One of the most difficult shots for the recreational golfer to hit is a bunker shot.
The explosion shot out of the sand, particularly a greenside bunker, usually calls for a different technique than practically any other shot in golf. Most recreational golfers don't practice hitting shots out of the sand, primarily because they don't hit them that often. The other main reason for skipping time in the practice bunker is they're hard to find for most golfers. Then, add in that learning how to hit a bunker shot can be taxing for some players, and, well, most golfers show up to a bunker shot unprepared to hit it.
That all leads some golfers to wonder if it's OK to try to putt a ball out of a sand trap on the golf course.
The short answer is: yes!
It's completely within the Rules of Golf to use a putter to get the golf ball out of a bunker. A player can used any of the clubs in their bag to hit a ball out of the bunker -- or to execute any shot, really.
The main caveat with using the putter to get the ball out of a bunker is that a golfer still can't ground the putter to the sand, just as they can't with a sand wedge. In other words, a golfer can't touch the putter to the ground to set up the stroke to putt the ball out of the bunker, making it a little different than puttng on grass.
The other thing to know about putting out of a bunker is when it can actually work. Putting the ball out of the bunker means having a clearly defined path to get the ball out of there.
If a bunker has a steep face (slope) to get out and onto the putting surface, it's either going to take a long, difficult-to-control swing to get it out of there, or it's going to be practically impossible. If the bunker is fairly flat with a low lip, then putting the ball out of there is going to be a lot easier.
If you're putting the ball out of the bunker but then are in danger of putting the ball immediately into another bunker because of how it rolls out, then that's an impractical shot. By comparison, if putting it out of a flat bunker makes it easier to hold the green on a downhill shot, it could be a great idea, even for someone skilled with hitting an explosion shot.
I've personally played golf with players who prefer to putt it out of a bunker because of their skill set, and it turns out, they're pretty good at it. I've played with high-skilled players who use the putter in the sand in the right situation. It's not an idea to scoff at whatsoever. It can work!
