I don’t like bunker shots.
I’ll take a difficult chip over a bunker shot almost every time and I know that’s probably backwards thinking. When you get into a bunker with a decent lie, you can spin the ball, control the rollout and play a variety of shots. In theory, it’s a pretty good place to miss.
However, I still don’t enjoy these shots and, even as a scratch golfer, getting up and down from the sand doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.
That got me thinking about how often golfers should be getting up and down from bunkers.
Here’s a look at some Shot Scope data that helps put bunker performance into perspective.
What is a good sand save percentage?
A sand save measures how often a golfer gets up and down for par after hitting into a greenside bunker.
| Handicap | Sand Save Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 | 37% |
| 5 | 23% |
| 10 | 20% |
| 15 | 18% |
| 20 | 15% |
| 25 | 10% |
Even scratch golfers save par from greenside bunkers only a little more than one out of every three attempts.
Once handicaps move into the mid-teens, bunker saves become much less common. A 15-handicap golfer converts around 18 percent, roughly one successful save out of every five attempts.
That number sounds low until you consider how often golfers even find themselves in greenside bunkers during a round.
Most golfers hit only one bunker shot per round
Bunkers feel like a constant threat on the course but the average golfer does not visit them very often.
When Shot Scope looked at rounds from players of all handicaps, the typical golfer faced only about one bunker shot per round.
| Handicap | Average Greenside Bunkers Per Round |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0.68 |
| 5 | 1.06 |
| 10 | 1.12 |
| 15 | 1.18 |
| 20 | 1.22 |
| 25 | 1.26 |
Three ways to improve your bunker play
Bunker shots can feel intimidating but the fundamentals are fairly simple once you understand what the club needs to do in the sand. If you are like me and you need a bit more confidence getting out of the bunker, here are three tips.
Open the clubface before you grip the club
Many golfers grip the club first and then twist the clubface open. That often adds shaft lean and reduces the loft that helps the club glide through the sand.
Instead, set the club behind the ball, rotate the face slightly open and then take your grip.
Commit to the swing
Bunker shots still require a committed swing.
Many golfers slow down because they are worried about hitting the ball too far. The result is usually a weak strike that often leaves the ball in the sand.
Think about splashing the sand with speed rather than guiding the club into the ball. When you practice bunker shots, note your finish position.
Keep some extension in your lead wrist
A common bunker mistake is letting the lead wrist bow or flex too much during the swing.
When that happens, the clubface closes and the leading edge digs into the sand. That often leads to thin shots across the green or heavy shots that stay in the bunker.
Many good bunker players keep a little extension in the lead wrist so the clubface stays open and the bounce of the wedge can slide through the sand. I use “slight cup in the lead wrist” as a conscious thought in the bunker and it has helped me hit higher lofted shots with more control.
Final thoughts
Bunker shots can feel intimidating but these numbers offer some useful perspective.
Even scratch golfers save par from greenside bunkers about one out of every three attempts. For most amateur players, the percentage is much lower.
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