So how does everyone count "sand saves"? Do you need to make par or better out of the bunker? What if you are in the bunker in 3 on a par 4, blast out and one putt? Sand save or not? Is the controlling factor par or better or does the sand shot followed by 1 putt count, regardless of the score?

Personally, if I hit out of the bunker and 1 putt I consider that a sand save (i.e. I "saved" a stroke by taking less than 3 to get in the hole from the bunker).

A "save" of any sort, to me, is a one putt (or less) regardless of whether or not it was a decent score otherwise.

Yep i'm with both BKs. If you're out of the bunker and one putt, it' a save. Doesn't matter to me if i saved par or 10.

I think it is supposed to be relative to par. If you are in making your 4th out of the bunker on a par 4, you don't get a sand save unless you hole the bunker shot.

However, since the stat does not affect your handicap, I don't see any reason why it can't be used as you are describing. Play on...

I count 'm as "sand save" if an up&down following a bunkershot results in a "personal par". The personal par is the par + the number of strokes you'ld get according to the SI of that particular hole.

I typically only apply sand saves to greenside bunkers and only if it takes one stroke (or none) to get in the hole after I have gotten out of the bunker in one stroke. It doesn't matter whether for par, or triple bogey. The design of the game in general assumes and allows for 2 strokes to get the ball in the hole once on the green, be it a par 3 4 or 5. So, if I get down in one from a greenside bunker, I saved THAT part of the equation.

I calculate up & downs in the same manner. For example, on a par 4, if I have trouble getting to the green and come up short on my 3rd shot, be it due to a penaly stroke or just poor ball striking, if I then go ahead and chip it on and sink the putt for bogey, I view it as an up & down to save bogey. For me, the up & down stat is really more about my short game play. On that same par 4, if I were to hit a drive to an unplayable position, take an unplayable penalty for my 2nd, then hit a great 7 iron on and close for my third with a tap in to save par, technically I suppose that was an up & down. But, that really isn't telling you anything about my short game. JMHO.

DougE wrote:

For me, the up & down stat is really more about my short game play.

This is precisely it.

The "save" statistic and the "up and down" statistic are the same thing, and they tell you two things. How well you got on and in.

It appears that, according to the PGA Tour, you are correct in your calculation of sand saves.

Quote:

Sand Saves is the percent of time a player was able to get 'up and down' once in a greenside sand bunker. Note: This up and down is computed regardless of score on the hole.

Quote:

It appears that, according to the PGA Tour, you are correct in your calculation of sand saves.

Thanks for doing the research. I feel better knowing I am recording the data in an approved manner!

bkuehn1952 wrote:

Quote: It appears that, according to the PGA Tour, you are correct in your calculation of sand saves. Thanks for doing the research. I feel better knowing I am recording the data in an approved manner!

No problem. Weird thing is, they don't have a "definitions" category that I could find. It was explained at the bottom of the "Sand Saves" stat/ranking.