Comments on: Golf Pro Lesson Basic Rules Bunkers

By: pecky1234

pecky1234 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:35:14 +0000

i believe im right in saying you can remove stones from a bunker. you certainly can at my course

By: clemshaw

clemshaw — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:20:12 +0000

You are right! But it has to be a local rule or something that could risk injury; if you were in a PGA event and all you had was a pebble, I doubt you would get relief…but for a friendly match, by all means! Equipment is expensive enough as it is! Thanks Jordan! Shawn

By: 812ekoms

812ekoms — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:32:02 +0000

Keep the basic rules lesson coming–they’re great!

By: theestrogenius

theestrogenius — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:23:19 +0000

Another great vid, Shawn! What is the rule on grounding your practice swings in the fairway and the t-box? Can your club brush the grass but not make a divot? What if you accidentally make a divot and it cannot be replaced? Penalty?

By: flog1234

flog1234 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:35:16 +0000

nice vidoes about the rules. it would be fantastic if you can give some tips of pace-of-play. slow-play (my 4some or group in front) is a plague that can totally ruin my golf rounds.

By: clemshaw

clemshaw — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:07:25 +0000

No penalty at all! Good etiquette will dictate you make your practice swings off the tee box and then go to the ball if you are less experienced but I have no issues with it and take by practice next to the ball; an accidental divot once in a while will not hurt anyone and this is why you pay the big bucks to your local club in the first place right? Shawn

By: AussieRosie

AussieRosie — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:04:43 +0000

Giday Shawn, I played in my ladies comp today and I played well enough with the exception of the 4 bunkers I found myself in. Could you please tell me how it is best to play sand traps that are wet and set. I took my regular set up, hands forward weight forward, ball in the middle of my stance. Opened the face of my club taking two inches of sand behind the ball and followed through. Twice I flew the green and twice I took two shots to get out. I felt terrible, please help.
Rosie

By: clemshaw

clemshaw — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:55:34 +0000

Hi Rosie;
If you go to my “bunker shots” and “buried bunker shots” videos and follow to the letter with no changes at all; the key here is to focus on where you want to toss the wet sand and use a lob wedge that has less bounce on the sole; (say 8 to 10 degrees) sand wedges typically have too much bounce under them for this shot…Also you want the ball just forward of centre and use momentum to skip the sand onto the part of the green where you want the ball to land;
Shawn

By: llBoyliciousll

llBoyliciousll — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:25:18 +0000

Can you place your club in the sand after your practice swings after you’ve taken your stance? Or do you have to hover the ball above?

By: clemshaw

clemshaw — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:14:24 +0000

The expression grounding your club means just that; to touch the ground with your club. You may not ground the club in a hazard;
Items considered a hazard are bunkers unless they are identified as waste areas and water hazards. So you could not take a practice swing in a dry river bed that is marked by red or yellow stakes or lines. So you will need to make any practice swings in the air or outside the hazard and of course hover your club at address. Thanks for the question! Shawn