Opening Season: Arrowhead GC

Nestled in the heart of Wheaton, Illinois, Arrowhead Golf Club offers an exceptional golfing experience that seamlessly blends rich history with modern challenge. The facility features three distinct nine-hole layouts—the South, East, and West—allowing players to mix and match for a diverse 18-hole round.

For me, today’s golf outing was a nostalgic return to a course I frequented during my time on the Bell Labs Golf Team. Of course, nostalgia involves more than just hitting great drives and awesome putts —I also managed to get myself hustled here (but more on that later). To kick off the 2026 season, I was joined by Steve Sullivan, Bob Hubbard, and Dale Katko. We tackled the South and East courses, navigating a landscape defined by century-old maturity and strategic design. The combination of the South and East nines represents Arrowhead at its finest. Towering hardwoods frames the fairways, demanding precision off the tee and providing a classic Midwestern parkland feel. Well-placed water features and a plethora of bunkers guard the greens, rewarding thoughtful club selection while punishing wayward approach shots. Each hole is crafted to feel distinct, ensuring that no two shots feel quite the same throughout the round. The ground beneath Arrowhead holds a fascinating legacy dating back over a century. Built in the 1920s, the course was literally carved out of the earth using horse-drawn plows—a testament to the labor-intensive craftsmanship of early American golf design. Originally named the "Antlers Club," the facility’s moniker was inspired by the unique shape of the property's ponds, which resembled deer antlers from the air. However, during construction, workers unearthed a significant collection of Native American artifacts. Out of respect for the land’s heritage, the club was officially rebranded as Arrowhead Golf Club in 1929.

Today, Arrowhead remains a part of the Wheaton Park District, offering a high-end, championship-style atmosphere that honors its roots while challenging the modern player. The club is continuing to evolve; this fall, Arrowhead plans to expand its practice range with a $4 million investment. This upgrade will include heated, trackman-equipped hitting bays, ensuring the facility remains a destination for year-round enjoyment.

Precision and patience were the themes of the day as Dale Katko stood on the first fairway, carefully lining up his approach-shot to the opening green. Coming off a significant heart valve surgery just this past February, Dale’s presence on the course was a victory in itself.

Despite the recent recovery process, he delivered an impressive performance, navigating the course with a steady hand and a sharp eye. It was an awesome round by any standard, but especially remarkable given the physical hurdles he’s cleared over the last two months.

As a frequent Dale golf partner, I noted a rare sight for a Katko season-opener: Dale was still swinging the same clubs he carried last year. Usually, one to tinker with his setup for the new season, he opted for the comfort of familiar equipment as he regains his full strength. However, the bag won't stay static for long—as his recovery continues to trend upward, Dale is already scouting out a couple of "new sticks" to add some fresh firepower to his game later this year.

Fresh off his return from Naples, Florida, Steve Sullivan traded the Gulf Coast breeze for driving the fairways of Wheaton to log his first round of the 2026 season. Though the afternoon eventually warmed to a pleasant 72 degrees, Steve started the morning looking like he was bracing for a blizzard, teeing off in a full winter coat—a stark contrast to the tropical climate he left behind.

Despite claiming that his time in Florida was spent exclusively on the pickleball court rather than the links, there was little evidence of "off-season rust" in his game. Steve found his rhythm early, consistently finding the short grass with drives that hammered straight down the center of the fairway. On the front nine, he showed off a deft touch on the greens, draining several 15-foot putts that kept his momentum building.

As the only member of the foursome diligent enough to maintain the official scorecard, Steve proved that his consistency wasn't just limited to his ball-striking. He turned in a remarkably steady "bogey golf" performance, finishing the day with a solid 90 to set the benchmark for his 2026 campaign.

Searching for a spark of inspiration, Bob Hubbard spent his time between holes consulting his iPhone for a new swing thought to lock in his mechanics. However, the digital search yielded more comedic gold than technical advice, as he instead stumbled upon a collection of fresh material for his upcoming Rotary Club meetings.

The humor became a highlight of the round, though not without a bit of friendly contention. Steve on the fourth hole delivered a joke - a play on words about an Irish couple named Patrick Fitzgerald and Gerald Fitzpatrick. As the group laughed, Bob was heard muttering under his breath, noting that he had shared that exact joke with Steve just days prior. Now, it seemed, Steve had officially added it to his own repertoire, presenting it with the flair of an original.

Despite the "stolen" material, Bob had the last laugh when it mattered most. On the 18th hole, he uncorked a massive drive that outdistanced the rest of the foursome, tracking perfectly down the center of the fairway. As he watched the ball settle into its ideal position, Bob confidently declared that he had finally unlocked the elusive "secret of golf"—a perfect high note to end the day's round.

As for my own game, the opening round struggle was real. Twice I managed to double-hit a simple pitch shot—a clear sign that I needed to take Bob’s advice, pull out my iPhone, and track down some technical sound lessons to find my rhythm again.

Then again, I could have used some advice 35 years ago before I crossed paths with the "Arrowhead Hustler." This particular lesson came from a young lady who bet a group of us from Bell Labs that she was the superior golfer. The "hustle" began at the 19th hole; we had just finished our round and were two or three beers deep when she approached our table and offered to play us for ten dollars a hole.

I was with two Bell Labs engineers and their supervisor—the very team building the "Account Match" application I had spearheaded. The supervisor, fueled by confidence (and perhaps the beer), immediately agreed. The engineers were a bit more cautious about the parameters, but since the boss was in, we all marched back to the first tee on the East course.

The results were surgical: the young lady consistently hammered it straight down the middle of the fairway. We tried to "kill" the ball, only to find the deep rough on the left and right. By the third hole—which conveniently brought us back toward the clubhouse and our senses—we paid our debts and called it a day. It turns out that there are a lot of lessons to be learnt on the golf course.