Bayonet, Black Horse sprint to new heights

By David R. Holland, Senior Writer

SEASIDE, Calif. - It was once home to Clint Eastwood and Ken Venturi - both with shaved heads. Today's Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses were once part of the U.S. Army's Fort Ord, home to 25,000 soldiers, and where Eastwood and Venturi attended basic training.

Fifty years ago it was on this land that General Bob McClure, a left-handed golfer with a famous slice, constructed Bayonet Golf Course in 1954 and attracted PGA Tour pros of the era - their photos grace the clubhouse walls. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer also played here as well as Tom Watson.

Many other pros have followed, some for practice rounds before the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and after a round in 1997, PGA Tour pro Billy Andrade said, "If they play the U.S. Open here, the scores would be over par. It's tough, but it's fun." Greg Norman exclaimed that it was better than Cypress Point or Pebble Beach before the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble. The media had a field day with that comment.

In 1964 a second 18-hole championship course named Black Horse was opened claiming even more views of Monterey Bay, more elevation changes, tighter fairways and smaller, trickier bent and poa annua greens.

But the distinction that makes the 36 holes as mean as they come are the tight, cypress-lined fairways. In the old days the trees' limbs went all the way to the ground, but when BSL Golf Corporation took over management for the City of Seaside in 1997, those tree limbs were trimmed upward. Still, this complex is a stern test of golf with a rich history.

Recently, the 50th birthday of Bayonet was celebrated with a 50-cent per hole bargain (a $9 round) during the month of March. One specified day, golfers clad in knickers got to play free.

Bayonet Golf Course was named for the Army's seventh Infantry Division, the first major unit to occupy Fort Ord. It measures a daunting 7,110 yards long, par 72, with oak and cypress lined fairways, and a beguiling stretch of holes 11 through 15, named "Combat Corner" - a series of sharp doglegs to the left, broken only by the straightaway uphill, 215-yard par-3 14th.

Black Horse was designed by General Edwin Carnes, the fort commander, as the sister course to Bayonet. It was named after the 11th Cavalry Regiment (nicknamed Black Horse) and stretches out to 7,009 yards at par 72. Both courses were said to be built by volunteer enlisted soldiers, who planted the more than 2,000 dastardly trees on a barren site. PGA Tour architect Chris Gray has tweaked the course over the past few years and there's a movement to put the complex under the PGA Tour properties umbrella in partnership with BSL.

Gray didn't alter Bayonet's original design significantly - he reshaped bunkers and repositioned tee boxes. The major change came in 1997 to the 12th, which was moved lessening the severity of a sharp dogleg left. Black Horse was updated in 1998 also by Gray and the PGA Tour, to put it into championship shape. The first and eighth fairways were rebuilt, along with tee boxes and bunkers. Yardage was stretched from 6,500 to 7,009 from the gold tees.

Construction could begin next year on the Seaside Resort Hotel, to be placed where the driving range currently sits. Preliminary plans call for 100 rooms and bungalow-type buildings with views of Monterey Bay. Another driving range would be built.

Bayonet has been used as the site of a 2002 U.S. Open local Qualifier; 2000-2001 Buy.Com Monterey Peninsula Classic (Nationwide Tour); 1998-2000 PGA TOUR Stage I and II qualifiers; 1992 U.S. Open local qualifier; 1990-1993 AT&T National Pro-AM; and is now home to a new 54-hole tournament on the Champions Tour called the First Tee Open. Pebble Beach will also serve as a host for this tournament played in late August and early September. Foursomes will be comprised of a Champions Tour player, a gifted junior and two amateurs.

Joe Priddy, Director of Golf, says the Nationwide Tour players loved Bayonet, but that it served up the highest average scores on the schedule. Forty of the top 50 money-winners came to test the layout and see how they measured up.

The verdict

This spot on the Monterey Peninsula will always be memorable to me. I finished a 28-year career in the Air Force Reserve with an active duty stint at the DOD Center Monterey Bay, just two minutes from Bayonet-Black Horse and will never forget the day I came to work and let the Police in the back dock doors seconds after a disgruntled employee fired a rifle at two of my fellow workers - one died and the other, a golf buddy, survived.

What I remember most is the beauty of this spot and the outstanding, stern golf experience of Bayonet and Black Horse - bowling-alley narrow fairways lined with unforgiving cypress trees - at that point the limbs went all the way to the ground and finding your ball was sometimes impossible - you didn't even think about a recovery.

Today, this complex is a must-play when you come to Monterey. Bring plenty of golf balls, your camera and enjoy. If you can't afford the golf where the rich folks play - Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay - this is your chance to experience more affordable, but equally as scenic golf and smell the fragrance that is the Pacific Ocean just within sight.

Stay and play

Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Marina
189 Seaside Circle, Marina
(831) 884-2500 or (800) 228-7555
www.holidayinnmarina.com

Sign up for golf packages to nearby Bayonet and Black Horse and enjoy comfortable rooms with data-port phones, in-room coffee, continental breakfast and welcome fresh-baked cookies. Marina is just minutes north of Monterey on Highway 1 with pristine beaches and towering sand dunes.

Marina Dunes Resort
3295 Dunes Drive, Marina
(831) 883-6478
www.marinadunes.com

Marina Dunes was the first oceanfront development approved by the California Coastal Commission in 24 years when it was planned in 1994. Churning surf is within sight and sound of your private building and deck. Pick a suite or a single room. The Resort includes spa services and AJ Spuds Restaurant, specializing in steaks, ribs, seafood and poultry. Marina is 10 minutes north of Monterey on Highway 1 and minutes from Bayonet and Black Horse.

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
400 Cannery Row, Monterey
(831) 646-1700
www.montereyplazahotel.com

The premier hotel on Cannery Row, the Monterey Plaza has ocean views and award-winning luxury. Check out the web site for golf packages, including Bayonet and Black Horse. Dine in the hotel at The Duck Club or Schooners Bistro by the Bay.

Dining out

Hog's Breath Inn, Carmel, (831) 625-1044
Fishwife at Asilomar Beach, Pacific Grove, (831) 375-7107
Tinnery at the Beach, Pacific Grove, (831) 646-1040
Old Bath House, Pacific Grove, (831) 375-5195
Stokes Adobe, Monterey, (831) 373-1110
The Tap Room, Lodge at Pebble Beach, (800) 654-9300

Monterey County wine tasting

One option for wine tasting is Smith & Hook Winery located in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, overlooking the Salinas Valley. Founded in 1979, the Winery and vineyards are owned by the Nicolaus Hahn family. Taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier and Chardonnay under the Smith & Hook brand. The winemaker, Adam Lazarre, is a graduate of Fresno University and has many years dedicated to his passion, Central California Coastal wines. Log on to monterey.winecountry.com for more information on a wine tasting day trip out of Monterey.

Fast fact

Soldiers first camped out on the Fort Ord acreage as early as the Mexican-American War in 1846. It was founded as a cavalry post in 1917 and became a place for basic training during World War II. Most recently, Fort Ord was home to the 7th Infantry Division which was inactivated in 1993 along with the Fort. In its hey day, Fort Ord covered more than 28,600 acres, but area military retirees and active duty personnel can still shop at the Post Exchange and buy groceries at the Commissary here.

April 5, 2004