Course Program

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge

Aim for soft landing, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Miner Hills Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 22.89 drills68% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

6 to 45

Average HCP

22.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 51 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim33%
Scoring20%
Distance Control14%
Alignment10%
Accuracy7%
Dispersion7%
Precision5%
Trajectory4%

Overview

Program Structure

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge. Pick spot and trust and fly out and stop close. Focus on Aim, Scoring, Distance Control. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Aim

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Alignment

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 | 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
02

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
03

Sand | Scattered Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

Scatter a bucket of balls in the sand (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 8 equal lines 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 Ball Lines | 3 Landing Zones
1

Scatter 40 balls into 8 lines with 5 balls in each line. Put balls about 2 feet apart.

2

Put the lines between 5 and 60 yards from the hole on grass or a slope.

3

On the green set up 3 landing zones side by side, each zone about 6 feet apart.

4

Hit 36 shots, split into 3 groups of 12 shots toward each landing zone.

5

For each group, pick any 12 balls to hit toward the first landing zone.

6

After 12 shots, switch to the second zone and hit 12 more shots from any balls.

7

Aim the last 12 shots at the third landing zone using any balls.

8

Count a shot as successful if the ball lands and stays in the correct landing zone.

9

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
04

Sand | Parallel Piles | Quadrants

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) in the sand into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls and stop sand shots inside quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 9 piles with 4 balls each, for a total of 36 balls. Put the piles in two lines on the sand, lines are 5 to 10 yards/meters apart, and place the setup between 5 and 60 yards/meters from the hole.

2

On the green, mark out 4 equal areas inside a 10-foot (3-meter) circle using string or tees.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, dividing them so that 9 shots try to stop in each of the 4 marked areas.

4

Take shots from each pile, trying to land the ball in the current area.

5

After 9 shots for one area, change to the next area. Keep going until all 36 shots are done.

6

Count how many balls stop in the correct area.

7

Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
05

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
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

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
07

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | Quadrants

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 quadrants. Count the number of successes.

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

Make two straight lines of 18 balls each in the sand, about 1 foot apart in each line, and place the lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark a 10-foot circle around the hole and divide it into 4 equal parts.

3

Hit 36 sand shots, split into 4 groups of

9

For each group, aim all 9 shots at one of the 4 parts.

4

Switch to the other line of balls every 9 shots.

5

Try to make each ball stop in the right part on the green; count only balls that do.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score302825221713963
08

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

Pick two different bunker spots, each 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put Target A on the left and Target B on the right on the green, about 10 feet apart.

3

Hit 36 shots total: 18 from one spot, 18 from the other spot.

4

From each spot, hit 9 shots to Target A and 9 shots to Target B. Alternate every 3 shots.

5

Use the same setup and swing for all shots. Only change where you aim.

6

Count a shot as good if it stops within 3 feet of the target you aimed for.

7

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191512963
09

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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