Got my first taste the new Diamond Bar this week and I can honestly say that I'm impressed beyond my expectations. Not only is the new front nine layout really well done with the space provided, but I... Continue »

Got my first taste the new Diamond Bar this week and I can honestly say that I'm impressed beyond my expectations. Not only is the new front nine layout really well done with the space provided, but I can honestly say these new green complexes are some of the absolute best in SoCal - and that includes a LOT of private clubs.

My buddy and I had an afternoon tee time and spent a few minutes on the solid range before heading over to the starter on the first tee. We played the blue tees which are a good challenge and rode. The carts are nothing special but get the job done.

The redesigned front nine now has taken the old par 3 9th hole going up that big volcano and turned it into a far superior par 3 3rd hole that still looks like it's growing into its best form but plays really nicely over the same lake. Then you get over to the other side of the property and the holes and setup are just really nice. The redesign has moved the holes a bit farther away from the freeway, so it doesn't feel as suffocating as it used to, and that's great.

The back nine hasn't changed much at all but still plays really nicely and is a lot of fun. The 18th hole is a real fun challenge and maybe one of the better closing holes in the city. There is a lot more open space now as well which means as this course matures it should be getting better and better in terms of coverage. It feels very wide open but has a lot of strategic bunkers that will make you consider your lines.

POP was also pretty good for the first half of the round, but we did back up a bit after the turn, but nothing too terrible, although I can imagine rounds here on the weekends taking a bit more time than someone would want.

In terms of conditions, once again the greens and green complexes are simply top notch. I don't think you're going to find a better looking green than on hole 13 - it's stellar, as are most all the others. Really great work by the redesign team here. I would give the greens even higher marks but you will find a lot of ball mark scars from the guests who don't take enough time to fix them, but they're not affecting superb rolls and great reception. They're just fantastic and you should definitely go play them.

The fairways were in good shape as well but I did see that they were coloring them with a sprayer so I'm not sure how much that says about their quality. From a visual standpoint, at least this week, the course looks very green indeed, but it's a chemical facade that I'm not going to complain about too much. Most of the course had very good coverage and I didn't find too many bad lies at all, but it looks even better than it plays. The rough was not too bad and there are a lot of mulch areas now that can make holes challenging.

The bunkers had good sand in them and I never had any trouble with those shots all afternoon, so that's always fun. The tee boxes were all in good, not great shape. We'll see how the course changes over the coming months as it grows into its new shape.

So overall, and especially with an entirely reasonable $60 rate with cart midweek, it was an absolutely fantastic experience at the new Diamond Bar and I can't recommend it enough. Really looking forward to getting back out there.