Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses

The Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses App includes a GPS enabled yardage guide, 3D flyovers, live scoring and much more!

Overlooking the pristine sanctuary of Monterey Bay and the rocky promontory of Point Pinos, Bayonet Black Horse has delighted visiting golfers for more than 50 years. Located on the site formerly occupied by Fort Ord, both courses are steeped in golf and military history, each having played host to the game's greats — from Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to Ben Crenshaw and Johnny Miller — as well as several U.S. Presidents and foreign dignitaries. The conception of a golf facility at Fort Ord originated in 1954 when General Bob McClure, as commanding officer of the base, appropriated the government-owned property. To fulfill his ambition to design a golf course, McClure enlisted the assistance of a civilian friend, a Peninsula golf professional named Robert "Boots" Widener. McClure then went about laying out the 18 holes that would become Bayonet Golf Course, in honor of the 7th Infantry Light Fighter Division (nicknamed the "Bayonet Division"). He also recruited input from a soldier stationed at Ford Ord — future Golf Hall of Fame member Ken Venturi. By all accounts, McClure was a "left-handed" golfer with an all-too-common fade. The General managed to effectively reduce his handicap with a little creative architectural design of Bayonet: Holes 11 through 15 — widely known as "Combat Corner" — include a series of three sharp doglegs to the left, ideal for the General's predictable shot trajectory. The evolution of the golf facility to 36 holes began in 1964 when McClure learned that the sweeping acreage along the south side of his prized Bayonet course was being considered for a military housing development. Responding quickly — and without any specific plans for another golf course — McClure and golf course superintendent Merle Russill took a ride around the still empty property in the General's Jeep. McClure's orders to Russill were to come up with a golf course design ... fast. In less than two hours, the two came up with the design elements for an additional nine-hole course. The next year, while Black Horse was under way, McClure retired and his position was filled by General Edwin Carnes, who continued to work with Russill as well as McClure (who was still living on the Peninsula). When it was decided to add nine more holes to create a complete 18-hole layout, Russill designed the nine extra holes. In 1967, Bayonet had its companion course: Black Horse, named in honor of the 11th Calvary Regiment that was then stationed nearby at The Presidio of Monterey. Although the golf courses are notorious for the thick stands of cypress, oaks and pines that crowd the fairways, originally there were not many trees on either layout. Russill, the golf course super­intendent at both Bayonet and Black Horse from 1955 to 1979, is recognized for one of the most significant developments in the golf courses' maturation, planting an estimated 5,000 trees on the property during his tenure. In the past decade, both Bayonet and Black Horse saw minor renovations under the guidance of the PGA TOUR, but more recently, a multi-million-dollar renovation was completed in 2008 by renowned golf course architect Gene Bates. This opens a new chapter in the facility's long and storied history. While hallmarks like "Combat Corner" (holes 11 through 15 on Bayonet) remain, novel challenges such as the newly-created par-3 15th on Black Horse and its soul-stirring view of the Pacific are sure to impress. Thanks to this combination of deference to the past, stunning location and innovative agronomic changes, Bayonet Black Horse is poised to continue its proud legacy as one of the Monterey Peninsula's iconic golf courses.