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    <fireside:genDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:21:57 +0000</fireside:genDate>
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    <title>Divots &amp; Skins - Episodes Tagged with “Amateur Golfer”</title>
    <link>https://www.divotsandskins.com/tags/amateur%20golfer</link>
    <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <description>Divots &amp;amp; Skins is a golf podcast for everyday golfers who love the game, the grind, and the stories that come with chasing better rounds. Hosted by Jake and Brett from Upstate New York, the show covers amateur golf, local courses, tournament play, simulator golf, golf rules, the mental-game, and plenty of laughs along the way. We’re not pros. We’re just two golfers who love competing, talking golf, and trying to get a little better one round at a time.</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
    <itunes:subtitle>For golfers chasing better rounds and better stories.</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:author>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</itunes:author>
    <itunes:summary>Divots &amp;amp; Skins is a golf podcast for everyday golfers who love the game, the grind, and the stories that come with chasing better rounds. Hosted by Jake and Brett from Upstate New York, the show covers amateur golf, local courses, tournament play, simulator golf, golf rules, the mental-game, and plenty of laughs along the way. We’re not pros. We’re just two golfers who love competing, talking golf, and trying to get a little better one round at a time.</itunes:summary>
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    <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>divotsandskins@gmail.com</itunes:email>
    </itunes:owner>
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  <itunes:category text="Golf"/>
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<item>
  <title>Ep 4 - Normanside, Tournament Pressure, Back-To-Back Wins &amp; The Mental Side of Golf</title>
  <link>https://www.divotsandskins.com/ep4-normanside-golf-course-tournament-pressure-back-to-back-wins-the-mental-side-of-golf</link>
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  <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</author>
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  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
  <itunes:author>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Jake and Brett recap Brett’s US Am Tour win at Normanside, celebrate Erin’s back-to-back tournament victories, and talk about confidence, bad holes, women in competitive golf, and putting alignment rules.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>38:01</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;In Episode 4 of Divots &amp;amp; Skins, Jake and Brett dig into the highs and lows of amateur tournament golf.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Brett shares his recap from the latest US Am Tour stop at Normanside, where swirling winds, thick fescue, rough putting, and late-round pressure made for a grind to the finish. Even without his best stuff, he held on for a one-stroke win and proves one of golf’s biggest truths: sometimes your best round is not required, just your best effort that day.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The guys also celebrate Erin’s back-to-back tournament wins at McGregor and Normanside. Her story opens up a great conversation about confidence, staying calm after bad holes, handling tournament nerves, competing in a male-dominated space, and why more women should feel welcome joining amateur golf tours.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Plus, Jake and Brett talk about what makes the US Am Tour experience so much fun, from local competition to national travel opportunities. The episode wraps with the Rule of the Day, covering putting alignment, using your putter as an alignment tool, caddie restrictions, and whether you can legally stand behind another golfer to read a putt.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you love amateur golf, real tournament stories, course talk, and trying to figure out how to get better one round at a time, this one is for you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Links:&lt;br&gt;
Divots and Skins Podcast: &lt;a href="http://www.divotsandskins.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;www.divotsandskins.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
US AM Tour: &lt;a href="http://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;www.usamtour.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Luxury Box: &lt;a href="http://www.theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;www.theluxurybox.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Normanside Golf Course: &lt;a href="https://www.normanside.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.normanside.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;McGregor Links Country Club:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Divots and Skins, golf podcast, amateur golf podcast, US Am Tour, US Am Tour Albany, Normanside, Normanside golf, McGregor Links, tournament golf, amateur tournament golf, competitive golf, golf mental game, golf confidence, golf pressure, women in golf, women’s golf, women in tournament golf, golf course management, bad holes in golf, golf rules, putting rules, putting alignment, reading putts, golf caddie rules, Albany golf, Capital Region golf, New York golf, golf stories, golf recap, golf competition, amateur golfer, weekend golfer, golf simulator, The Luxury Box, Never leave a birdie putt short</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>In Episode 4 of Divots &amp; Skins, Jake and Brett dig into the highs and lows of amateur tournament golf.</p>

<p>Brett shares his recap from the latest US Am Tour stop at Normanside, where swirling winds, thick fescue, rough putting, and late-round pressure made for a grind to the finish. Even without his best stuff, he held on for a one-stroke win and proves one of golf’s biggest truths: sometimes your best round is not required, just your best effort that day.</p>

