Taranbh

I have played Bayonet and Blackhorse regularly since the courses were re-designed in 2008. I've also played every other public and resort course in the area and most of the private clubs as well (still waiting for the Cypress invite...) Factoring in design, championship-quality golf, course conditions, location, views and PRICE, Bayonet and Blackhorse are the best overall options anywhere near the Monterey Pensinsula. Seriously. Both courses are incredible. And always in impeccable condition. Both are extremely challenging, but in different ways. Greens can be very, very fast but roll pure. False fronts, multi-tiered greens, steep-faced bunkers and elevation changes on your approach shots make scoring tough. And there are no easy two-putts to be had. Anywhere. Bayonet plays tight off the tee. Blackhorse is a little more open off the tee, but wind becomes more of a factor. Routing ensures that you will have to contend with the wind from all angles during the round.

Both courses play around 6,600 yards from the blue tees. And can feel longer (especially on windy days.) Tips are 7,000+ but really should be left for competitive players and scratch/plus handicaps.

Great range and practice facility.

Restaurant/bar is decent (great view) but there''s not much to it. No white tablecloth dining. No spa. No country club amenities. This place is about world-class quality golf and nothing else. And that's awesome.

No frills. Just the basics. Short course. Par 69. Very low slope/course rating. But still enjoyable for a skilled golfer. You'll hit irons/hybrids off the tee on several par fours. And there are some very short par threes. But the course still has some teeth. Water and OB can get you and always keep the round interesting. Wind off the bay will add to the challenge as well.

But most importantly: Monterey Pines is affordable for all. It is walker friendly. It accommodates all skill levels and welcomes all comers. It's great for ladies and juniors. It offers nine hole rates. These are all attributes that are solely lacking in public golf today. Places like the Pines help keep the game of golf alive and well.

I live on the Monterey Peninsula, and I've played all the courses - public and private. There's nothing like Bayonet and Blackhorse. Two world-class championship golf courses in a beautiful setting, available for public play at unbelievable rates. From the tips, both courses are pro tournament-caliber. Bayonet hosts Monday qualifying for the PGA Tour's fall event in Napa. From the forward tees, the courses are playable for high-handicaps (no water, no forced carries) but the tight fairways and slick greens make the courses play tough from any set of tees.

Bayonet is a classic test. You have to hit it straight to score well. Blackhorse is somewhat more forgiving off the tee, but the "scalloped" bunkers and false fronts on the tricky green complexes make it equally tough. Both courses feature pretty dramatic elevation changes. Tight lies everywhere. They keep the courses firm and fast. Greens are slick. Well struck shots are rewarded, no bailouts for mediocre shots, especially around the greens.

Blackhorse has better views of the Monterey Bay overall. But both courses are beautiful.

Brunch on the patio is outstanding. Awesome view.

If you're visiting and want to play the best resort courses... splurge on a round at Pebble or Spy if you want. They're amazing. Give Poppy a try (also a world-class course and great deal.) Then save some money and play two rounds at Bayonet and Blackhorse.

Carmel Valley Ranch is a great option in the Monterey/Carmel area. Resort quality course. Impeccable condition. It is not a long course by any means (around 6,100 from the back tees). I only hit driver on a few holes. But short does NOT mean easy.

Front nine is down in the valley: open fairways with a ton of subtle slopes lead to interesting lies even in the middle of the fairway. Minimal elevation change. Water in play on four holes on the front. The fourth hole in particular. Back nine is a completely different experience. Severe elevation change, blind shots.

Front or back, the greens will challenge your short game. I am a single-digit handicap and play a lot of golf at Bayonet, where they keep the greens pretty quick. But I was blown away by the firm, fast, smooth conditions. Had to concentrate on every single putt. No easy two-putts. Rolling true but very fast. It's a fun challenge, both with the putter/wedges around the greens and approach shots.

This course is challenging. Especially the back nine, and especially in the afternoon when the wind picks up. But it's a fair layout. If you play from the appropriate tees (there are forced carries, so don't let your ego dictate which tees you play from) it is playable for all, or nearly all, golfers.

