Bayonet Golf Course

December 22, 2020 Off By BBF

High in the hills above Seaside, California sits a pair of golf courses that tower over the bay below… sentinels protecting the entrance to one of the best golf Mecca’s in the world. The complex is called “Bayonet and Black Horse”. Originally built as military golf courses on Fort Ord, this complex was handed off to the local municipality in 1997 and thus they became public golf courses.

Bayonet Golf Course was the first of the golf courses built by General Robert B. McClure in 1954. He was a left handed golfer with a power fade, so he built this course to suit his eye. The result is a classic military golf course tree-lined, long, narrow, and brutish,—and a handful for right handers who can’t draw the golf ball.

Starter Shack at Bayonet and Black Horse — *The Starter Shack in between Bayonet and Black Horse (Note the Monterey Bay in the Distance)*

Of the two golf courses, Bayonet Golf Course is decidedly the tougher of the two- and dare we say- the less memorable of the two. It doesn’t have anywhere near the same number of vistas as the Monterey Bay as Black Horse. It’s more in the same vein as Poppy Hills, a walk through the woods. However, it certainly has charm. The deer are as friendly as a Disney cartoon, and you can hear the whine of the engines at nearby Laguna Seca raceway during your walk in the woods. All adding to a really neat atmosphere.

*Bayonet Can Be Best Described as Long and Brutish*

Through its last major remodel in the early 2000’s they clearly decided to save water. While we support this effort totally, it does mean that when you are out of position you can be dealing with hard pan, dead grass, or difficult waste areas.

As with many former military golf courses, this course can be best described as “macho”. You need to man up your game to be able to take down this dragon. Hole number 3 green is adjacent to the practice bunker and driving range. Favor the right hand side so your ball is not lost in a sea of practice balls.

The back 9 is decidedly more magical as you really feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. Be sure to look back from the green at number 12 to the fairway. This half moon style short par 4 has a moss covered dead tree that literally looks like it’s giving you the finger.

Be sure to wear layers when you play in this area. The fog comes in the morning and late afternoon and it can be very cold and windy. But when it burns off it will be warm and sunny. You’ll want to do a costume change or two in order to maximize your comfort. Also, you will want to note that as the fog comes in, the greens will slow down quite a bit. It’s tricky.

Fog at Bayonet Golf Course — *The fog is no joke, count on seeing it at at some point…*

The clubhouse is nice, and the service is very friendly, if not a bit slow. They have a nice big patio that you can sit at overlooking the practice green, and first tee of Bayonet in the distance. The practice facility is large and comprehensive but the day we played it the grass driving range was sloppy wet and muddy, even with no rain. Be careful of the ravens, as they will grab your breakfast out of your golf bag before you know it. These guys are wicked smart.

All in all, this is a fantastic complex that should be considered when you’re doing your bucket list golf trip to the area. These two are almost like Scylla and Charybdis marking the gate to the peninsula. Although we really like Bayonet Golf Course, our recommendation would be to favor Black Horse if you only have time to play one round in this area. Play Pebble, Spyglass, Poppy Hills and Black Horse and you will have lapped up the best public golf the area has to offer. If you live in the area, you should strongly consider making a weekend of playing Bayonet and Black Horse. It’s a strong local destination combo weekend.

Best Buddies Golf Trip Rankings

Bucket list rank (from 1to 5 buckets): 2.5 buckets
Caddies: NA
Location: 8
Spectacle/ visual: 6
History: 8
New/ancient: modern
Playability : 5
Memorability : 5
Buddy-a-bility : 8
Service/etc: 5
Value: 5
Shopping: 5 (you don’t really need a shirt from here)
Warm up facilities/Range: 4
Food & Drink: 8 food is good service can be lacking.

CategoryTwo Buckets

About The Author

BBF

BBF or “Big Ball First” comes from a golf saying for hitting a shot fat. Or hitting the “big ball first” in that you hit the ground (the big ball) before hitting the golf ball. In the BBF blog, it’s a metaphor for traveling the planet, soaking in exclusive experiences, and pointing people to the Awesome, the Great, the Good, and the not so good out there. We’re hitting the big ball running with tales from international golf courses, with fine wine, fine food, did I mention golf…well, especially the ‘buddies bucket list golf trips’. The hope is that like minded people will enjoy the stories, and hopefully use it as a reference point. If this blog helps people prioritize the experiences they want to have on our planet then we will have succeeded on our mission. We only have so many go’s at “bucket list” travel experiences. Especially the bucket list buddies golf experiences. My hope is you can refine your experience based upon my learning, and take your “big ball first” experiences to the next level.