Bayonet Golf Course

Certainly one of the most difficult courses in the Monterey Peninsula area – and one of the most beautiful – Bayonet Golf Course is one of two layouts of the old Fort Ord golf complex that was completely renovated in 2008. While both this course and the Black Horse course have plenty of difficult bunkers, greens, corridors and holes, the Bayonet Course is considered the more difficult of the two, having played host to numerous high level amateur and tour professional events. Playing as a 7,104-yard par 72 from the back tees, it has a slope/rating of 139/74.8. Renovated by architect Gene Bates, the fairways, greens and bunkers were reshaped and the course was cleaned up to reveal ocean views that were long hidden by excessive tree and underbrush growth. One of the toughest holes – and there are many – is the 467-yard, uphill, par-4 ninth, a dogleg right that plays back up the hill to a green protected in a front by a series of cascading bunkers. Like its sister course -- Bayonet, which is also the older of the two, having opened in 1954 and originally designed by General Robert McClure -- also has a rich history of playing host to professional events, including qualifiers for the U.S. Open and PGA Tour events. Bayonet is also one of the most affordable courses in the area good value, having made Golf Digest's list of "America's Top 75 Affordable Courses."