They talk about what separates Scottie from the rest of professional golf, his remarkable consistency, ability to avoid bogeys and the mentality that allows him to stay locked in regardless of where he stands on the leaderboard. They also discuss the other side of Scottie, including his interactions with fans, his family and why his personality away from the course has made them even bigger fans.

Then it’s back to the kind of golf Jake and Brett know best.

The guys made their first trip to Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course in Amsterdam, New York, and the course exceeded expectations. Great conditions, excellent greens, an interesting layout and even a par 3 with two different greens made it a memorable first visit.

They liked it enough to play another 18.

Brett followed an opening 86 with an 82 in the second round, and the experience leads to a bigger discussion about something every amateur golfer should consider: Are you actually playing the right tees?

Jake and Brett talk about choosing tees based on your game instead of your ego, why moving forward can make golf more enjoyable and how the US Am Tour determines yardages for different flights.

Brett also introduces his Golfer Gripe of the Day, and this time he has one simple request: Play ready golf.

That doesn’t mean rushing around the course. It means being prepared to hit when it’s your turn, paying attention to the golfers around you and doing the little things that can keep a round moving.

Then the Rule of the Day gets strange.

What happens if your golf ball somehow ends up inside the clubhouse? Under the right circumstances, the Rules of Golf may actually allow you to play it from inside the building.

Jake and Brett also look ahead to more golf at Brookhaven, Apple Greens, Veterans Memorial Golf Course and Chicopee Country Club as they continue exploring new courses, competing and finding out where their games take them next.

It’s PGA Tour talk, municipal golf, amateur golf strategy, golf etiquette, bizarre rules and plenty of the usual Divots & Skins conversation.

COURSES:
Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course
[https://www.golfamsterdammuni.com]
Brookhaven Golf Course
[https://www.brookhavengolfcourse.com]
Apple Greens Golf Course
[https://applegreens.com]
Veterans Memorial Golf Course
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://vets-franconia-golf.com/&ved=2ahUKEwjZmM6AkYGXAxWRiCsGHYb3FA8QFnoECBMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0BlThdYVtGEdlmDB_YeuXW]
Chicopee Country Club
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.chicopeecountryclub.com/&ved=2ahUKEwits4q5kYGXAxUAlCsGHYNbDTsQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0nTjaCSWeLuYgeqpkvhVIv]

SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Blueprint Leadership Development: https://blueprintleadershipdevelopment.com

The Luxury Box - Queensbury, NY: https://theluxurybox.net

US Am Tour - Albany Region: https://www.bluegolf.com/amateur/programs/usamtour_nyalbany/index.html

Episode 12 of Divots & Skins starts with Scottie Scheffler and the grit it took to battle through the BMW Championship while sick. We talk about what makes Scottie so consistent, his ability to avoid bogeys and scramble for pars, and a lesson he learned from watching Tiger Woods bring the same intensity whether he was in contention or not.
Then there's Gary Player.

Jake watched Bryson DeChambeau's Break 50 with the 90-year-old golf legend, and Player's game, fitness and energy are incredible. We get into his longevity, career, legendary approach to fitness and a golf term Jake hadn't heard before: "ham and eggs."
Then it's time for our golf.

Can I Break 50 with a 90 Year Old? - https://youtu.be/2WwmlhkXE7k?si=nxX4AjNvFeHGMorh

The US Am Tour Albany Region wrapped up its 2026 local season at Wyndhurst Golf & Club in Lenox, Massachusetts. Jake was trying to break 100 and shot exactly 100, while Brett battled through illness, dizziness and his toughest tour round of the season.

It leads to a bigger conversation every amateur golfer can relate to: What do you do when the round starts falling apart?

Do you quit, or do you reset and keep grinding?

We also look ahead to US Am Tour Nationals in Oregon, the beginning of the 2027 tour season, our upcoming Myrtle Beach golf trip and Season 2 of Divots & Skins.

And Brett's Rule of the Day gets weird again.

What can you legally do when your golf ball ends up next to a cactus? You might be surprised by what the Rules of Golf allow you to protect and what you're NOT allowed to protect.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• Scottie Scheffler battling through illness
• What Scottie learned from Tiger Woods
• Gary Player playing golf at 90
• Bryson DeChambeau's Break 50 with Gary Player
• What "ham and eggs" means in golf
• US Am Tour at Wyndhurst Golf & Club
• Battling through a terrible round
• When withdrawing from a tournament makes sense
• Why you shouldn't quit just because you're playing badly
• US Am Tour Nationals and the 2027 season
• Our upcoming Myrtle Beach golf trip
• Rule of the Day: the cactus rule
• What's ahead for Season 2 of Divots & Skins

SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Blueprint Leadership Development: https://blueprintleadershipdevelopment.com

The Luxury Box - Queensbury, NY: https://theluxurybox.net

US Am Tour - Albany Region: https://www.bluegolf.com/amateur/programs/usamtour_nyalbany/index.html

Courses:
Wyndhurst Golf & Club: https://wyndhurstgolfandclub.com

Have a course on the East Coast we need to play? Especially in Myrtle Beach? Drop it in the comments. We're building our list and want to hear where YOU think we should tee it up.

Jake and Brett start with one of the craziest golf cheating stories they’ve heard. A former college golfer tried to claim a hole-in-one by dropping his ball into the cup when nobody was watching. Unfortunately for him, a nearby camera caught the entire thing. That leads to a bigger conversation about cheating in golf, questionable scramble scores and why integrity remains such an important part of the game.

