Played 11/4 8:30 with about a 20 minute fog delay for the marine layer to blow off with the gentle breeze yielding to sunny skies cool start in the 50's to mid 60's beautiful fall day for the 2nd roun... Continue »

Played 11/4 8:30 with about a 20 minute fog delay for the marine layer to blow off with the gentle breeze yielding to sunny skies cool start in the 50's to mid 60's beautiful fall day for the 2nd round of tournament play.
Bayonet conditions similar to Blackhorse as expected and that rates in the 8-10 range for most areas of the course(s). Rating is one stroke more difficult for most handicaps compared to Blackhorse but this matter of fact is almost indistinguishable. Greens slick rolling fast, fairways tight, rough lush.
Bayonet, which opened in 1954, is steeped in golf and military history. Created on the site of the former Fort Ord by General Robert B. McClure, it was christened in honor of the 7th Infantry Light Fighter Division (nicknamed the “Bayonet Division”).
Back 9 holes starting with 11 dogleg left history says because the General was a lefty with a "fade" so he ordered the holes designed to help his tee shot tendency.
Again all course conditions great and in line for a $$$ fee course. Customer service great and beverage cart out all day.
Third year in a row here the first weekend of November and it's been consistent great conditions and services from staff.
Recommend

Hard to believe that this is the first 2018 review of Bayonet, but here goes:

They're prepping for the PGA Pro Championship so cart path only. I got a deal to play both courses with range balls, a... Continue »

Hard to believe that this is the first 2018 review of Bayonet, but here goes:

They're prepping for the PGA Pro Championship so cart path only. I got a deal to play both courses with range balls, a sleeve of Taylor Made balls, and a $20 voucher for $195. Bayonet first at 7:20am on a chilly morning. Conditions were not quite as good as expected as the fairways were somewhat uneven and lots of divots ... scruffy would be a good word. Rough was deep, hard to score if you missed fairway. Greens were medium speed and nice Bent grass, they told me they'll be cut to run at 12 - 13 for the tourney.

Bunker sand was excellent and one I was in was uber-soft and white ... like playing from fresh fallen snow.

I always enjoy the challenge at Bayonet. Worth the drive up to Monterey, for sure.

Played here yesterday in perfect weather. I have played here a few times and always look forward to coming back. The course conditions are always good and the layout is great. The course. Conditions r... Continue »

Played here yesterday in perfect weather. I have played here a few times and always look forward to coming back. The course conditions are always good and the layout is great. The course. Conditions right now are nearing great but I have played it in better. The greens were the hightlight with smooth and fast surfaces and they will only get better. The tees were level, the bunkers played great, and the fairways were good but can get better with more time. There was a number of areas marked as GUR and I noticed many downed trees throughout the course. Great time and can't wait to return.

This was stop #2 on the central CA golf trip. This is about the fourth time I've played it, but the first time in 6-7 years, so the first time with the redesign. Like stop #1 (La Purisima) the rough... Continue »

This was stop #2 on the central CA golf trip. This is about the fourth time I've played it, but the first time in 6-7 years, so the first time with the redesign. Like stop #1 (La Purisima) the rough was long and punishing. Apparently it was set up for a mini-tour stop, or something like that, and they let the rough grow long to make it more challenging. Add in the constant wind, the fact that I hardly knew the course, and boy, did it play tough. Again I used driver sparingly because it was too penalizing to miss the fairway.

I never saw a marshal, but POP was fine, especially considering the amount of time needed to look for balls in the rough. The greens were in good shape but tricky. It took 10 holes or so to figure on the speed and break, so I did not score well at all. Fairways and tee boxes were in good shape too, and I don't recall seeing any bare spots.

I would certainly play it again when I'm in the area, along with Black Horse, its companion course, but it would be more playable for this 13 handicapper if the rough was cut down a bit. Very professional service at a first class outfit.

By now you all already aware that Bayonet is a go to course on the Monterey Peninsula. Course offers views of the bay from about half the holes. Track has elevation changes on 17 of the holes. Fairwa... Continue »

By now you all already aware that Bayonet is a go to course on the Monterey Peninsula. Course offers views of the bay from about half the holes. Track has elevation changes on 17 of the holes. Fairways can be narrow so shot accuracy is a premium. Course is well manicured tee to green. Greens are rolling a bit slower than normal right now but still offer plenty of challenge with most greens being multi tiered. Note: greens are a tad easier than the sister course Blackhorse.

