Course Program

Turn bunker shots into par saves—score from the sand

Turn into par saves, for a 22-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Bartlett C C

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 21.68 drills72% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

7 to 45

Average HCP

21.6

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring24%
Distance Control18%
Accuracy15%
Precision12%
Aim9%
Trajectory8%
Dispersion7%
Alignment5%
Visualization3%

Overview

Program Structure

Turn bunker shots into par saves—score from the sand. Up-and-down contest and turn into par saves. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Accuracy. For a 22-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Accuracy
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill per day
8 days · 26 min/day

Drill Framework

Program breakdown

Each drill is designed to prepare you for the course. Follow the program or repeat the drills to improve key areas of your game.

01

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to land a sand shot inside the landing zone(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 3 target zones on the green using sticks or clubs. Space them 6 feet apart in a line.

2

Make 6 piles of 6 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 36 sand shots: 12 shots to each zone.

4

Hit from any pile to Zone 1, then move to another pile and hit to Zone 2, then to another pile for Zone

5

Try to land the ball in the correct zone. Each ball that stays in the correct zone is a success.

6

After all shots, count how many balls landed in the correct zones and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
02

Sand | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Set up 10 piles of golf balls in two lines in the sand. Each line has 5 piles, 4 yards apart, and the lines are 3 yards apart.

2

Put the piles 20 to 40 yards from the green.

3

Draw two circles on the green around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius (birdie zone), one with a 15-foot radius (par zone).

4

Hit 36 sand shots: 18 shots trying for the small circle, 18 shots trying for the bigger circle.

5

Start at any pile. Hit one shot at a time, aiming for the zone you need.

6

After 18 shots at the small circle, switch to aiming at the big circle for the last 18 shots.

7

Count a shot as good if it stops in the target circle. Shots outside the big circle are misses.

8

Add up how many good shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
03

Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 6 piles of 6 balls each around the sand, with each pile 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 markers or flags on the green, each spaced 6 to 8 feet apart, to create Target 1, Target 2, and Target

3

There are 36 shots total: 12 shots aimed at each target.

4

Hit 12 shots from any pile aiming at Target

5

Hit 12 shots at Target 2, then 12 shots at Target

6

Count a shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 feet of the target marker.

7

Add up the number of successful shots after all 36 are hit, and enter the total score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252117131074
04

Sand | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot inside the quadrant(s). The player with the most points wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Piles | Quadrants
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two rows with 5 piles in each row. Leave 3 yards (2 meters) between the rows, and 4 yards (4 meters) between piles in each row.

2

Put these piles in the sand area, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 4 equal circles using string or tees. Each circle has a 6-foot (2 meter) radius.

4

Hit 36 sand shots. Hit 9 shots at each of the 4 circles.

5

Start from any pile. Hit one ball at a time, aiming for the first circle.

6

After 9 shots at the first circle, move to the next circle and repeat until all 4 circles are used.

7

Count how many balls stop inside the correct circle.

8

When done, add the number of balls inside the circles, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
05

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 10 piles of balls in two lines that cross at a right angle, with 5 piles in each line. Each pile has 3 or 4 balls.

2

Place the piles 3 yards or meters apart, between 20 and 40 yards or meters from the hole, in sand bunkers and not on the green.

3

On the green, mark two target circles around the hole: an inner circle with a 6-foot or 2-meter radius (bullseye) and an outer circle with a 15-foot or 5-meter radius (outer bullseye).

4

Take 36 sand shots in total. Do 18 shots aiming for the inner bullseye, then 18 shots for the outer bullseye (including the inner).

5

Start at any pile and hit one sand shot at a time, trying to land the ball in the target area.

6

After 18 shots at the inner bullseye, switch to the outer bullseye for the next 18 shots.

7

Count each ball that stops inside the targeted circle as a success. Balls outside the outer circle are misses.

8

Add up the number of successes out of 36 attempts and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282418141063
06

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand. Scatter into 8 equal piles of 5 balls and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 9 piles of 4 golf balls each in the bunker, placing them randomly 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers on the green in a straight line, each 6 feet apart to make 3 landing zones.

3

Hit 12 balls to each zone (36 shots total).

4

Hit from any pile to the first zone 12 times, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third.

5

Count how many balls stop in the correct zone.

6

Add up your successful shots out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
07

Sand Short

Short Game

Up to 5 players hit sand shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Short
1

Make two piles of 18 golf balls, 5 yards apart, in two bunkers: one bunker is 5 yards from the hole, the other is 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three zones on the green: Close (within 3 feet), Medium (3 to 6 feet), Far (6 to 10 feet).

3

Hit 18 shots from the 5-yard bunker and 18 shots from the 20-yard bunker.

4

For each bunker, aim 6 shots at each zone.

5

Hit each shot the same way. Try to land the ball in the right zone.

6

If the ball lands and stops in the target zone, it counts as a success.

7

Count the number of successes and enter the score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201512963
08

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the bullseye. The best final score relative to PAR wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 4 straight lines of 9 balls each in the sand bunker, with 1 foot between each ball.

2

Place the lines 3 yards apart from each other, and make sure all balls are between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, make two circles: a small circle around the hole (6-foot radius) and a bigger circle (15-foot radius).

4

Hit 36 balls in total: 12 try for the small circle, 12 try for the big circle but outside the small, 12 can land anywhere on the green.

5

Hit the first 12 balls aiming for the small circle.

6

Hit the next 12 balls aiming for the big circle but outside the small one.

7

Hit the last 12 balls onto the green without worrying where they end up.

8

Count each ball that stops where it is supposed to for that round.

9

Add up how many balls landed in the right spots out of 36 tries and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3331282419151174

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

Start the drills at your own pace or work with a coach to inside drills.golf.