Course Program

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge

Fly out and stop close, for a 13-handicap player, ~15 minutes at The Dunes Golf & Winter Club

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 13.35 drills50% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

5 to 44

Average HCP

13.3

Duration (single session)

2 hr 10 min

or

1 drill/day: 5 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Aim34%
Distance Control27%
Dispersion13%
Trajectory12%
Precision8%
Accuracy6%

Overview

Program Structure

Pick your spot and trust your swing—bunker aim challenge. Fly out and stop close and pick spot and trust. Focus on Aim, Distance Control, Dispersion. For a 13-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Aim

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Aim
  • Distance Control
  • Dispersion
  • Trajectory

Program details

Sessions
5 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 10 min
or
1 drill per day
5 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

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 close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

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

Make 2 lines in the sand with 5 piles of balls in each line. Each pile has 4 balls and is about 2 meters apart.

2

Put 3 flags on or near the green. Space them about 3 meters apart.

3

Hit 36 sand shots in total. Split them into 3 sets of 12 shots.

4

For the first 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the first flag. Use any pile.

5

For the next 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the second flag. Switch piles if you want.

6

For the last 12 shots, try to land the ball within 3 meters of the third flag. Use any pile.

7

Count only the shots that stop within 3 meters of the target.

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
02

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
03

Sand | Parallel Ball Lines | 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. Up to 80 balls are needed.

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

Set up 4 lines of 5 balls each in the bunker, with lines 3 yards/meters apart and balls 1 foot (0.3 meters) apart.

2

Put the lines between 20 and 40 yards/meters from the hole.

3

On the green, mark 3 landing zones in a straight line, each zone 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

4

Hit 36 sand shots in total: 12 shots to Zone 1, 12 to Zone 2, and 12 to Zone

5

Hit the first 12 balls to Zone 1, the next 12 to Zone 2, and the last 12 to Zone

6

Keep ball setup the same, only change which landing zone is the target.

7

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

8

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623191511853
04

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
05

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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