A definite must play in the Monterey Peninsula.

Late review...I played Bayonet while on vacation on 3/23 using GolfNow. Was scheduled to play with another single but he never showed, so I played solo while my wife tagged along as photographer. Ev... Continue »

Late review...I played Bayonet while on vacation on 3/23 using GolfNow. Was scheduled to play with another single but he never showed, so I played solo while my wife tagged along as photographer. Every single tee-box was perfect. Almost every single fairway was perfect as well (#8 had an application of sand). Rough looked uniform and healthy. Greens were slightly slower than what I expected, but it had rained a lot in the days leading up to my round. The two bunkers I hit were in great shape too. I zipped around in exactly 3 hours. Almost every hole has elevation change and choosing the correct club in very important to scoring well. Would like to play again in a few years.

2nd course I played this past weekend on my wedding trip up the coast. Bayonet has gotta be the best value on the Monterey Peninsula. Paid $59 at prime time on a Friday. Course is in fantastic shap... Continue »

2nd course I played this past weekend on my wedding trip up the coast. Bayonet has gotta be the best value on the Monterey Peninsula. Paid $59 at prime time on a Friday. Course is in fantastic shape with great ocean views and tree line fairways. You've got to hit the ball straight and if you do you can score. On this day I most certainly did not which made for a long day. Played great the day before at La P so I was anticipating a great score and day, oh well. I forgot I wasn't in Socal and unfortunately shivered my way through the front side. Bring a jacket, the wind picks up quick making for a chilly day in the trees.

Don't blow $200+ at Poppy Hills, the two locals I played with were in total agreement and said that most tourists miss out on Black Horse and Bayonet. Only issue I can see with Bayonet is the big yardage difference between the Blues and whites, it would be nice to have yardage at around 6400 instead of 5900 and 6700.

Our family was back in the area for another Memorial Day mini-vacation and wanted to play Bayonet. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, which is right next to the Del Monte Golf Course, but wanted to play ... Continue »

Our family was back in the area for another Memorial Day mini-vacation and wanted to play Bayonet. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, which is right next to the Del Monte Golf Course, but wanted to play Bayonet because the track is more challenging than Del Monte and is also one of Monterey’s hidden gem golf courses. I also scored a $59 w/cart golf deal on GolfNow which made it a must play.

Pros:

-Greens: Very good shape. Fast and tough to read. To me, like some of the other Monterey courses, the greens and the pin placements is what makes the course really challenging. The greens are firm, and recommend clubbing down one on the approach shots as the ball will release a lot.

-Fairways: Very good condition. The fairways are well maintained, consider the area’s water situation. They are firm and was able to get a lot of roll my drives.

-Layout: Challenging layout. The course isn’t particularly long, well a least on some holes, but don’t let the yardage fool you. The course has a 130+ slope rating even from the whites. The fairways are tight as they are lined with cypress and oak trees and the occasional fairway bunker, actually there are a good number of holes that have a fairway bunkers. This is not a drive it long and straight type of course. You will need to maneuver around the course methodically, and found myself using my 3 wood and 2 and 4 iron hybrids off the tee to avoid the bunkers and trees.

-Notes: Some holes (e.g. 4, 8, 15, & 18) provide a scenic backdrop as you can see the City of Monterey and the Pacific Ocean from a distance. I do recommend playing in the late morning after the fog has burned off. I tee’d off at 7am and had to deal with the Fog and drizzle (heavy at times), but can’t complain because its coastal weather, it is what it is.

Cons:

-Can’t think of one

Overall: I consider the Monterey area to be Mecca of Golf on the left coast, and even though there are plenty of courses to choose from, I recommend this course along with Black Horse. Its 5 miles outside of Monterey but it’s one of the best courses in the area.

Played here this weekend. Overall good shape, but not as good as Black Horse. Some bare small spots in the rough and fairway. Greens were pretty hard but still held shots pretty well. One green in par... Continue »

Played here this weekend. Overall good shape, but not as good as Black Horse. Some bare small spots in the rough and fairway. Greens were pretty hard but still held shots pretty well. One green in particular (15th?) was in need of water. Greens did not have as much undulation as Black Horse. Course layout is great because it can play incredibly tough from the tips or very manageable from forward tees.

The obvious comparison is with Black Horse. I think they both are fun to play and worth seeking out. Prefer Bayonet's greens, but Black Horse's layout. Currently, Black Horse is in noticeably better shape and gets my nod today, but my advice would be to play both and judge for yourself.