Par saves, lag putts, and a best ball round that turned into a short game audit.
⛳️ Pre-Round Vibe
We teed off at Bird Creek Golf Club in Port Austin on a bright Sunday afternoon, with wildflowers in full bloom and a game plan that could generously be described as: “Just vibes.” This was a best ball round with Jay, and I promised myself I wouldn’t overthink it.
So naturally, I tracked every chip, judged every club, and mentally wrote an entire blog post mid-round.
🧠 My Goals for This Round
- Stick to my pre-shot routine (mostly succeeded)
- Practice under light pressure, even if not always playing my own ball
- Dial in chipping feel and putting tempo
- Notice alignment and reduce rightward bias
- Enjoy the course (hard not to—see wildflowers above)
🔦 Round Highlights
- Short Game MVP:
I chipped in emotionally and physically, including a beautiful setup on Hole 10 that led to a clean par save from 4 feet. Another chip-and-putt combo on Hole 7 reminded me that short game practice really is starting to pay off. - Jay’s Birdies + My Practice:
Jay knocked in two birdie putts like it was nothing. I still played the holes out for reps—and one of those holes ended up being my cleanest GIR. - The 7 Wood Situation:
I used it to lay up on 18 and stuck it exactly where I wanted to—just before the creek, next to a newly hatched robin’s egg. Naturally. The shot was so good I started Googling 7 wood vs hybrid comparisons before I even got back to the cart.
📸 Snapshots from the Round
Landed my 7 wood layup exactly where I wanted—right beside a brand new resident. 
Jay drained both birdie putts—and gave me putter envy in the process. 
This course punished bad lies gently—with beauty. 
Someone else had been in this bunker before me—and didn’t clean up after themselves. 
Bird Creek lived up to its name—with blooms like these, it was hard to stay mad at a penalty stroke.
🔢 Key Stats
7 of 14
8
35
2 of 3
3 of 5
4
4
176 Yds
89
4:1
(Yes, I know 89 sounds exciting. But this was best ball with mulligans. If you want actual tips on how to break 90 in golf, this probably isn’t that.)
🏌️♀️ Club Confidence Snapshot
My personal club confidence tracker got a serious update after this round:
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for my wedges and mid-irons (consistency!)
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the driver—thin contact and rightward bias still lurking
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (yes, really) for the 7 wood—its official course debut was a win
You can see the full breakdown of my club confidence tracker here. Spoiler: the putter was not invited to the winner’s circle.
😵💫 The Putter, the Problem, the Plot Twist
I missed four 3-footers and used Jay’s mallet putter a couple times just to compare. Reader, it felt amazing. I’m not saying it’s over for my gamer… but a putter shopping trip is now in the works.
📎 Final Takeaway
This wasn’t a serious round. But yes, I wrote down everything. I tracked club confidence. I analyzed shot patterns. I noticed that routine 2-putts feel weirder than chip saves when you’re not expecting them.
And because I wasn’t keeping score?
I kept the receipts.