<p>The guys also celebrate Erin’s back-to-back tournament wins at McGregor and Normanside. Her story opens up a great conversation about confidence, staying calm after bad holes, handling tournament nerves, competing in a male-dominated space, and why more women should feel welcome joining amateur golf tours.</p>

<p>Plus, Jake and Brett talk about what makes the US Am Tour experience so much fun, from local competition to national travel opportunities. The episode wraps with the Rule of the Day, covering putting alignment, using your putter as an alignment tool, caddie restrictions, and whether you can legally stand behind another golfer to read a putt.</p>

<p>If you love amateur golf, real tournament stories, course talk, and trying to figure out how to get better one round at a time, this one is for you.</p>

<p>Links:<br>
Divots and Skins Podcast: <a href="http://www.divotsandskins.com" rel="nofollow noopener">www.divotsandskins.com</a><br>
US AM Tour: <a href="http://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener">www.usamtour.com</a><br>
The Luxury Box: <a href="http://www.theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener">www.theluxurybox.net</a><br>
Normanside Golf Course: <a href="https://www.normanside.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.normanside.com</a><br>
<em>McGregor Links Country Club:</em> <a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>In Episode 4 of Divots &amp; Skins, Jake and Brett dig into the highs and lows of amateur tournament golf.</p>

<p>Brett shares his recap from the latest US Am Tour stop at Normanside, where swirling winds, thick fescue, rough putting, and late-round pressure made for a grind to the finish. Even without his best stuff, he held on for a one-stroke win and proves one of golf’s biggest truths: sometimes your best round is not required, just your best effort that day.</p>

<p>The guys also celebrate Erin’s back-to-back tournament wins at McGregor and Normanside. Her story opens up a great conversation about confidence, staying calm after bad holes, handling tournament nerves, competing in a male-dominated space, and why more women should feel welcome joining amateur golf tours.</p>

<p>Plus, Jake and Brett talk about what makes the US Am Tour experience so much fun, from local competition to national travel opportunities. The episode wraps with the Rule of the Day, covering putting alignment, using your putter as an alignment tool, caddie restrictions, and whether you can legally stand behind another golfer to read a putt.</p>

<p>If you love amateur golf, real tournament stories, course talk, and trying to figure out how to get better one round at a time, this one is for you.</p>

<p>Links:<br>
Divots and Skins Podcast: <a href="http://www.divotsandskins.com" rel="nofollow noopener">www.divotsandskins.com</a><br>
US AM Tour: <a href="http://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener">www.usamtour.com</a><br>
The Luxury Box: <a href="http://www.theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener">www.theluxurybox.net</a><br>
Normanside Golf Course: <a href="https://www.normanside.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.normanside.com</a><br>
<em>McGregor Links Country Club:</em> <a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Ep 3 - McGregor Links Country Club US AM Tour Stop, Clutch Putts &amp; Scramble Stories</title>
  <link>https://www.divotsandskins.com/ep3-mcgregor-links-country-club-usamtour-stop-clutch-putts-scramble-stories</link>
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  <pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/3a9104e4-ff63-46cb-9f5a-e9b668fe21f5/ee34531d-3a88-49a5-876b-fb9967114f45.mp3" length="54299587" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
  <itunes:author>Jake Van Ness &amp; Brett Varney</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Jake and Brett recap Episode 3 of Divots &amp; Skins, covering their US Am Tour Albany Region stop at McGregor Links Country Club, Erin’s win, a useful provisional ball rule, and a second-place finish at The Conklin Center charity scramble at Hiland Park. Real golf talk from everyday players.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>37:34</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;In Episode 3 of Divots &amp;amp; Skins, Jake and Brett cover two very different golf experiences: competitive tournament golf at McGregor Links Country Club and a fun charity scramble at Hiland Park.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The episode starts with a recap of the latest US Am Tour Albany Region stop at McGregor in Saratoga Springs (Wilton), a course that recently went fully private. Jake and Brett talk about the course conditions, the challenge of playing tournament golf, and Erin’s win in the event.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;They also dig into the Rule of the Day, focusing on provisional balls and why knowing the rule can matter when you’re playing in a more structured event.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Later, the conversation shifts to The Conklin Center’s charity golf tournament at Highland Park in Queensbury, where the team finished second, made some clutch putts and helped support a great local organization.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;It’s a mix of course talk, tournament lessons, golf rules, scramble stories and the kind of conversation everyday golfers can relate to.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Links:&lt;br&gt;
US AM Tour Albany Region - &lt;a href="https://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.usamtour.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Luxury Box - &lt;a href="https://theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://theluxurybox.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
McGregor Links Country Club - &lt;a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Hiland Park Country Club - &lt;a href="https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Conklling Center - &lt;a href="https://www.theconklingcenter.org" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.theconklingcenter.org&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Divots and Skins, Divots &amp; Skins, golf podcast, golf YouTube, amateur golf, amateur golf podcast, everyday golfers, weekend golfers, US Am Tour, US Am Tour Albany Region, amateur golf tournament, competitive amateur golf, McGregor Country Club, McGregor golf, Saratoga Springs golf, Albany golf, Upstate New York golf, Queensbury golf, Highland Park golf, Conklin Center golf tournament, charity golf scramble, golf scramble, scramble golf, best ball vs scramble, provisional ball rule, golf provisional ball, golf rules, rules of golf, golf tournament rules, bad golf round, golf mental game, golf comeback, golf course review, local golf, women in golf, women’s amateur golf, The Luxury Box, indoor golf simulator, golf stories, golf talk, high handicap golf, mid handicap golf, tournament nerves, amateur golfer, golf course strategy</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>In Episode 3 of Divots &amp; Skins, Jake and Brett cover two very different golf experiences: competitive tournament golf at McGregor Links Country Club and a fun charity scramble at Hiland Park.</p>

