Course Program

Turn bunker shots into par saves—score from the sand

Up-and-down contest, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at B-C

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 23.36 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

1 to 45

Average HCP

23.3

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Accuracy24%
Scoring24%
Distance Control21%
Visualization9%
Alignment6%
Precision6%
Aim6%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Turn bunker shots into par saves—score from the sand. Turn into par saves and save par clutch. Focus on Accuracy, Scoring, Distance Control. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Accuracy
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Visualization

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
6 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 | 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
02

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
03

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
04

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | Bullseye 2x

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 Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

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

Scatter 40 balls in the sand into 8 lines of 5 balls, with lines about 2 feet apart, anywhere 5 to 60 yards from the hole.

2

On the green, make two bullseye circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius, one with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, divided into 3 groups of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball inside the 6-foot bullseye.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball between 6 and 15 feet from the hole.

6

For the last 12 shots, try to land the ball within 15 feet of the hole, including the 6-foot bullseye.

7

After all 36 shots, count how many balls stopped in each target area for each group, and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
05

Sand | Scattered 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 | Scattered Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Place two piles of balls in the sand 20-40 yards from the hole.

2

Make two circles around the hole on the green: one with a 6-foot radius and another with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 shots: 18 aimed for the small circle, 18 aimed for the area between the small and big circles.

4

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the small circle.

5

Hit 18 balls, trying to land them in the area between the two circles.

6

A ball in the right area counts as a success.

7

Count the number of balls in the right spots as you go.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825201612853
06

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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