How to Play the Tight Lie Bunker Shot + A.W. Tillinghast Texas Muni Filled with History

TIPS & DRILLS
How to Play the Tight Lie Bunker Shot
From one of the best short game coaches in the game, UK-based Daniel Grieve

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To Recap…

No one likes to see their ball sitting up in a hard packed bunker. Getting it close might be out of the question, but with a little know-how, you can at least give yourself a chance at an up-and-down. Daniel Grieve is one of the best short game teachers you’ll ever find, and here’s his approach:

-STEP 1: As you step into the bunker, use your eyes and feet to assess the lie. How much is the ball sitting up/down in the sand? Does the sand feel firm/hard under your feet or soft/fluffy?
-STEP 2: Assuming you do have a tight lie (i.e. a lie on firmer sand with very little soft sand under the ball), you must use a higher lofted club with a steeper angle of attack to allow the club to slide under the ball without clipping it. Your goal should still be to hit 1-2” behind the ball.
-STEP 3: Put your weight firmly on your lead side, with your chest ahead of the ball position. This will promote the steeper angle of attack you need.
-STEP 4: Attack the sand with speed, and as soon as you make impact with the ground, stop your club quickly (which Dan refers to as “release 1”). The handle of the club should point back at your belt buckle after this quick release.

The goal here is not necessarily to get it close (although that’s always a nice bonus); you simply want to escape the bunker and give yourself a chance at a putt.

COURSES
This Tillinghast Muni was the 1st Inductee Into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame
The oldest 18 hole public course in Texas

Brackenridge Park Golf Course
San Antonio, TX

Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio is one that’s filled with history. Designed by none other than A.W. Tillinghast (the man behind Bethpage Black, Baltusrol & Winged Foot), the course opened in 1916 and hosted legends like Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Jack Burke, Jr. across 22 Texas Opens from 1922-1959. In the inaugural 1922 event, the winner’s purse was $5,000, which was the largest of any golf tournament at the time (the equivalent of ~$94,000 today).

In 2008, the course went through a massive restoration and modernization, led by John Collingan. One of the key features in Tillinghast’s original design was the square green, and Collingan made sure 6 of the greens today still hold this shape today over 100 years later. You’d have to drive over 1,000 miles to find another course that features the iconic square green shape. Collingan also preserved Tillie’s “Reef” bunkering, a template he often used to protect par 3s. The term refers to the hidden killer of ships, and Tillie often only allowed one safe passage route to the hole through an angled approach (hole #2 is a prime example).

In 2021, Golf Magazine named “Old Brack” the 16th best Muni in the country. It’s certainly not a perfect golf course, but if the conditions are right, it’s worth a step back in time to experience Tillinghast’s architectural genius. As one reviewer wrote, “Brackenridge Park is a hidden gem that offers a unique golfing experience with its old-school design. The square greens are a rarity and add an interesting twist to the game. While some areas may be tight, the layout encourages strategic play rather than just brute strength.” Make sure you book a round the next time you pass through Alamo City.

Fun Fact #1: Ben Hogan made his professional debut at Old Brack in 1930, after dropping out of high school in Fort Worth, a semester short of graduating.

Fun Fact #2: Adjacent to the clubhouse stands the former studio of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who created Mount Rushmore. This historic limestone building now overlooks the 17th hole.

Rates: $39 - $82

Check out this overview from @alamocitygolftrail

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STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Bunker Shots Inside 8 Feet vs. ‘Missed Green Entirely’ Errors
presented by…

The Stat: Naturally, there’s an inverse relationship between a golfer’s ability to get it close from a green side bunker and the ‘missed-green entirely’ error rate. But note what happens at the 10 Handicap level- a 10 HCP would qualify as a top 10% golfer, and yet they are more likely to miss the green (24%) than they are to get it inside 8 feet (23%).

The Takeaway: We say it all the time, but posting your best scores is not about pulling off the hero shot or making more birdies. It’s about minimizing round-altering mistakes like missing the green entirely on a green side bunker shot. Not only can it put you in a worse situation than when you started, it can ruin you mentally. So assuming you’re not a world-class bunker player, do a quick cost-benefit analysis and play the safe shot that will get you on the putting surface, even if it means you’re 30+ feet away. A 2-putt from 30 feet to make bogey will always beat a triple bogey because you skulled your bunker shot over the green.

Of course, if it’s a matchplay event and you’re down one on the final hole, this advice goes out the window!

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a Set of 3 Mizuno T24 Denim Copper Wedges
(1 winner chosen on 11/30/24 across all November trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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