If you've driven down the 57 or 60 freeway recently, glanced over at the once-green hills, and thought, Wait, what happened to Diamond Bar Golf Course?, you're asking the right question. The short answer is: the course is officially closed and gone for good. This article will walk you through the full story of why it closed, what's taking its place, and where you can go to find a new home course in the area.
For decades, Diamond Bar Golf Course was a fixture in the San Gabriel Valley. Opened in 1963, this public course was designed by the notable William F. Bell, the architect behind classics like Torrey Pines North and South. It wasn't a pristine country club, and that was its charm. It was a true "muni" - a place where you could walk on as a single, join a group, and play a challenging round without breaking the bank.
The course was known for its hilly terrain and classic, tree-lined fairways. You had to think your way around Diamond Bar. Hole locations on the small, tricky greens could turn an easy par into a frustrating bogey. It demanded your full attention, which is what made it a favorite training ground for high school teams and serious golfers looking to sharpen their game. It was a layout that rewarded good shot-making and had a distinct character that made it memorable. It was a place for weekends with friends, junior golf championships, and countless rounds where we all learned a little bit more about our own golf game.
The closure of a beloved course rarely comes down to just one thing. For an experienced golf coach, I can tell you that Diamond Bar’s story is a familiar one being played out across Southern California and the rest of the country. It was a blend of economics, land value, and the changing landscape of public golf.
The primary driver behind the closure was the value of the land itself. Diamond Bar is a highly desirable suburban area with a strong school district and easy freeway access. A 171-acre spread of land in a community like that represents an immense development opportunity. When you compare the potential revenue from thousands of new homes versus the income from daily green fees, the financial math for the landowners becomes pretty straightforward. A private investment group owned the land, and the decision to sell to a developer was a business one aimed at maximizing the value of their asset.
Running a golf course, especially in California, is an expensive business. The cost of water alone is a massive operational expense. Add to that the constant labor of maintaining greens, fairways, and bunkers, plus the long-term capital investments needed for irrigation systems and equipment, and the profit margins for a public course can get incredibly thin. Without a significant renovation or a new source of funding, keeping the course up to modern standards would have required a substantial investment - money the previous operators likely didn't have a business case for spending.
The last few years saw the course conditions slowly decline, a common sign that a course is struggling financially. For those who played it regularly, this writing was on the wall long before the official announcements were made around 2020. The final rounds were played, and an era for local golf quietly came to a close.
The massive construction project you see today is a large-scale housing development called "South Pointe." After an initial proposal from South Coast Communities, the project was finally taken over by Lennar, one of the nation's largest homebuilders.
The South Pointe community is planned to transform the old golf course into a residential village with over 1,200 homes, including a mix of:
Besides housing, the development plans also include community features like parks, public trails, open space, and a community center. The vision is to create a modern, walkable neighborhood. While it means the loss of a historic golf course, the project promises new housing supply and public amenities for the city of Diamond Bar, completely reshaping that part of the city for generations to come.
Losing your home course feels like a gut punch. It's where you knew every break in the green and every tricky pin position. But the silver lining is the chance to explore other great courses in the area and find a new home. As a golf coach, my best advice is to embrace the change and check out some of these excellent local alternatives.
Just a short drive away, Los Serranos offers two 18-hole courses, the North and the South. It has an incredible facility that feels like a country club but is open to the public. If you're a serious golfer, the long, challenging South Course is one of the best tests of golf in the region. If you want a more relaxed round, the North Course is shorter and more forgiving. The practice facility here is also top-notch, offering a great place to work on your game.
If you loved the hilly lies and challenging elevation changes at Diamond Bar, you'll feel right at home at Mountain Meadows. This course will make you use every club in your bag. It’s known for being in good condition with fast greens, and its rolling landscape provides some beautiful views. It demands good course management, and like Diamond Bar, you can’t just hit driver on every hole and expect to score well. It's a great thinker's course.
Royal Vista features three distinct 9-hole layouts: the Putter, the Chipper, and the Driver. This gives you some variety and keeps the experience fresh. It’s another course with plenty of hills, so expect some uphill and downhill shots. It tends to be a busy spot, but it's a solid, reliable choice for a public round of golf when you're looking for something that is both accessible and challenging.
The story of Diamond Bar Golf Course is about more than just a piece of land, it's about the evolution of our communities and the spaces we value. While losing a historic course stings, the local golf scene remains vibrant with many other fantastic options waiting to be discovered.
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