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These 5 Bunker Tips Will Instantly Improve Your Sand Shots
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
You know that sinking feeling when your approach shot catches the lip of a greenside bunker and tumbles back into the sand? That exact scenario will play out dozens of times this week at Royal Portrush, where the Dunluce Links Course features some of the most punishing bunkers in championship golf.
Here is what separates the players who will contend from those who will not: the great bunker players do not just hope to get out of the sand — they expect to get up and down.
And Royal Portrush does not mess around when it comes to bunkers. Consider these strategic nightmares:
- No. 4 (Fred Daly's): Two fairway bunkers cut aggressively into the landing area.
- No. 14 (Causeway): A deep bunker sits well below the level of the putting surface.
- No. 7 (Curran Point): A cavernous trap perfectly positioned to catch drives that leak right.
These are not the fluffy practice bunkers at your local course. These are deep, often with firm sand and steep faces. But they demand the same things: technique and mental toughness.
The Setup: Your Foundation for Success
Here is where most golfers go wrong before they even swing the club: they set up to hit a bunker shot the same way they would hit a regular iron shot.
- Wider stance with feet dug into sand for stability.
- Weight favoring front foot (60-40 split).
- Ball position forward for soft shots, centered for runners.
- Critical: Open the clubface first, then take your grip.
The open face creates the bounce that helps your club glide through sand rather than digging in like a shovel.
The Swing: Commit to the Process
The biggest mistake I see in bunker play is tentative swings. Players get scared and try to help the ball out with some kind of scooping motion. They need to do the opposite.
Keys to remember:
- You are not trying to hit the ball.
- Instead, hit a spot in the sand about two inches behind the ball.
- Make aggressive contact to displace enough sand to carry the ball out.
- The ball is just along for the ride.
- Take the club back to at least three-quarter position.
- Accelerate through impact without slowing down.
- Finish high with chest facing the target.
- Most weight on the front foot at the finish.
Reading the Sand: The Variable Most Golfers Ignore
Not all sand is created equal. The players at Royal Portrush will spend practice time figuring out exactly how the bunkers are playing. Here's your guide:
- Light-colored, fine sand: Usually softer, requires shallower approach.
- Darker, coarser sand: Firmer and more compacted, needs a steeper angle.
- Firm sand: More aggressive swing, steeper attack.
- Soft sand: Let the bounce do more work.
The Mental Game: Confidence in the Sand
Great bunker players actually look forward to these shots. They see a bunker lie as an opportunity to show off their short-game skills, not as a penalty to be endured.
Pre-Shot Process:
- Assess the lie and distance to the pin.
- Visualize the ball coming out soft and landing where you want it.
- Commit completely to that vision.
- Trust your technique and make an aggressive swing.
How to Practice
Most golfers practice bunker shots by dropping balls and hitting them toward a flag. That is fine for basic technique, but it does not prepare you for real course conditions. Try this:
- Hit from upslopes, downslopes, and sidehill lies.
- Practice buried lies and perfect lies.
- Work on both short, soft shots and longer runners.
- Create pressure situations: get five balls within ten feet.
- Track your up-and-down percentage.
Bunker play separates good golfers from great ones because it requires both technical skill and mental toughness. You do not need to be a tour professional to dramatically improve your bunker play. You just need to understand the fundamentals, practice, and develop the mindset that every bunker shot is a chance to get the ball close to the hole.
Master these skills, and those deep, intimidating bunkers will start looking a lot more manageable.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent Monday Recap onRG.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
