You’re playing your favorite golf course and you’ve missed the green on one of the holes.  Your ball has landed in a bunker. How do you play this shot?   The Scoop met up with Harrison Carr at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Missouri.  Harrison is on the Drury University Men’s Golf team and is considered one of the best bunker players on the squad.

1. “Go ahead and grab your lob wedge (58* or 60*) and we’ll get started,” Harrison says.

   

2. In your setup, you want your body/stance slightly open to your target(the flag). Along with opening your body/stance, you want to open your clubface and regrip the club once you’ve done so.
3. The next step is where most people get confused and think that you’re supposed to make contact with the ball when in reality, Harrison says, “We want to hit approximately two inches behind the golf ball, to get height on our shot.” This results in a pocket of sand being formed around the golf ball projecting it out of the bunker. Remember to never ground your club in a bunker which is considered a hazard. (Line was drawn to show where the club would enter the sand)
4. Ball position should be just inside your front foot which will aid in creating height in the shot will allow it to land softly.
5. Even though green side bunker shots only range from 10 to 15 yards, they require nearly a full swing. Harrison says, “We take a full swing on bunker shots to create both height and spin.”
6. “Coming through impact we want to keep the face open avoiding closing it,” offers Harrison. Keeping the face open also helps to ensure height on the shot.7. Finally, if you want to look like the pros, you want to hold that finish for that quality golf shot you’ve just hit. As a reminder, always remember to rake those bunkers to both keep the course looking nice and be courteous to others that play after you.