The Bird Game

You do not need to play the full 18 holes for a birdie to count. By all means, a birdie in a 9-hole round would count.

Additionally, as long as it is in the flow and spirit of legitimate golf, the birdie will count.

• Example 1 - If you have played the first 5 holes, and you birdied #4, but then suddenly you need to end the round due to severe weather, the birdie would still count.
• Example 2 - If you played 12 holes and ran out of daylight, your birdie on #10 would still count despite not finishing the 18 holes.
• Example 3 - If you need to birdie #6, #8, #11, #15, and #18 to complete The Bird Game, you CANNOT just drive out to those holes on your golf cart and play them exclusively. Don't get gimmicky. It must be in the spirit and flow of legitimate golf. The birdie WOULD NOT count if you were just cherry-picking your “un-birdied” holes.

No. Respect The Bird Game. The intent of this game is to birdie a hole playing legitimate golf. You must stay in the flow of a normal round.

• Example - Someone finds their course wide open. They replay Hole #2 six times consecutively, and they birdie #2 on their sixth attempt. That DOES NOT count.

Many golfers like to play two separate balls while playing by themselves. I get it. That's understandable. However, a birdie will not count towards The Bird Game if doing so. It's all or nothing baby. The Bird Game is for pure and pressure-packed birdies.

No. The Bird Game starts upon signing up. Nobody cares about your old birdies.

Yes. You can play The Bird Game at as many courses as you'd like. Knock yourself out.

Yes and No.

Yes - We strongly encourage you to participate and sign up for The Bird Game with your golfing buddies. In fact, we know firsthand there are some “friendly wagers” placed among groups to see which elite golfer finishes The Bird Game first. This journey is more fun when it's shared.

No - You can't group up with people and birdie the 18 holes as a team. It's for you to do alone, not as a group. (…Although, now that I think about it, I guess we'd never know if you and your old golf buddies created a team username and ham-and-egged-it together.)

Yes. Just find and select the course on our directory. Track your birdies and work towards completing all 9 holes.

However, it is important to know that the exclusive Winners Club is for 18-hole courses only. We want to reserve that accomplishment for birdies on all 18.

Although our goal is to include each and every course around the world, the reality is course directories are constantly changing.

If you do not see your course, please contact us. We will work to ensure your course is listed as soon as possible.

The Winners Club is for those that have birdied all 18 holes at the same course. It doesn't matter if it took you 40 days or 40 years. If you birdie all of them, you are in the Winners Club forever.

The 2X Winners Club is reserved for those that have birdied all 18 holes at the same course twice. You must complete all 18 holes before starting a new game at that same course.

Example: Participant has birdied 5 of 18 holes. That participant cannot start working on his second 18-hole birdie journey at that same course. They must birdie holes 1 through 18 first, and once they've completed all 18, they can begin a second game at that same course in hopes of joining the 2x Winners Club.

Remember, you are allowed to participate at separate courses at the same time. If you birdied all 18 holes at Course A and did the same at Course B, you would be in the Winners Club, but not considered a 2x'er. The 2X Winners Club is reserved for those that have done it twice at the same course.

The 3X Winners Club is for those that have birdied all 18 holes at the same course three times. Again, you cannot start a new game at the same course until you accomplish birdies on all 18 holes.

The 12 Month Club simply means you birdied all 18 holes during one calendar year. Yes, there are elite golfers that strive to join the Winners Club within each golf season.

At different courses, yes.

Example 1 - Ohio State University Golf Club, my home club, has two 18-hole courses. I participate on the Scarlet course and the Gray course. Each has their own game.

Example 2 - If you golf in summertime at your home course in Indiana, but then you spend your winters at a different course in Florida, by all means participate at both courses. Each has their own game.

At the same course, absolutely not. You must birdie all 18 holes before you can begin a new game at that same course. The Bird Game is not about just getting a lot of birdies. Anybody can do that. Nobody cares if you birdie a specific hole 1 time or 15 times. The Bird Game is about getting a birdie on all 18 holes.

Example 3 – You have 11 birdies on 11 different holes. Then you get a second birdie on that impossible #1 Handicap “Hole 4” (you already birdied that hole 3 months ago). Some might say “I don’t want to waste that elite birdie. That is such a difficult hole. I’m going to start a new game so it’s already checked off for my next journey.”

NO. You can’t do that. I don’t care if you birdie “Hole 4” 200 times. It’s all the same. You need to finish each of the 18 holes at that course and earn your way into the Winners Club before you start a new game at that course.

(Admittedly, I personally like tracking birdies. If I birdie a hole a second or third time during my journey, I manually add it in the “Notes” section for that hole. You are allowed to edit the Notes throughout your journey. It is fun to see birdies stack up and the dates you earned those birdies.)