Finally: The course
Trapped
Sand traps are troublesome. If you have not learned to master them there are many variables that can go wrong and you feel that the ball will either stay trapped in the sand, or soar out, up and land in the bunker or the rough on the other side of the green.
For some reason that I have never understood, our golf pro did not spend any time with us in the bunker, also called the sand trap. He may have felt that there were enough problems everywhere else, so why bother?
The result was that I had only the little experience that I had gotten from bad shots that had ended up in the sand and fighting to get out. I was somewhat prepared, though, because I have read several articles and seen pictures of what I was supposed to do.
That attitude changed one spring weekend during a tournament. Thinking back, I still feel that I was able to hit every bunker on the course - but in fact I only hit 6 of them. And I used a total of 13 strokes to get out of them - never using only one stroke. Every 10th shot that day was a miserable bunker shot!
I know other players who have not practiced in the bunker, and I advice them during social rounds to either think of it as practice, or say that this is not a shot that they master and accept the result.Thereafter they should stop by the chipping green on the driving range and spend a long time in the bunker. I read somewhere that every golf player should spend at least two consecutive hours in the bunker - and that would teach him or her how to get out of it.
I mean, what is the point of getting worried and angry with bunkers, when all you have to do is practice some more? That is
what I did, and although bunkers are still not my best friends I am able to approach them with an attitude that this time there will be no problems. And usually the results are not that bad any more.
