Equipment
Bring on the bunkers
Golf is simply one of the best sports in the world, and we're lucky enough to have another major tournament to watch this week.
We loved watching the pros take on Valhalla Golf Club at the PGA Championship. As with any huge championship course, the Valhalla GC has its fair share of hazards. Now, you may well be the kind of golfer to groan when you walk on to the next tee and see the fairway littered with bunkers.
Valhalla GC has 60 bunkers,
with a greenside bunker on 17/18 holes
The Valhalla course has a greenside bunker on every hole besides the 12th, so those that played well in the tournament did well to keep on their toes to overcome the obstacles. Bunkers are famously difficult to play, so today we want to give you some advice on how best to tackle them, as well as give you a solid recommendation in the form of the latest golf wedge offerings from TaylorMade.
Fairway bunkers
It can feel rather daunting sizing up the fairway when we’re on the tee, feeling those fairway bunkers shooting daggers right back at us. It can also feel especially cruel when we make excellent contact with the ball only for it to take a bad bounce on the fairway and trickle into the sand trap.
That being said, you’ve got to give the course designer credit for strategically placing these bunkers to make the game more challenging and exciting.
To get yourself happily out of a fairway bunker, you need to make solid impact with the ball to punch it through the sand. It can be notoriously difficult to hit out of a bunker as the feel is so different to hitting any other terrain you’d find on the golf course.
How do your bunker shots usually go? Are you good at escaping them or do you find that it takes you a few goes to get out of a dreaded bunker? If you’re struggling with bunker shots and find fairway bunkers to be downright demoralizing, we’d love to change that.
Why not visit us in the pro shop to get some bunker lessons booked? It feels really satisfying when you splash the ball out of the bunker just right!
Greenside bunkers
How do you feel when you realise your ball has ended up in a greenside bunker? Once the frustration has gone, are you confident that you’ll get up-and-down, or worried about racking up a high number?
Once you’ve stepped into the bunker and you’re sizing up your shot, what’s the usual plan of attack? Do you focus on the flag and go for the hole? Or is simply getting the ball onto the green a success in your book?
To make a decent bunker shot, you’ll want a club that has a rounded bottom with plenty of bounce. This will allow you to glide the wedge through the sand without digging into it so you make great contact with the ball.
You’ll want to dig your feet into the sand so you have a solid stance, and commit to a full swing to ensure you splash through the sand. You’ll get out of the sand every time when you head into a bunker with the latest Milled Grind 4 golf wedge from TaylorMade.
The latest TaylorMade golf wedges
The Milled Grind 4 wedge is a truly phenomenal bit of hardware. The grooves on this golf wedge have been laser etched to provide a channel for any water to escape when you strike the ball, meaning you’ll get the same great grip even when you’re playing on damp ground.
TaylorMade has fully machined the sole, and the flange thickness has been increased and improved since the MG3. The result of this construction is a wedge that feels great in your hands and effortlessly cuts through terrain. The spin tread grooves ensure you’ll have excellent control over your bunker shots.
If you find you regularly hit open-faced wedge shots, the Hi-Toe 3 wedges will help you pop the ball in the air more effectively. The milled grind sole offers a more consistent turf interaction and the micro ribs on the face grooves give you more spin on your strikes.
When you pick up one of these wedges, you’ll appreciate how the aged copper finish makes this club look fantastic when you address the ball. The face-length grooves inspire confidence, and the added weight pad in the toe centralizes the centre of gravity to give you an optimal launch. The Hi-Toe 3 comes in both low and high bounce options, the latter being ideal for smooth bunker play.
If you’re considering getting yourself some new golf wedges this season, why not pop by the pro shop? We’d be happy to help you find the perfect set of wedges and help you into them with some lessons.