Cheater Story: https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/49577068/golfer-resigns-club-admitting-fake-hole-one

From there, it’s back to their own golf. Jake and Brett recap a great day at the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Department charity scramble at Cronin’s Golf Resort, where their team finished third and had plenty of laughs along the way.

Then it’s time for the two-day Club Championship at their home course, Brookhaven Golf Course. Brett walked away as the net club champion, Jake finished fifth gross and their group witnessed Peter Taylor make a real hole-in-one on the fifth hole.

The US Am Tour Albany Region also took them to Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston, New York, where Jake went into one of the tougher courses he’s played on tour simply hoping to break 100. He shot 97 and walked away with his second tour victory of the season. They also talk about getting an early look at Wyndhurst Manor & Club in Lenox, Massachusetts, ahead of their upcoming tour stop.

Plus, the Rule of the Day takes an unusual turn with a look at what the Rules of Golf say when your ball ends up near a dangerous animal, and what happens when that animal isn’t alive.

It’s another episode filled with amateur tournament golf, great courses, bad shots, good rounds, golf rules and the stories that keep bringing Jake and Brett back to the game.

COURSES FEATURED
Cronin's Golf Resort - Warrensburg, NY: https://croninsgolfresort.com
Brookhaven Golf Course - Porter Corners, NY: https://www.brookhavengolfcourse.com
Wyndhurst Manor & Club - Lenox, Mass: https://wyndhurstgolfandclub.com
Wiltwyck Golf Club - Kingston, NY: https://wiltwyck.org

SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Blueprint Leadership Development: https://blueprintleadershipdevelopment.com
The Luxury Box - Queensbury, NY: https://theluxurybox.net
US Am Tour - Albany Region: https://www.bluegolf.com/amateur/programs/usamtour_nyalbany/index.html

Then it’s time for some golf of our own.

On the way to Turning Stone, we made an early-morning stop at Fox Run Golf Club in Johnstown, N.Y., for a head-to-head round. Eighteen holes later, we were tied at 92 and neither of us was ready to call it a draw. That meant extra holes, an unexpected hype man and a memorable finish to a course we’ve quickly become big fans of.

From Fox Run, we headed to Turning Stone Resort Casino for a massive US Am Tour weekend featuring 115 golfers from across the country and beyond. We talk about the atmosphere surrounding the event, our winner interviews and what makes Kaluhyat such a demanding target golf course.

We also get into Scottie Scheffler’s season, tournament golf, course strategy and why events like this show just how competitive and diverse amateur golf can be.

Courses mentioned in this episode:
Fox Run Golf Club
https://www.foxrungolf.club/

Turning Stone Resort Casino Golf
https://www.turningstone.com/golf

Brookhaven Golf Course
https://www.brookhavengolfcourse.com/

Sponsors & Partners:
Blueprint Leadership Development
https://www.robshauger.com/

The Luxury Box
https://theluxurybox.net/

US Am Tour Albany Region
https://www.usamtour.com/

From PGA Tour controversy to our own amateur golf adventures, it’s another packed episode of Divots & Skins. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE!

Don breaks down how the US Am Tour creates competitive opportunities for golfers of nearly every skill level through six handicap-based flights. He explains what tournament entry fees include, how live scoring works, how handicaps are monitored and how golfers earn trophies, prize payouts and Order of Merit points throughout the season.

We also discuss senior and women’s competition, qualifying for the national championship, traveling to play events outside your home region and turning tournament weekends into destination golf trips. Don shares how winning his first event changed his entire approach to the game and why tournament golf motivated him to practice, improve and explore courses he might never have played otherwise.

Later in the episode, we talk about standout municipal courses including Frear Park and Schenectady Municipal, preview upcoming Albany Region stops and share an unusual Rule of the Day involving the one situation where a golfer may legally hit a moving ball.

Whether you regularly shoot in the 70s, 80s, 90s or around 100, the US Am Tour may offer the competitive golf experience you have been looking for.

The episode gets honest as Jake talks through the frustration of feeling like his golf game is broken, from first-tee nerves to struggling through tournament rounds and trying to figure out what needs to change. Brett shares his perspective on pushing through golf slumps, focusing on fundamentals and remembering that even the best players in the world go through rough stretches.

The guys also recap Brett’s win at West Point, the importance of short game, what it was like seeing PGA Tour players up close at the Travelers, and why watching a pro hit a massive shank made every amateur golfer feel a little better.

Plus, the Rule of the Day covers free relief from manmade obstructions, including cart paths, rakes and temporary structures.

Honest amateur golf talk, tournament stories, PGA Tour reactions and plenty of reminders that this game can humble anyone.

Links:
West Point Golf - https://westpoint.armymwr.com/programs/west-point-golf-course
Travelers Championship - https://travelerschampionship.com

Sponsors:
Blueprint Leadership Development - https://www.robshauger.com
US AM Tour Albany Region - https://www.bluegolf.com/amateur/programs/usamtour_nyalbany/index.html
The Luxury Box - https://theluxurybox.net

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.

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.

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.

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.

Links:
Divots and Skins Podcast: www.divotsandskins.com
US AM Tour: www.usamtour.com
The Luxury Box: www.theluxurybox.net
Normanside Golf Course: https://www.normanside.com
McGregor Links Country Club: https://www.mcgregorlinkscc.com