Half-price golf specials in Monterey this 4th of July weekend

This weekend Bayonet & Black Horse golf courses offer classic Monterey Peninsula golf experiences at bargain prices

Seldom does one associate a holiday weekend with golf specials, especially on the hallowed fairways of the Monterey peninsula. This 4th of July weekend, however, you can enjoy links golf overlooking the Monterey bay coastline for well under $100 per person during Bayonet and Black Horse's two-for-one Independence Day special.

The only catch is that there is no catch, other than you need to print out the email this links to and bring it with you. Two-for-one is straight-forward enough, and if you don't have a playing partner to bring with you, odds are you can find one in the parking lot, need be. And if you play before noon on the weekend a cart is mandatory, which is standard operating procedure at Bayonet Black Horse. 

Both courses recently underwent a $13-million makeover that has made them world class, but it is understandable if you've never heard of Bayonet and Black Horse. Located on what was once the U.S. Army's Fort Ord, up until 1994 they were off-limits to the general public. Now, however, they are part of Fairmont Hotel and Resorts, and offer luxurious amenities comparable to the gorgeous and challenging golf.

Bayonet and Black Horse were designed by Generals, and both courses demand a well-executed battle plan from tee to green. Bayonet Golf Course was designed by General Robert McClure, the Commanding Officer of Fort Ord at the time. Bayonet was named after the 7th Infantry Light Fighter or "Bayonet" Division. McClure was left-handed and is rumored to have played with a vicious slice - explaining the five extreme doglegs in a row that await you on "Combat Corner." And if it is combat you want, Bayonet will dish it up: a slope of 138 and a rating of 75.3 make it one of the toughest courses in California.

Black Horse was designed by General Edwin Carnes, another General of the base, and named in honor of the 11th Calvary "Black Horse" Regiment. It offers the most stunning views of the bay, but both courses are a celebration of the cypress-lined fairways synonymous with golf on the Monterey peninsula. Black Horse is more of a links course, but is in no way any tamer than its sibling, sporting a slope of 135 and rating of 74.4.

Midweek golf rates are $115 from 7am to noon, $95 from noon to 2pm, and $75 from 2pm to close. With the two-for-one special, you could walk both courses in a day for a total cost of $95 (assuming you started your second round after 2pm).

Weekend rates are steeper, and mandate a cart before noon: 7am - noon is $160, 12pm - 2pm is $115, and 2pm to close is $95. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal on the peninsula this weekend, and once you're done with your round you'll never doubt the stoutness of these two strategic battlefields. 

For more info: Visit the Bayonet Black Horse web site. To get the special rate, you must print out this .pdf and take it with you. There is a sign-up form on their website that will subscribe you to their newsletter and get you future special internet deals, but it does not seem to sign you up for this one.