Golf Course Drops Rates to Attract Students

It is 6:45, Friday night and the "Happy-hour" at Bayonet and Blackhorse golf course is about to end. The bartender, Ralph Lagas who moved to the golf Mecca of California from Holland a dozen years ago, turns around and serves one of the regulars his last scotch of the evening. Ralph looks across the mahogany bar counter, wipes of some condensation and with a hardly noticeable accent says, "$2 Beers have been flying out the door tonight."

In 2007, a renovation was started at the Seaside facility; A $13 million investment that lead to new bent grass over the entire vicinity, improved practice facilities and an interior reconstruction of the club house. The rebuilding of the two courses was made with the intention of giving room for an up-scale hotel and housing lots for luxurious living.

Today, in April, there is still no hotel and only one house has been built on the hillside seascape. The lone house is built as a demo for potential future house buyers. Even though hopes of a classy resort are still there, Bayonet and Blackhorse have taken different actions to attract a new crowd and climb up from the financial divot they dug in 2007. Golf Professional Patrick Jones is optimistic, "I still see it happening within a short future based on the country's economics.

Specials such as $59 with a cart on Sundays and $45 walking on Wednesdays have lead to golfers with a smaller budget walking the green Seaside fairways. The reduced green fees have proven attractive for students attending school down the street at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). "It's nice to play a course that host pretty big events for 50 bucks," said CSUMB student Charles Boleky.

It was Assistant Golf Professional Manny Isla who came up with the idea of providing a few specials a week. "It was $160 to play right after the reconstruction, we didn't make any business," Isla said. Isla looked into how much other golf courses in the area charged. He found that Poppy Hills, a course in Pebble Beach that he believes is of similar quality to Bayonet and Blackhorse, only charged $45 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Isla suggested something comparable to his employer.

The amount of golf courses in the area has made it hard to compete, and in Jan. the Bayonet and Blackhorse introduced a Friday happy hour that has proven popular with between 40 and 60 guests attending, depending on the weather. "We get a lot of people from the school since it's Friday and our happy hour is good," said server Maria Rivera. "They sit outside, have a nice view; people come here to relax," said bartender and avid golfer Ralph Lagas.

Anyhow, Lagas is not completely happy with the change. "We attract a different crowd; weekend golfers, they don't take care of the course as well," Lagas said. Still the new crowd is needed to bounce back financially, "It's been tough but it's starting to look up," Nelson said.

The new crowd, to a higher degree than before, consists of college students and the rejuvenation has brought in much needed bucks to the course. "The reduced rates have increased our revenue and have brought costumers to the facility which might not have come in the past," said Jones.

The long-term plan has been to give heavily reduced specials to make people come to the course and then slowly increase the rates. The tactic has shown successful so far, "People still come," Nelson said. To exemplify the relatively cheap special rates one can only lurk at how much it would be to play Bayonet or Blackhorse on a Saturday, $120.

Looking ahead the staff at Bayonet and Blackhorse has faith in a bright future. Bayonet, ranked as one of the tougher courses in the nation by ESPN, has hosted U.S. Open qualifying tournaments on a yearly basis and will be the venue for the 2012 PGA National championships. Nelson believes the course is capable of one day being the home of a major tournament, "There is a lot of space for spectators, and we have CSUMB for parking."

The lone regular has finished his Scotch, and Ralph is cleaning the low, round glass. The skin under Ralph's eyes has gotten darker over the last hour; he is tired and wants to go home. It is closing time. When he walks out the glass door he sees, what he assumes to be a man in his early 20's walking down hole number nine. The young man gets out of Ralphs sight as he approaches the setting sun. Ralph turns around and starts walking towards the parking lot, it has been a long day.