Course Program

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill

Turn into par saves, for a 16-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Walton Lodge

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 16.49 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

1 to 45

Average HCP

16.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring36%
Accuracy17%
Visualization12%
Distance Control9%
Aim8%
Precision7%
Dispersion6%
Alignment4%
Trajectory1%

Overview

Program Structure

Save par with a clutch bunker shot—pressure drill. Turn into par saves and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Accuracy, Visualization. For a 16-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Sand

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Accuracy
  • Visualization
  • Distance Control

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 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
02

Sand | Scattered Piles | 9 Stop Zones

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 inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

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

Scatter 36 balls into 9 piles of 4 balls each in the sand, 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 9 target zones on the green, spaced out evenly.

3

Hit 4 sand shots at each target zone, for a total of 36 shots.

4

After 4 shots at the first zone, move to the next and repeat for all 9 zones.

5

Count each ball that stops in the right zone as one success.

6

When finished, add up the number of balls that stopped in the right places and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3330272318141074
03

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

Place 3 piles of 12 golf balls in the bunker, each pile in a different spot between 5 and 20 yards from the hole.

2

Mark 3 target zones on the green around the hole, each zone about 3 feet wide.

3

Hit balls from each pile and try to land them in each target zone, 12 shots per zone.

4

Count each ball that stops inside the right zone as a success.

5

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282623201612963
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 - 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
06

Sand | Scattered Piles | 3 Landing Zones

Short Game

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

Make 9 piles of 4 golf balls each in the bunker, placing them randomly 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Put 3 markers on the green in a straight line, each 6 feet apart to make 3 landing zones.

3

Hit 12 balls to each zone (36 shots total).

4

Hit from any pile to the first zone 12 times, then 12 to the second, then 12 to the third.

5

Count how many balls stop in the correct zone.

6

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

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141074
07

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
08

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
09

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

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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