Expected strokes from sand
From the sand the tour average needs 2.530 strokes to hole out at 20 yards, 3.280 at 160 yards and 4.040 at 300 yards on the published table. At 60 yards the sand sits +0.45 against the fairway. Every PinFlag number that starts from the sand is priced from this table.
The table
The sand table is the hardest of the lies at short range and the strangest in shape: it rises steeply from 20 to 60 yards, where a bunker shot is a real shot, then flattens and even dips through the fairway bunker distances where a clean strike is possible, before rising again with distance.
The benchmark columns add the per shot gap the benchmark model gives each handicap, labeled Modeled: Broadie’s published split of the strokes over the tour average, spread over stated shot counts.
Expected strokes from the sand
| Distance | Tour | Scratch | 10 handicap | 20 handicap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yards | 2.530 | 2.559 | 2.844 | 3.130 |
| 40 yards | 2.820 | 2.849 | 3.134 | 3.420 |
| 60 yards | 3.150 | 3.179 | 3.464 | 3.750 |
| 80 yards | 3.240 | 3.269 | 3.554 | 3.840 |
| 100 yards | 3.230 | 3.259 | 3.544 | 3.830 |
| 120 yards | 3.210 | 3.256 | 3.721 | 4.185 |
| 140 yards | 3.220 | 3.266 | 3.731 | 4.195 |
| 160 yards | 3.280 | 3.326 | 3.791 | 4.255 |
| 180 yards | 3.400 | 3.446 | 3.911 | 4.375 |
| 200 yards | 3.550 | 3.596 | 4.061 | 4.525 |
| 220 yards | 3.700 | 3.746 | 4.211 | 4.675 |
| 240 yards | 3.840 | 3.886 | 4.351 | 4.815 |
| 260 yards | 3.930 | 3.976 | 4.441 | 4.905 |
| 280 yards | 4.000 | 4.046 | 4.511 | 4.975 |
| 300 yards | 4.040 | 4.086 | 4.551 | 5.015 |
Reading it
Strokes gained for a shot is the expected strokes where it started minus the expected strokes where it finished, minus the strokes taken. Four shots from this lie, worked through on the same tables the app prices your shots with.
Shots from the sand, worked
| Shot | Before | After | Strokes | Gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunker shot, 20 yards to 6 feet | 2.530 | 1.357 | 1 | +0.173 |
| Bunker shot, 40 yards to 15 feet | 2.820 | 1.784 | 1 | +0.036 |
| Fairway bunker, 150 yards to 30 feet | 3.250 | 1.984 | 1 | +0.266 |
| Bunker shot left in, 20 yards to sand at 20 | 2.530 | 2.530 | 1 | -1.000 |
Against the other lies
The same distance from the sand and from the lies a shot from here is usually weighed against.
The sand against other lies
| Distance | Sand | Fairway | Rough |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yards | 2.530 | 2.400 | 2.590 |
| 60 yards | 3.150 | 2.700 | 2.910 |
| 150 yards | 3.250 | 2.945 | 3.190 |
Where it starts and ends
The published sand table runs from 20 yards to 300 yards. Inside the first anchor the value is held at 2.530 and beyond the last at 4.040, which the calculators and the app state rather than invent a number the source does not carry. Shots inside 20 yards are priced at the 20 yard value; the green is priced in feet from the putting table.
In PinFlag
PinFlag reads the lie from the course map, so a shot from the sand is priced from this table without you typing a thing: the target you are considering is priced from it before you swing, with your own dispersion, and the shot you log is graded from it afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the expected strokes from the sand at 60 yards?
How is a shot from the sand priced in strokes gained?
Where does the sand table come from?
What happens outside 20 yards to 300 yards?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School (Wikidata entity)
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: Every value is the published tour baseline for the sand, with the benchmark columns from the site’s model; the table is held at its ends outside 20 yards to 300 yards.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.