TripleBirdies Junior Golf

Sand Game

The Sand is called a “trap” for a reason—it’s one of the toughest challenges in golf. It is important to know that there are two types of bunkers. One is a green-side bunker, where the sand is next to the green. The other is a fairway bunker, which are sand traps around the fairway before you get to the green. One rule to remember about bunkers is: You cannot ground the club. This means you can’t touch the sand with your club before you hit your shot – so you have to hover the clubs upon addressing the ball.

Green-side Bunker Shots

Pull out the sand wedge! Your sand wedge will be the highest lofted club, usually 56degrees – this helps the ball pop up high.

Making contact is completely different in the sand. You’re not actually hitting the ball, you’re hitting the sand just before the ball to get the ball to pop up. To do so, draw an imaginary line about one inch behind the ball. You’ll want to hit into the sand right into the imaginary line. Now when you’re practicing, draw an actual line; however, when playing for real, DO NOT touch the sand. Touching the sand with the club or your hand is not permitted and will encounter a stroke penalty.

For awareness there are 2 parts of a sand wedge. We won’t get into it here, but know there is a leading edge and the bounce.

  • The leading edge (the front of the club)
  • The bounce (the angled bottom that glides through the sand)

You’ll likely use the leading edge to dig into the sand.

Fairway Bunker Shots

Fairway bunker shots are similar to regular shots from grass, with one key difference: distance loss. The sand reduces power and control, so you’ll want to club up—choose one club more than usual. On these shots you want to make direct contact with the ball – DO NOT hit an inch behind the ball like with green-side bunker shots.

It’s definitely harder to make pure contact in the sand with a lower lofted club, like a 6 irons, wood, or hybrid – I would suggest not hitting these clubs from green-side bunkers. You’re better off getting a cleaner hit with a higher lofted club.

Bunker Etiquette

Always leave the bunker better than you found it. Rake your footprints and smooth out the area where you played your shot. It’s a small act that makes a big difference for the players behind you.