Folks might call Sal Rodriguez a celebrity of sorts, albeit behind the scenes. Rodriguez builds and dials in championship golf courses from start to finish, and he’s an expert at his craft. Yet, the Mexico City native who grew up in Tijuana is a humble man who has never forgotten his roots. And after a serious health issue nearly took his life, Sal has bounced back with a renewed appreciation for his family, friends and clients.
Rodriguez, 62, estimates that he has built around 350 courses in dozens of countries. But his company, Diamond Golf, established an excellent track record early on in Mexico that helped establish a solid reputation. Diamond has now planted its signature on over 30 courses in resort cities across the country, playing a huge role in bolstering Mexico’s tourist economy.
It’s a fact that Rodriguez earned his stripes in the golf business the old fashioned way, through hard work and a desire to succeed. When I first met Sal in 1972, he just got married, had a kid and was looking for work. I was employed at the time in the pro shop at Singing Hills Country Club, which would later become Sycuan Resort and Casino. Rodriguez had some landscaping experience, so I got him a job mowing greens and doing general maintenance. He took the toro by the horns and quickly moved up the ladder into a management position. Not long afterwards, Rodriguez was put in charge of rebuilding all three courses on the property after a rare tropical storm.
“The dams in the surrounding mountains overflowed and flooded the valley below,” recalls Sal. “It washed out 38 holes.”
In 1980, Rodriguez and his family moved to the desert oasis of Borrego Springs where he accepted a position as superintendent at the brand new Rams Hill Country Club. Always hungry and ambitious, Sal figured the gig would be a nice stepping stone for future endeavors. Over the years, he started developing relationships with industry giants like Glen Gosch of Fairway Construction and Jay Abbot, a field operations manager for numerous golf properties in the U.S. and Latin America. After some careful planning, Rodriguez was ready to launch Diamond Golf International in 1999 out of his home offices in Murrieta, California. Some of the company’s first of several projects took place in Puerta Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, most that were designed by legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus or Tom Weiskopf. The construction went off smoothly without a hitch.
“What separates Sal’s company from all the others is that they give the architect what he wants without all the endless meetings,” noted Robert Von Hagge, an architect in Spring, Texas.
Rodriguez and his crew have built many “masterpiece” courses considered to be classics by visiting golf enthusiasts. One that comes to mind is the Quivera Golf Club in Cabo, considered by many to be the Pebble Beach of Mexico. But does Sal have a personal favorite that he is more proud of than any other?
“That’s like asking someone with kids if he has a favorite,” laughs Rodriguez. “But there was a job in Cozumel that was very challenging.”
Rodriguez explained that after constructing “three beautiful holes,” the rest of the terrain consisted of almost solid rock, something that apparently wasn’t anticipated. The completed job went a million dollars over budget but in this business, things don’t always go according to plan. Sal used his experience to make up the deficit on later bids that turned a handsome profit. That made the Cozumel effort much sweeter because its unique layout became a leading tourist attraction on the island.
When it comes time to break ground on a successful bid, Rodriguez usually travels with five company engineers to access the job. Then workers with adequate experience are hired to fill out the crew, which in turn boosts the local economy. A hands on boss, Sal often stayed on for a period of time to supervise. But he had become seriously ill in recent years, and numerous surgeries revealed liver failure, with a transplant the only logical solution. Rodriguez was put on an emergency list and in only two months, he was a match with a 19 year old man who was killed in a car accident. The intricate procedure was performed in Hermosillo and was a success, although he remains on strict medication and must wear a protective shield over the surgical area.
After a substantial recovery period, Sal is back in the saddle but staying north of the border for the time being. COVID spiked a renewed surge in golf here in the States as a desired outdoor activity, and that’s where the jobs are plentiful. Rodriguez is currently in Sacramento doing a rebuild of the Granite Bay course located in the area. He also has projects lined up in Santa Margarita and at an Arnold Palmer property in Cathedral City. Then when he catches up, there’s out of state jobs pending in Texas and Florida. Rodriguez is slowly grooming his youngest son, Sal Jr., to gradually take over the business, but that might not be for a while yet. Meanwhile, he still has that competitive fire in his belly, even though the so-called “American Dream” has already been achieved.
“I feel better than ever,” Rodriguez insists. “When I got out of the hospital, I promised myself not to be lazy and work as much as possible.”
