Course Program

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it

Feel the green, for a 20-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Gold Hills Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 209 drills78% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

4 to 45

Average HCP

20

Duration (single session)

3 hr 51 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control34%
Aim19%
Precision15%
Dispersion13%
Alignment8%
Scoring7%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Vary your landing spot and see how soft you can land it. Feel the green and stop on a dime. Focus on Distance Control, Aim, Precision, Dispersion, Alignment, Scoring, Trajectory. For a 20-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Distance Control

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Aim
  • Precision
  • Dispersion

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 51 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 | Scattered Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

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 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Put 40 golf balls in 8 lines of 5 balls each in the sand, about 2 feet apart and between 20 and 40 yards from the hole.

2

Make 9 stop zones on the green using tees, string, or buckets. Number them 1 to

3

Split the 36 sand shots into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Pick one stop zone as the target for each group.

5

Hit 4 balls in a line toward the chosen stop zone, trying to stop them inside that zone.

6

Move to the next stop zone and repeat until all zones are used for 4 shots each.

7

Count how many balls stopped in the correct stop zone.

8

Enter the number of successful stops out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
02

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the stop zone(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Set up 4 lines of balls in the bunker. Each line has 9 balls. Balls are 1 foot apart.

2

Mark 9 stop zones on the green. Space them out so there is 1 zone for each shot.

3

Hit 36 sand shots: 4 balls for each zone.

4

For each shot, aim to stop the ball inside the zone on the green.

5

Hit 4 balls for the first zone, then 4 for the second, and keep going until all 9 zones are done.

6

Count balls that stop inside the right zone as successful.

7

After all 36 shots, enter your number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
03

Sand | Scattered Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

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

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

Divide 40 golf balls into 8 piles of 5 balls each in the sand between 5 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, set up 3 flag targets in a straight line, each 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Label them Target A, Target B, and Target C.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total, with 12 shots aimed at each target.

4

Start from any pile. Hit 12 shots at Target A.

5

Move to Target B, hit 12 shots, then hit the last 12 shots at Target C.

6

Switch between piles after every 2 to 5 shots.

7

Count a shot as a success if it stops within 10 feet (3 meters) of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318131074
04

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop sand shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Quadrants
1

Arrange two lines of 18 balls each in the sand. Keep balls 1 foot apart. Lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, make a 10-foot circle and divide into 4 parts. Number the parts 1 to

3

Hit 36 sand shots, in 4 groups of

4

Hit 9 balls from the first line aiming for part

5

Hit 9 balls from the second line aiming for part

6

Hit 9 balls from the first line aiming for part

7

Hit 9 balls from the second line aiming for part

8

Count a success if a ball stops in the right part.

9

Keep balls in place, only switch lines when told.

0

Count total successful shots in the correct parts, and enter your score out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
05

Sand | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two lines of 18 balls each in the sand bunker. Lines are 1 foot apart per ball, perpendicular to each other, and 5-10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones in groups of 3 per row (front, middle, back) using buckets or tees or string.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

For each group, try to land the ball in the correct stop zone, starting with the front 3, then middle 3, then back

3

Switch between the two lines of balls each time.

5

Count a success when the ball stops in the correct zone.

6

Add up successful shots and enter your total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074
06

Sand | Perpendicular 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 | Perpendicular Piles | 3 Landing Zones
1

Make 10 piles of balls in the sand in two lines that cross, with each pile 3 yards apart.

2

Put the piles 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

3

On the green, set up 3 landing zones, each 6 feet apart, using sticks, clubs, or string.

4

Use 36 sand shots in total, split into 3 groups of 12 shots.

5

For each group, aim at a different landing zone (first Zone 1, then Zone 2, then Zone 3).

6

Start at any pile and hit each shot toward the chosen zone.

7

After 12 shots to one zone, move to the next zone and repeat until all 36 shots are done.

8

Count every shot that stops inside the chosen landing zone as a success.

9

Enter the number of successful shots in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612963
07

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
08

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
09

Sand | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a sand shot in the stop 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 | Perpendicular Piles | 9 Stop Zones
1

Set up 10 piles of 4 balls each in two crossing lines of 5 piles each, spaced 3 yards/meters apart, and 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, mark 9 target zones with buckets, tees, or string in a clear grid or pattern.

3

Split 36 shots into 9 groups of

4

Each group only aims for one target zone.

4

For each group, pick a pile and hit 4 sand shots, trying to stop each ball in the zone.

5

Move to the next zone and repeat until each of the 9 zones has had 4 shots (36 total shots).

6

Each ball that stops in the right zone counts as one success.

7

After all shots, count how many were successful and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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