Golf Tips » January 2000 – Fairway Bunkers

This months tip request is from Don Smith of Huntersville, NC who asks:

"How do I decide what club to use out of a fairway bunker?"

Well, Don, the answer is simple, take enough club to clear the top lip of the bunker. "I already know that" you say, well here is a method that will be fairly accurate in helping you know which club will clear that lip.

Stand outside the bunker (as you cannot ground your club in the bunker) and stand on the face of whichever club you feel you need to get to the green. The angle of the shaft will approximate the trajectory of the ball. If the angle is sufficient, then go ahead and play the shot as normal. If the angle is not sufficient, then take one or more club to make sure you clear the lip. It is far better to come up a club or two short of the green, than burying the ball in the lip of the bunker.

Some tips for playing out of a fairway bunker:

1. Do not dig your feet into the sand too deep (as you would in a greenside bunker) because this will cause your feet to be significantly lower than the ball and you could hit the shot fat.
2. Make a normal swing, do not try and either lift the ball or try to hit it any harder. Just play the shot exactly the same as if you were swinging from the fairway.