The Golf Shots You Never Want to Play

We all love nothing more than to walk down the middle of a fairway and find our golf ball sitting in a perfect lie, just begging to be hit properly.

Sadly, golf is not always like that. So what are the shots that none of us relish? What are potential card wreckers?

Fairway Bunker

You find yourself in a fairway trap some 180 yards from the flag. The bunker has a lip. You know that you should reach for a wedge and make sure you get the ball out. But is that what you actually do? Of course it isn’t. You pull out a five iron, strike the ball perfectly and wonder why it hits the lip and remains in the sand. Another double-bogey on the way!

Greenside Bunker

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

You are not Rory McIlroy. We know that we should all just focus on getting the damn ball out of that greenside bunker. So why do we try to be too cute? Why do we forget to accelerate? And why do we leave the ball in the bunker?

Flop Shot Over a Bunker

You are not Phil Mickelson so this is a real knee trembler. In your heart of hearts you know that you should ignore the flag and play it safe. Is that the shot you play? Of course it isn’t. Instead you quit on the shot and look on in horror as the ball comes up short and lands in the bunker. Or you hit it thin and it ends up in the trap on the other side of the green. Another shot gone - at least!

Rough Justice

You are not Bryson DeChambeau. And that means when you miss the fairway and land in the rough a) you may struggle to find your ball because you don’t have spotters (!) and b) you really shouldn’t be too greedy with your club selection. Just pick the club that will get you back into play.

Tight Drive

It is a par five and your tee shot has to be drilled through a narrow avenue of trees. You reach for the driver. You tense up. You attempt to steer the ball through the gap. And you either slice or hook the ball or completely mishit the thing. The next time you play the hole you make a mental note to reach for your three wood but are somehow drawn to the driver again - and of course you find the trees once more.

Watery Grave

What is it about water? You have a simple 150-yard approach to a large green with a huge lake in front. Under normal circumstances you would just pull the club, walk up to the ball and hit it. Instead you take five times more practice swings than normal, you dither over club selection and guess what? You thin it straight into the water!

On The Fringe

You have hit an approach. It is well struck but you have under clubbed slightly and the ball has finished up on the fringe of the green, 50 feet from the hole. What do you do? Do you chip the ball or do you pull out the putter? Most of us will reach for the short stick and because this is a shot that we simply don’t practice enough, we will take three putts. Another shot gone.

Downhill Lie

Is there a more intimidating shot in the game of golf than the downhill lie? I would argue that this might be the most difficult one we face. Time and again we top the ball or hit it thin and end up in all sorts of trouble.

Uphill Lie

The thing to remember about an uphill lie is that the ball is going to fly higher. So why don’t we take at least one more club? No, really, why don’t we? Or move it back in our stance slightly?

Long, Undulating Putt

You are not Brian Harman. This has been especially challenging during this long and hot summer when greens have been as hard as concrete and as fast glass. One of two things happen - you either race the ball 10 feet past the hole or, in your terror-stricken state, you forget to hit the ball and leave it six feet short...

Downhill Putt

…and when you leave it six feet short you are then faced with the six-foot, downhill putt. You know that if you baby it then you have no chance of holing it. You know that you have to be positive. And, in a flash, you have run the ball eight feet past, missed the return and walked off the green having taken four putts!

Tree Trouble

There is a huge tree between you and the green. You reach for an iron and, in your mind, you are going to send the ball soaring hundreds of feet into the air and watch the ball nestling next to the hole, In reality, the ball hits the tree and either drops straight down behind the tree trunk or is deflected miles left or right. It’s time to learn how to play the long pitch and run!

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