Shot Scope Case Study: Greenside Bunker Play

Greenside Bunker Play – Key Takeaways

• Lower handicaps have better chances to save par when in the greenside bunker
• Higher handicappers miss the green 50% of the time once in the bunker

Improved Performance Through Data

Big data is a powerful tool. Not only does it allow golfers to assess individual parts of the game but it provides an opportunity to examine performance from a variety of perspectives.

Golf stat tracking and performance management companies like Shot Scope help golfers better understand their on-course performance. However, by aggregating data from golfers around the world, we get a more complete picture of the realities of amateur performance.

So, as we dive into a relatively straightforward topic, think about where you find the most difficulty on the course. How many shots does it take to get it out of the bunker? And what’s the proximity to the hole when you do get the ball out?

Results From the Greenside Bunker

Observations

• Highest percentage of golfers that get the ball inside 6 feet are the two handicappers.
• The lowest percentage remains true with 2 handicappers regarding missing the green. 2 handicappers show a mere 10% and only 1% of the time the ball is being left in the bunker.
• The highest handicappers get the ball inside 6 feet of the hole only 5% of the time, miss the green 50% of the time once in the bunker and leave it in the bunker 21% of the time.

The trend shows the lower the handicap you have, the greater chance of getting it inside 6 foot. Lower handicappers tend to hit the green a lot more than higher handicappers. A 26 handicapper misses the green 50% of the time from a greenside bunker.

Proximity to the Hole and Up and Down Percentage

Observations

• When hitting the ball out of the bunker, the average proximity to the hole by a 2 handicapper is 12.5 feet.
• The average proximity to the hole with a 26 handicapper is 17.7 feet.
• The up and down percentage is highest among the lower handicappers and in-turn the lowest with the higher handicappers.

Again, nothing surprising here. The lower the handicap, the better chances you have hitting it inside 6 feet, closer to the pin, hitting the green and getting up and down. The higher the handicap you have, the percentages go down, proximity to the hole increases, your up and down percentage goes down and you’re more likely to miss the green.

Average Shots to Finish

• A 2 handicapper hits the bunker shot to 12.5 feet on average and takes 2.68 shots once the ball is out to complete the hole.
• Significant difference between 2 and 8 handicaps in proximity to the hole.
• A 26 handicapper takes 3.54 shots to finish once getting the ball out of the bunker.

The results are simple. The lower handicaps hit the ball closer to the hole and take less shots to finish than those with higher handicaps. The 2 handicapper gains 0.86 of a shot on average against a 26 handicapper when in a bunker.

Putting It All Together

• Lower handicaps hit the ball closer to the hole than a higher handicappers.
• The lower the handicap you have, the percentage of getting up and down increases.
• Higher handicappers struggle to get the ball out of the bunker in the first attempt and once its out, they take more shots to finish the hole compared to lower handicappers.
• The average proximity to the hole across all handicappers is 15.6 feet and take 3.07 shots to get it in the hole on average.

The reason for such difference between high and low handicappers are unconfirmed but it could relate to the lack of understanding of how to play bunker shots.

Bunker shots are a very different skill compared to any other shot type and requires sand to be hit first and not the ball from a greenside bunker. The golfer needs to player a lofted wedge to give them the best chance of saving strokes.

All data points to the lower the handicap you have, the better chance of shooting a lower score on that hole.

How Do You Compare?

Do you score better or worse than the Shot Scope database averages?

What’s your biggest takeaway? Where is there room for improvement in your game?

Post a comment below!

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