Black Horse (Ft. Ord) - Seaside, CA

[Mike Benham]

[Garland Bayley]

Was that like an ink blot test the shrinks give?

[Richard Choi]

Did they have a huge cookie cutter so that they can cut identical bunkers?

Or perhaps the architect designed the course on a computer and just used cut and paste...

[Kyle Henderson]

Was that like an ink blot test the shrinks give?

Officially, the exam is known as the "RorschachTest," but I've never understood its value given that every inkblot looks like a masturbating Elvis.

[Garland Bayley]

Was that like an ink blot test the shrinks give?

Officially, the exam is known as the "RorschachTest," but I've never understood its value given that every inkblot looks like a masturbating Elvis.

Ummmmm, Kyle, I think you passed the test!
 

[Carl Nichols]

Obviously the style of the bunkers is quite jarring.  But putting the style aside and focusing on positioning, it seems like in several places there are just too many of them -- perhaps the archie used an old RTJ how-to manual.  On the other hand, it seems like they've done an admirable job in not overly relying on trees, and a few green sites (e.g., the first pic) look pretty interesting.  Also seems to be in good condition.

[Peter Galea]

Fairway condition looks great with that little tinge of brown.

[Adam Clayman]

Nice catch Peter.

The photos make the course look nothing like it's former self. I think I recognize one corridor.

The widths look ambiguous with no ability to take advantage of the angles.

And, the hand of man on some of the contouring is also a new touch.

[Nick Church]

A couple of those pictures look like number 7.  It appears they significantly removed the trees on the right side that (at least) visually blocked the attempt to cut the dog leg.  At least that's how I remember it from playing there in 1987 as an 8th grader.

[Trey Stiles]

What a change ... I was part of the original group that put together the purchase / lease ... Our initial plan was to do a couple million in infrastructure upgrades and block & tackle  ... It would have been a great deal for everybody under that plan.

Somewhere along the line , somebody figured out that spending a " blue zillion " to remake it would yield better returns.

I bet they would love to have their " blue zillion " back , along with the regular guys who loved and supported the facility at a reasonable cost structure.

Back to GCA :  I'm not sure they have enough of those bunkers that look like the ink blots .... maybe they could just make one big bunker with ink blots made from grass .... I pitty the guy who's got to flymo those things.

[Tom Huckaby]

A couple of those pictures look like number 7.  It appears they significantly removed the trees on the right side that (at least) visually blocked the attempt to cut the dog leg.  At least that's how I remember it from playing there in 1987 as an 8th grader.

That would be correct, all of it.  On top of this, they moved 17 Bayonet significantly to the left of where it used to be (that land now being planned for hotel use) such that it is right in the crook of the dogleg for 7 Black Horse.  It's a dangerous situation, strikingly so as you view either hole.

[Mike Hendren]

Hmmmmm - frilly, jagged edged bunkers. 

New term:  pinking sheared bunkers:



Definitely not a "fad" - right Adam?

As I posted elsewhere:  "Up in the mountains (Ballyhack), down by the water (Ft. Ord), heads Carolina, tails California."

Bogey

[Mike Benham]

The widths look ambiguous with no ability to take advantage of the angles.

Adam -

That was my initial thought after playing it.  The greens have lots of movement, depending on the hole location, you can play away from the hole and let the ground move the ball towards the hole.  There is access at the front of every green so you can play running shots if the turf is firm enough.

The fairway turf is different, it stays down, almost matted.  Not sure if this is a result of its newness or is the intent.

Mike

[Joel_Stewart]

What a change ... I was part of the original group that put together the purchase / lease ... Our initial plan was to do a couple million in infrastructure upgrades and block & tackle  ... It would have been a great deal for everybody under that plan.

Somewhere along the line , somebody figured out that spending a " blue zillion " to remake it would yield better returns.

I bet they would love to have their " blue zillion " back , along with the regular guys who loved and supported the facility at a reasonable cost structure.

They spent $12.5 million for both courses which I thought was cheap.

I played here 2 weeks ago and was very disappointed.  I'm not sure if it was Gene Bates or the construction company but I really have to believe somebody else could have done a much better job.  It really continues to piss me off that so many architects both living and dead never had the chance to work in Monterey and Gene Bates gets 2 courses and IMHO he screwed them both up.  To me Bates should have built something really unique yet he grassed over the entire property (built on a sand dune) and tricked the course up with greens that are not puttable and angles and strategy that is amateur architecture.

Sorry to be so harsh, I'll leave it at that.

[Adam Clayman]

Michael. My comment does not apply in this case as far as I can tell. Your comment however baffles me.