Black Horse was built at the U.S. Army's Fort Ord in 1964, following the success of the post's Bayonet course. It is named for the 11th Cavalry Regiment, the "Blackhorse," which was stationed at the Presidio of Monterey from 1919 to 1940. After Fort Ord closed, the property passed to the City of Seaside in 1997 and both courses became fully public. In 2008-09 Gene Bates rebuilt Black Horse within its original routing, with new greens, bunkers, grass and irrigation, and opened up views of Monterey Bay by removing hundreds of trees.