Handicap Tracker: Get up-and-down from greenside bunkers

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It’s that time of year when many of us start looking forward to our next trip to the beach, but spending time in the sand is the last thing you want to do on a golf course.

For many amateurs, playing from bunkers is shot they most dread and a lot of people see just getting out of bunkers a success, let alone hitting it close enough to the pin to get up-and-down for a sand save.

Handicap Tracker stats back up just how important it is to get up-and-down successfully from greenside bunkers. Having this shot in your arsenal can save you important shots even when you’re radar is slightly off.

» Gary Leggett (20.8) found five bunkers this week but managed to get up-and-down four times to keep big numbers off his scorecard.

» Conversely, Richard Slater (7.4) found a staggering eight bunkers and only saved on three occasions, making playing to a single-figure handicap virtually impossible.

If playing from a greenside bunker is something that strikes fear into your heart, this tip will help you banish these thoughts and relish the next time you visit the beach.