83)
A short par three played over water, the 16th is well-bunkered on both sides with one of the largest greens on the Lakes course.
Hole 17: Par 5 (hcp. 2, 551/521/499/420)
Playing right to left, the seventeenth has one of the most generous of the treelined fairways on the course. My favorite feature on this 518-yard par five is the bunkering near the green – the only sand on the hole (nothing otherwise near the fairway/playing area) that, if hit, will leave players with an awkward wedge distance out toward the putting surface.
Hole 18: Par 4 (hcp. 4, 448/424/398/345)
The Lakes course at Lake Arrowhead finishes with a lengthy, demanding par four that plays as long as 448 from the tips. With water right off the tee and left near the landing area, any approach shot hoping to get home in two will need to take on the pond. The apron of the green here is cut to rough length, making it tough to land anything short and run on. This is an excellent finishing hole on a really demanding, beautifully designed modern parkland golf course.
A staple of the Wisconsin golf community, the Lakes at Lake Arrowhead is a great golf course that offers a variety of challenges and payoffs for players of all skill levels. The course is well-designed, very nicely maintained and well-worth playing for any golf enthusiasts visiting the Rome/Nekoosa area.
While it has a nice clubhouse of its own, the Pines is probably better suited for dining and time spent with your playing partners, or for members to use its outdoor pool (which was undergoing renovations during our visit), tennis course and other key amenities.
If you’re looking for a great golf destination in Central Wisconsin, or to add another course or two to a Sand Valley trip itinerary, be sure to check out Lake Arrowhead for a great value and even better golf.