Playing from fairway bunkers
Common Strategic Mistakes in Playing From Fairway Bunkers
The common fairway-bunker play errors that turn one awkward position into a hole you have to explain later.
The traps
Players get hurt in clean-contact recovery by rushing the read, choosing a club for a perfect lie, or trying to erase the previous mistake with one spectacular shot. For fairway-bunker recovery, golf rarely accepts that bargain. Fairway-Bunker Play improves when you lower the target, breathe once, and keep the ball moving toward the best next angle.
Fix them fast
- Tiny target in fairway-bunker play: shift the aim to the largest safe landing area.
- Overclubbed ambition in clean-contact recovery: take the club that guarantees useful progress.
- Next-shot blindness from fairway sand: picture the easiest pitch, putt, or wedge before swinging.
For fairway-bunker recovery, the repair is not timid golf; it is committed golf with fewer expensive surprises.