Sunday early to follow-up the BH Saturday play.
Very similar conditions to the other 18 and to markd's previous review too. (may 2022)
Greens not as undulating as the sister course. Great smooth an... Continue »

Sunday early to follow-up the BH Saturday play.
Very similar conditions to the other 18 and to markd's previous review too. (may 2022)
Greens not as undulating as the sister course. Great smooth and fast. On number 16 there are forces of gravity involved with the middle front of the green. I'm sure this dip has a name and is well known to those who play here.
PGA event players learn it too and our playing partners say it's a favorite spot for fans to watch tournament players misjudge the slope and speed as many many others do with mere mortal skills.
Fairways some blotches. I played it down as day before and maybe had 5 lies presenting unexpected challenge.
The housing being constructed adjacent to the course, is what it is. Not an enhancement to the aesthetics for the golfer. But I'd have a hard time hitting one by accident.
Looking forward to the next opportunity. Two days of mostly sunny in the low 60's will do that to me.

Played this side for the first time and loved it. I like it much more than Blackhorse but both are very good and just a matter of personal preference. It's more traditional, lined with Cypress tress... Continue »

Played this side for the first time and loved it. I like it much more than Blackhorse but both are very good and just a matter of personal preference. It's more traditional, lined with Cypress tress on every hole. Reminds me very much of what Harding Park looked like on tv for the PGA. It wasn't nearly as tight and penal off the tee as I imagined. Just a tough, but fair test. No hazards and little out of bounds. You're not going to lose golf balls out here. Very tough walk. Lots of uphill trekking. Yes, homes are being built between holes, which is a shame, as it takes some of the "being in nature" out of it, but the layout is still fantastic. This facility is great, but seems to have so much potential to have excellent conditions, that aren't being realized. I played the Black Horse same time of year, last year, and the fairways had the same issues. Lots of different grasses, very patchy, and you almost have to just know going in that you may have to roll your ball in the fairways sometimes to get a fair lie. At $69 to walk with a pull cart, at 7:30am on a weekday, playing in 3 hours as a single, this is an unbelievable deal. I really, really like this place. I would add to rotation for every Monterey trip, just know that it's not on the same level, condition-wise, as the big boys in the area. Very good service, and only course of the 5 we played in the area, that had beverage service on the course (and we paid twice as much as other courses). I'd rather have a great golf course than great service, but just an interesting point. Really good vibe at Bayonet/Blackhorse. I will be back.

Played 12-2-21 late morning with Matt and John for $60 including carton a TeeOff deal and finishing in a little under four hours. Tee boxes were in good condition, level with good coverage, and minima... Continue »

Played 12-2-21 late morning with Matt and John for $60 including carton a TeeOff deal and finishing in a little under four hours. Tee boxes were in good condition, level with good coverage, and minimal divot damage on par threes. Fairways were mostly in nice shape with a couple of different types of grass, both providing nice lies, they were cut low so good roll out and nice cushioning. Rough was between 1-3 inches, lush and in very nice shape. Was in two greenside bunkers, one being thin and firm, and the other having more sand but still a little firm underneath. greens were in real good shape, firm and fast and real fun to putt on with the undulations. Great customer service all around. Only draw back is they are starting to build some new houses along some of the edges of the course and in between holes 7 and 8

Finally, last Friday I got play Bayonet Black Horse (Bayonet) – the big tough guy of Monterey I’ve always heard about. Well, I punched him in the mouth right out of the gate with a birdie, then he pro... Continue »

Finally, last Friday I got play Bayonet Black Horse (Bayonet) – the big tough guy of Monterey I’ve always heard about. Well, I punched him in the mouth right out of the gate with a birdie, then he proceeded to mop the floors with me – LOL.

While conditions were below my expectations the layout was an absolute blast. Unfortunately housing construction is taking on holes 2 through 8 which certainly detracted from the experience. Rgm2525 who had played it prior to the housing construction said it was a significant decline from how the golf course presented itself. Bummer, I guess I waited too long. Well I know I waited too long because I love this golf course. No water, just in your face long tough shots plus fast greens with many big deceptive undulations. Never a boring moment.

As far as conditions, the fairways, rough and tee boxes had mostly thin turf coverage yet they were always playable. They did not have that pretty rye grass glow overseeding produces but more like a dull greens. Regarding the greens, loved them. What a blast to play on. Fast, mostly smooth and firm. Bunkers, very disappointing. They had a thin layer of sand on top and then unpredictably firm producing no consistency from sand shot to sand shot. I know. I was in the bunkers all day – lol.

Pace of play was excellent teeing off at 11 and finishing in 4 hours. Service great. Everyone friendly and helpful.

I am very much looking forward to playing the Bayonet Course again. But first I need to play the Black Horse Course on property.

Highly Recommended

Played here day after “Bomb Cyclone” hit NorCal. Must admit the course must drain nicely as we couldn’t even tell it rained the week before. Greens are tricky and very hard to read. Some transition ar... Continue »

Played here day after “Bomb Cyclone” hit NorCal. Must admit the course must drain nicely as we couldn’t even tell it rained the week before. Greens are tricky and very hard to read. Some transition areas are ground under despair. The fairways are subtly undulating so level lies are rare. Not quite as brutal as it’s made up to be if you play smart though. Bunkers thin in spots, but mostly playable. Grabbed a hot dog at the turn and it was delicious!

