Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?

Up-and-down contest, for a 19-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Chester Golf Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 19.19 drills59% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

1 to 45

Average HCP

19.1

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring34%
Accuracy18%
Visualization12%
Alignment12%
Aim8%
Distance Control7%
Dispersion6%
Precision2%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Up-and-down contest and turn into par saves. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Visualization. For a 19-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Visualization
  • Alignment

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 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 Long

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Long
1

Make 4 piles of 9 balls each in the bunker, spaced 40–60 yards from the hole.

2

Place 3 target circles on the green, about 6 feet apart in a line from the hole. Label them Target 1 (closest), Target 2 (middle), and Target 3 (farthest).

3

There are 36 shots. Do 12 shots at each target.

4

For 12 shots, aim for Target

1

Next 12 shots, aim for Target

2

Last 12 shots, aim for Target

5

Change piles for each shot to get different lies and angles.

6

The shot counts as a success if it lands and stays inside the right circle.

7

Enter how many successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
02

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
03

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
04

Sand Mid

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Mid
1

Place 3 piles of 12 balls each in the bunker at 20, 30, and 40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 3 landing zones: Zone A (closest), Zone B (middle), Zone C (furthest), spaced about 6 feet apart.

3

Hit 12 balls to each zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Alternate between piles, but focus each set of 12 shots on one zone.

5

Count every shot that lands and stops in the correct zone as a success.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191411853
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 Short

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand  Short
1

Find two spots in the bunker, each 5–20 yards from the hole.

2

Put a target on the green for the first spot.

3

Hit 18 shots from the first bunker spot, changing the target every 3 shots (pick 6 spots).

4

Move to the second bunker spot and do the same: 18 shots, change target every 3 shots (6 targets).

5

Try to get the ball as close as possible to each target.

6

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

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201512853
07

Sand - Long

Short Game

Hit two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sand.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand - Long
1

Pick two different spots in the bunker, 40 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers in a straight line on the green, about 6 feet apart near the hole.

3

Hit 36 shots in total: 18 from the first spot and 18 from the second spot.

4

From the first spot, hit 6 balls at each target, any order.

5

Do the same from the second spot: 6 balls at each target.

6

A shot is good if the ball stops near the target.

7

Count how many balls land close to the targets.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
08

Sand | Scattered Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

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

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

Make 8 piles of 5 balls each (total 40 balls) in sand bunkers 20–40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make a 10-foot circle around the hole. Divide the circle into 4 quadrants.

3

Hit 36 shots from the sand. Aim for 9 shots in each quadrant.

4

Hit from different piles to change distance and angle.

5

Try to stop each ball in the right quadrant. Count only the shots that stop in the correct quadrant.

6

Count successful shots in the correct quadrants. Enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825211612963
09

Sand Mid

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  Mid
1

Put two piles of 18 balls each on sand bunkers 5 yards apart, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark three target zones on the green near the hole, spaced 6 feet apart from left to right.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in three groups of 12 shots.

4

First 12 shots aim for left zone, second 12 for center zone, last 12 for right zone.

5

Hit shots from either pile, but use same setup and distance every time.

6

Count each shot that stops in the right zone as a success.

7

Add your total successes out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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