The Couples design is awesome. Fits in perfectly in a really beautiful location. Conditions are great (except for the greenside bunkers... hope to see that fixed come summer). Greens are fantastic. Awesome views. There are some really beautiful holes. I love playing here in the late afternoon/twilight.

It has a reputation for being "out of the way" and "difficult." It's not out of the way. It's convenient from the Monterey area, Santa Cruz or South Bay. And it only becomes excessively difficult in high winds. The normal afternoon winds are no big deal.

NOT a good option for walkers, unfortunately. Just doesn't work well for a walking round (spread out, elevation changes, etc.)

Also has a fantastic practice facility. Great place to work on your game.

And the green fees are a steal. Seriously. This is a real, legitimate resort course. Amazing bargain. Play San Juan.

I learned to play golf at DeLa years ago. Used to play there all the time. Back then it was very affordable; not really the case anymore. But all in all I still love the course.

It is difficult, especially for beginners or those who are inconsistent off the tee. If you can't control your teeshots and find the fairway, you're going to have a tough day -- and lose a bunch of golfballs. The good news is it's not a terribly long course; most of the par 4's and 5's give you lots of options off the tee (irons, hybrids, whatever). I hit driver twice all day when I played there last (on 9 and 18.)

A great round of golf. Requires 100% of your attention. Number 10 is a killer. A short par 5, not much on the scorecard. But it's tough.

But why does DeLa struggle with drainage? My local courses have gotten soaked recently and the turf recovered great. But at DeLa the entire course was a swamp. I lost a ball in the middle of the fairway - it plugged in the mud and I never found it. And there was standing water three days after the last storm. It's strange that such a hilly course would struggle to drain that much. I thought the re-model was intended to address that? Speaking of the re-model... they converted two par 5's, making it a par 70. I thought those two par 5's were two of the most interesting holes on the entire course, especially 18. The old 18 green made for a sweet finishing hole. Oh well.

I don't know how they do it, but Salinas Fairways manages to provide an excellent experience at an extreme value. I am particularly impressed with the course conditions (especially the greens - firm, great shape, rolling true.) It's a short course, wide open, not particularly challenging. But there are enough interesting holes - with a couple tricky hazards/forced carries and a couple long par 3's - that it's not a complete pushover for better players. You still need to golf your ball. But it's 100% playable for beginners. And walkable. Front nine is tree-lined with a classic parkland feel; back nine opens up and gets exposed to the wind for added difficulty, especially in the afternoon. 18 is a fun finishing hole. Easily reachable par 5 but you're staring at a nasty water hazard directly in front of the green - even the lay-up shot can bring the water into play. The pace of play is great and the greens fees are a steal. Worth a visit for sure.

They got rid of 18 holes at Ridgemark and created a new combined layout. This was done to save money... due to the drought... Nevermind the fact that Ridgemark originally WAS an 18 hole course. And the original 18 hole course was readily available -- a very playable, interesting and challenging enough course. AND it included two straightforward nines that begin and end at the clubhouse. But instead the owner decided to re-route a strange and illogical new 18-hole layout, eliminating some great holes and leading to a disjointed, awkward routing which includes new tee boxes shaved into old fairways and epically-long cart rides between holes (this course is NOT walkable.)

The owner's decision to re-route was NOT due to the drought. He wants to build homes on the land, and he shut down the holes that made the best potential new homesites. He is not interested in running a golf course; his business is real estate. I respect his right to do with his property what he chooses. But he is ruining a great golf facility. I truly wish a new buyer will emerge and bring this place back to life. An owner who actually WANTS to be in the golf business and has some CLUE as to what it takes to run a successful golf course in a tough economic climate.

All things considered, the new layout is still playable. Goofy, but playable. But the greens are in horrendous shape. Putts simply do not roll true.

Go play San Juan. It's 5 minutes away.

