You're Correct!

Pot bunkers are predominantly found on links courses dotted around the coast and provide a tough examination of a golfers sand play.

One of the most famous pot bunkers is the Road Hole Bunker on the 17th at St Andrews which has dashed the hopes of countless golfers across the centuries. Pot bunkers are extremely hard to escape because of their small size, steep sides and cavernous depth. To play from a pot bunker golfers need to adopt a wide open club face and a splash technique. Use this following technique to escape from a pot bunker.

How to set up and hit a splash bunker shot

• Open the blade of your club before taking the grip, the higher you want the ball to go the more you open the club face. For a pot bunker the club face should be pointing up at the sky.
• Use the most lofted club you have, a lob wedge or high lofted sand wedge would be best.
• Place your hands on the handle a little further down for more control.
• Hold the club more firmly with the back two fingers of the top hand; this will help keep the club face open through impact.
• Take a square stance with the ball slightly forward in the stance and club face aimed right of the target.
• Now move the left foot, hips and shoulders left until the club face aims at the target. Because the club face is so wide open the golfer will also be standing wide open to the target.
• Make a long swing along the body line hinging the wrists upwards, swinging through and entering the sand an inch behind the ball.
• Keep the swing moving and flowing under the ball. Extend through the ball and finish in a full position.
• The swing speed should be very fast as you want to get the ball up very quickly. The ball should fly towards the target on a carpet of sand.

Sometimes in a pot bunker the ball could come to rest in an awkward spot up against the lip or back edge. In these circumstances, play the odds and dont try to hit a miracle shot. There is no shame hitting the ball out sideways from a pot bunker.

Pot bunkers are difficult to escape because of their design but applying the above technique and correct course management should help keep scores low.

Because pot bunkers are so steep, a high lofted wedge will be absolutely necessary. If you dont have a high lofted wedge before you go to a course with pot bunkers you run the risk of being unable to escape.

Pot bunkers can become ruinously expensive to a score card if not treated with enough respect. If you find yourself underneath the lip then play safe and hit out sideways.

Because height and spin are required golfers need to try and skim the club underneath the ball and not hit down. Hitting down and taking more sand will cause the ball to come out too low.