<p>The episode starts with a recap of the latest US Am Tour Albany Region stop at McGregor in Saratoga Springs (Wilton), a course that recently went fully private. Jake and Brett talk about the course conditions, the challenge of playing tournament golf, and Erin’s win in the event.</p>

<p>They also dig into the Rule of the Day, focusing on provisional balls and why knowing the rule can matter when you’re playing in a more structured event.</p>

<p>Later, the conversation shifts to The Conklin Center’s charity golf tournament at Highland Park in Queensbury, where the team finished second, made some clutch putts and helped support a great local organization.</p>

<p>It’s a mix of course talk, tournament lessons, golf rules, scramble stories and the kind of conversation everyday golfers can relate to.</p>

<p>Links:<br>
US AM Tour Albany Region - <a href="https://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.usamtour.com</a><br>
The Luxury Box - <a href="https://theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener">https://theluxurybox.net</a><br>
McGregor Links Country Club - <a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com</a><br>
Hiland Park Country Club - <a href="https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf</a><br>
The Conklling Center - <a href="https://www.theconklingcenter.org" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.theconklingcenter.org</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>In Episode 3 of Divots &amp; Skins, Jake and Brett cover two very different golf experiences: competitive tournament golf at McGregor Links Country Club and a fun charity scramble at Hiland Park.</p>

<p>The episode starts with a recap of the latest US Am Tour Albany Region stop at McGregor in Saratoga Springs (Wilton), a course that recently went fully private. Jake and Brett talk about the course conditions, the challenge of playing tournament golf, and Erin’s win in the event.</p>

<p>They also dig into the Rule of the Day, focusing on provisional balls and why knowing the rule can matter when you’re playing in a more structured event.</p>

<p>Later, the conversation shifts to The Conklin Center’s charity golf tournament at Highland Park in Queensbury, where the team finished second, made some clutch putts and helped support a great local organization.</p>

<p>It’s a mix of course talk, tournament lessons, golf rules, scramble stories and the kind of conversation everyday golfers can relate to.</p>

<p>Links:<br>
US AM Tour Albany Region - <a href="https://www.usamtour.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.usamtour.com</a><br>
The Luxury Box - <a href="https://theluxurybox.net" rel="nofollow noopener">https://theluxurybox.net</a><br>
McGregor Links Country Club - <a href="https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com</a><br>
Hiland Park Country Club - <a href="https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.hilandparkcc.com/golf</a><br>
The Conklling Center - <a href="https://www.theconklingcenter.org" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.theconklingcenter.org</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
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