The Valley Course (revamped Riverside course) plays second fiddle to the more impressive tournament course at Coyote Creek. But it is a great layout unto itself. Played from the back tees, it is plenty tough, and almost 7,000 yards long. From the whites it's much more playable for all, but is still a worthy challenge for lower handicaps. The winds really rip out there, especially in the afternoon, which can make for an even tougher round (this course has minimal protection from the wind.)

The greens are fantastic. Always in great shape. And fast. Really tough to hold the greens on downwind shots. The par 5s are all reachable, and there are some short par 4s. But the greens are well defended. No gimme holes.

The course is right beside the freeway, which can be a visual/sound distraction for some. But it's a beautiful layout, and the traffic noise is not really an issue.

Given a choice, I would probably still prefer to play the tournament course. But for a change-up, or if there are golfers of varying abilities in your group, the Valley course is great.

Rancho Canada keeps their fees very reasonable. And both courses are very well maintained. So it's a great deal. And both courses are fun.

The West Course has a few genuinely challenging holes. Narrow windows, tight fairways, OB lurking. But overall, with slope ratings of 122 and 124... these are not courses to test a low handicapper. The East Course is VERY playable for ALL skill levels. If you've never broken 80 (or 90, etc.) and you want to achieve that milestone, then come play the East Course. You'll do it. But... is that as satisfying as posting a low round at a more robust track? Maybe. Maybe not.

If you're a short hitter, or just want a relaxed, fun round of golf in a great setting, come play Rancho.

I love Bayonet (and Blackhorse as well.) I played Bayonet yesterday, and I was disappointed in the condition of the greens but that's just the time of year. Some greens were furry, others were still overly sanded. I'm sure they'll be in perfect shape by late May.

Overall, I've felt for years that Bayonet & Blackhorse represent the best pure golf in this area. Two top-flight golf courses, usually in impeccable condition. Playable for any golfer (if you play from the right set of tees) but still extremely challenging for better players. Great practice area. They've been trying to build a resort, and private homes on the front nine of Bayonet, for a while. If/when that ever happens the feel of the place may change. For now it's just about world-class golf in an amazing setting.

Love this place. They keep the course in impeccable condition pretty much year-round. And their fees are always reasonable. The greens are firm, fast and they roll true. It is a tough test. Nearly every hole out there requires precision off the tee. Hazards are a constant presence tee to green. But at no point does it feel gimmicky, goofy or unfair. They fit this course into the landscape perfectly and it was built with modern drainage and water-management practices so I've never seen it soggy OR dried out.

It gets windy up there. And with forced carry shots and challenging approaches, this course requires you to play smart. I've never broken 80 there, and I've had my butt kicked a few times, but I keep coming back. Worth the drive from anywhere.

There are so few decent options in Santa Cruz County. DeLa and Seascape. That's about it. Pasatiempo's too expensive to play regularly. So I guess that's the best thing Seascape has going for it (scarcity).

It's a nice course. There are a handful of really interesting holes. There's some great elevation change tee shots. You will need to work the ball both ways off the tee to put it where it needs to be. Some fun golf shots to hit. But the course is outdated and could really benefit from being reworked. But that's not gonna happen.

American Golf runs an efficient operation, and keeps the course in decent shape, but nothing special. If you're a Santa Cruz County golfer, and you want top-flight public courses, you're driving to Monterey or San Juan or Morgan Hill/Gilroy. It's too bad. I think Seascape has the potential to be much more than it is.

Anyway... maybe this is why I moved to Monterey. But I still love ya Seascape!

The fees are so affordable (and it seems like they keep getting cheaper) that it's hard to pass up the occasional casual round at Pajaro Valley. But... you get what you pay for. Their "famous" fast greens are in poor condition. The pace of play can be horrendous. You see guys out there in jeans, cut-off t-shirts, etc. When I was young, this was a great place to learn the game. It's one of the first courses I ever played. So I feel some nostalgia for Pajaro Valley. Plus it's in a good location (near the freeway, almost halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey.) Great place for casual golfers looking to mess around and have some fun.