Bunker+Play

By Greg Goins
 * Bunker Play**

When it comes to playing from the sand, there may be no tougher golf course than the Kokopelli Golf Course in Marion that features large, deep green side bunkers throughout the property with high lips and very hard and compacted sand. Franklin County Country Club in West Frankfort also presents some difficult green side bunker shots with sand that is a little softer, yet still too hard to play shots with the traditional technique of sliding an open sand wedge under the ball and sand. This technique, which is the common method for sand instruction, will result in a thin shot in which the bounce of the club will bounce off the hard sand and will create a situation in which the leading edge makes contact in the center of the ball. This results in thin shots and skulls.

Too play in hard and compact sand, I have had success using the following technique:

1. I do not use a sand wedge. Instead, I use a lower lofted club such a 9 iron or pitching wedge. 2. I play the ball in the middle of my stance, not forward. 3. I do not open the club face. The best play in to have a square club face. 4. I then hit down and through the ball. My goal is to throw as much sand as possible onto the green so the ball can float out on the wave of sand. 5. You have to take a good swing at the ball and you usually have a short and abbreviated finish. 6. If the sand is too hard, you might even have to chip the ball out by picking it off the sand. This shot also requires a middle ball position.

See home video below for my technique.