Planed a two day golf trip to play Bayonet and Black Horse. Played Bayonet on Tuesday, 10/5, teeing off at 9:40 and finishing in 4 hours. I was able to book a $79 prepaid rate for each course on Golf ... Continue »

Planed a two day golf trip to play Bayonet and Black Horse. Played Bayonet on Tuesday, 10/5, teeing off at 9:40 and finishing in 4 hours. I was able to book a $79 prepaid rate for each course on Golf Now two months out. The greens were in very good condition. The greens rolled smooth and toward the fast side especially when putting down hill. Medium to longer shots tend to release a little. The fairways have a mix of two grasses so some spots were green and lush while others were slightly brown and thin but playable. Although the patchy contrasting grass colors were not aesthetically pleasing the fairways played better than they looked. The rough had good coverage with medium height that affected shots but was not overly penal. Some areas between fairways had wood chips spread which can make for some interesting lies. The tee boxes were mostly flat with decent coverage. The bunkers in the fairways were well groomed and played firm. The greenside bunkers were also well groomed and had sufficient sand to play good shots. Bayonet plays narrower off the tee compared to Black Horse but the green complexes on Black Horse are more difficult (greens have more undulation and more greenside bunkers). The carts do not have GPS so purchasing the $10 yardage book (which includes both courses) was a great help in navigating the large number of fairway bunkers on both courses. After playing both courses for the first time I like the layout of Bayonet slightly over Black Horse. The conditions of both courses mirrored each other except for the greenside bunkers on Black Horse which were thin of sand. Both are good tracks with plenty of up and down terrain. All the staff I encountered were very friendly.

Weather was just too nice in the peninsula to not get out and play. Opted for an 8am tee time at Bayonet. This course always plays tough and today was no exception. Greens while they always roll tr... Continue »

Weather was just too nice in the peninsula to not get out and play. Opted for an 8am tee time at Bayonet. This course always plays tough and today was no exception. Greens while they always roll true, are difficult. Firm and fast is their motto. Sticking an approach shot is a rarity and with the multiple undulations three putts (or more) are common. Course has a ton of elevation changes, but unlike the sister course (Blackhorse), Bayonet has a lot more uphill holes. A number of peeks at the ocean are offered throughout the round. The other big difference with Bayonet is you go back by the clubhouse at the turn. I saw the beverage cart out on Blackhorse but it never came our way.

Overall the course was in nice shape. Nothing spectacular but certainly worth the mid week price tag as long as you pay under $80. Some of the tee slots are over $110 mid week and $150 for the weekend. That’s a bit steep in my opinion. As I mentioned the greens were firm and rolled at a fast pace. The upside to the severe undulations is that breaks are usually easy to see and predict. The bad part is it’s easy to 3 putt.

Fairways offer tight lies but are green throughout. Rough was patchy. Very easy to have a nasty lie from the rough.

Tee boxes were all level, but some had some patchy grass areas while others were near perfect. The normal amount of divots on the par 3’s. Plenty of room to find a clean area.

I was in a lot of bunkers, so I got a thorough sampling of the sand traps. Some were a bit wet/damp while others were in excellent condition with nice fluffy sand.

We were a threesome and got “stuck” behind a slow moving foursome. POP was 4:20. Didn’t look like there was anyone in front of the group in front of us. Check in was quick and simple, with great customer service all around.

Bayonet will test your skill level when you are feeling good about your game. It usually brings me back to reality real quick, and today was no exception.

Played Bayonet and be advised, the rough here was not to be trifled with. According to the Marshall on patrol they are letting it grow for an upcoming tournament. You may need a defoliant to get the b... Continue »

Played Bayonet and be advised, the rough here was not to be trifled with. According to the Marshall on patrol they are letting it grow for an upcoming tournament. You may need a defoliant to get the ball out of it. Course was in good shape otherwise but it is sad that they are molding a new high end home development around the course. The great views will be spoiled.

Early out with Alex326 Tuesday morning with a deal from a national reseller. So the value was there to travel in with great late winter weather. Mostly sunny breeze 42-55 degrees right in the range of... Continue »

Early out with Alex326 Tuesday morning with a deal from a national reseller. So the value was there to travel in with great late winter weather. Mostly sunny breeze 42-55 degrees right in the range of our 9 hole scores.
Great fun and challenging but fair. Without water hazards I kept the same ball all around which was different to other recent rounds.
from course website:
"With the removal of the Kikuyu and poa annua, all of the new turf is Jacklin T1 Bentgrass, a type that is superior in density and performance that will allow not only for better roll, but will harmonize with the state-of-the-industry drainage and irrigation systems installed on all 36 holes." The renovation was 2007-2010 range. So the course is mature and plays well.
I usually play in early November annually. Fun to play a different time of year. The greens while challenging are not as tough as then. IMO
Alex did a dandy description of conditions. I will add that the some areas of rough is being loamed and over-seeded in the thin spots and sprouting. Growing out will provide lush greenery this spring/summer. These areas of unmarked "gur" helped me with drops from the large trees edging most all fairways a couple times. They removed thousands during renovation. Still many many left.
Home lot prep / construction on some holes as well as tree chipping, pruning seems to be a regular procedure.
A high caliber tournament ready venue that has always had a thumbs-up from me.
Played with a couple gentlemen with LinkSoul connections. Good time.