Diamond Bar Golf Course

Bell county course beside the 57/60 freeway interchange, reopened in 2024 after a full renovation of greens, tees and bunkers — a rare complete refresh for an LA-County muni.

Course History

Diamond Bar Golf Course opened in 1964 on gently sloping ranch land in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, one of the many Southern California public courses laid out by William F. Bell, among the most prolific golf course architects of the twentieth century. Owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles ever since, it spent its first six decades as a busy parkland muni, its mature tree-lined fairways a familiar green landmark beside the 57 and 60 freeways.

The course's biggest chapter came recently. It closed in September 2021 when the SR-57/60 Confluence freeway project reclaimed a slice of the property, and the county used the disruption to commission a sweeping renovation led by Casey O'Callaghan Golf Course Design. Nine holes were realigned or modified — six of them (holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9) rebuilt entirely with new fairways, bunkers, tee boxes and green complexes — alongside a new irrigation system, a new maintenance facility and a refreshed 5,000-square-foot clubhouse. Diamond Bar reopened on April 20, 2024, its footprint trimmed from roughly 171 to 162 acres but playing as a full par-72 once again.

The Design & Architecture

Bell's original character survives in the bones of the course: wide, forgiving fairways, mature tree lines and large greens draped over rolling terrain with mountain backdrops. The 2024 renovation modernized the agronomy from tee to green — the course now features bentgrass greens, hybrid Bermuda tees, and kikuyu fairways and rough — and golfers have rated the rebuilt green complexes among the best conditioned on any Southern California public course.

Signature Holes

The course itself singles out holes 3 and 11 as its signatures, both playing to stunning mountain vistas. The 3rd — one of the six holes rebuilt from the ground up in the renovation — is the scenic standout, while the 11th has a reputation as the more challenging of the pair.

Playing the Course

Diamond Bar plays 6,707 yards at par 72 with a 72.9 rating and 132 slope — mid-length numbers that understate how much defense the course gets from grabby kikuyu rough and its quick, undulating new bentgrass greens. Wide landing areas keep the driver in play for most handicaps, so scoring comes down to approach play: the rebuilt green complexes reward precise irons and punish anything long or short-sided. Post-renovation, it stands as one of the best-conditioned values in the LA County system.

Know Before You Go

• Public course at 22751 E. Golden Springs Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765; call (909) 861-8282 for tee times and details.

• More info and booking at https://diamondbargc.com.

• Amenities include a driving range, chipping and putting greens, and the renovated clubhouse with a restaurant and golf shop; single-rider adaptive carts are available with at least 72 hours' notice.

• Tip: the new bentgrass greens run fast — warm up on the practice green before your round.