Course Program

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge

Fly out and stop close, for a 19-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Carpentaria Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 19.49 drills61% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

5 to 45

Average HCP

19.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 50 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim34%
Distance Control17%
Dispersion15%
Precision14%
Trajectory8%
Scoring8%
Accuracy4%

Overview

Program Structure

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge. Aim for soft landing and fly out and stop close. Focus on Aim, Distance Control, Dispersion. For a 19-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Aim

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Distance Control
  • Dispersion
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 50 min
or
1 drill per day
9 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 | Parallel 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 at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

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

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines, 5 piles in each line. Lines are 3 yards/meters apart and piles in each line are 4 yards/meters apart.

2

Place these piles on sand between 5 and 60 yards/meters from the hole. All piles must be on sand, not the green.

3

Mark 3 targets on the green, spaced at least 4 feet (about 1.2 meters) apart.

4

There are 36 shots total, split into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

Aim first 12 shots at Target 1, next 12 at Target 2, last 12 at Target

6

Hit each shot from a sand pile, change pile each time. Ball position and setup stay the same.

7

A shot is a success if it stops inside the circle or area around the target.

8

Do all 36 shots, 12 at each target, then count successful shots. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
02

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

25 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 35 balls in 7 straight lines, 5 balls per line, 2 feet apart, on grass or a slope, 20–40 yards from the hole, outside the green.

2

Put 7 flags or markers on the green, one for each line of balls.

3

For each line, hit the 5 balls from the sand, trying to make each ball stop within 10 feet of the flag for that line.

4

Do this for all 7 lines and hit a total of 35 shots.

5

Count each ball that ends up inside the 10-foot circle as a success.

6

Write down the number of successful shots out of 35 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252117131074
03

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and hit-and-land sand shots inside landing zones. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

In the sand bunker, make two straight lines of balls. Each line has 18 balls, with 1 foot (30 cm) between each ball. The two lines are 6 to 10 yards (5 to 10 meters) apart.

2

On the green, set up three landing zones. Mark them with sticks, clubs, or string. Space the zones 6 feet (2 meters) apart in a straight line.

3

Hit 36 sand shots. Split them into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For the first group, hit from one ball line and aim for the first landing zone.

5

For the second group, switch to the other ball line and aim for the second zone.

6

For the last group, go back to the first ball line and aim for the third zone.

7

Count each shot that lands and stays in the correct zone as a success. After all 36 shots, add up the successful shots and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302826221713953
04

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines of 5 balls and stop sand shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

23 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Put 32 balls in 8 lines of 4 balls each, spaced about 2 feet apart, in the sand area 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark a circle with a 10-foot radius around the hole.

3

Divide the circle into 4 equal parts (quadrants) using two lines that cross at the hole.

4

For each line of 4 balls, choose one quadrant and try to hit all 4 balls so they stop inside that quadrant.

5

After finishing one line and quadrant, move to another line and aim at a new quadrant. Do this until all 8 lines and quadrants are done.

6

Count each ball that stops in the chosen quadrant.

7

Add up the number of successful shots out of 32 and enter score in the app, out of 32 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions32
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2826242016131074
05

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
06

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 18 balls in a straight line in the sand. Make a second line of 18 balls. Lines should be 5 to 10 yards apart, balls in each line 1 foot apart.

2

Pick two flags on the green, 20 to 40 yards away. Each line aims for its own flag.

3

From the first line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the first flag.

4

Move to the second line, hit 18 balls trying to land each one within 10 feet of the second flag.

5

Count how many balls from each line stay inside the 10-foot circle.

6

Add up total successful balls out of 36 attempts and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612853
07

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
08

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Make two straight lines with 20 balls in each line. Each ball is about 1 foot apart. The two lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using buckets, string, or tees. Keep the zones apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots from the bunker. Try to stop the ball inside the zones.

4

Split the 36 shots into 9 groups. Each group has 4 shots.

5

For each group, hit 4 shots from one ball line at one stop zone.

6

After 4 shots, switch to the other ball line. Aim 4 shots at the next zone. Keep going back and forth until you finish all 9 zones.

7

Count how many balls stay in the zone they were aimed at.

8

Add your total successes out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
09

Sand | Parallel Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

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

Set up 10 piles of balls in two lines of 5 piles each. The lines are 3 yards apart. Piles in each line are 4 yards apart.

2

Place the piles on sand bunkers, 20 to 40 yards from the hole, not on the green.

3

On the green, mark 3 landing zones in a row, each 2 meters wide, spaced 2 meters apart.

4

Take 36 sand shots: 12 shots for each landing zone.

5

Start from any pile and hit 12 shots at Zone 1, then 12 shots at Zone 2, then 12 shots at Zone

6

Each ball that stops in the target zone counts as a success.

7

Count the number of successful shots out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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