00:00:10:19 - 00:00:53:08 Unknown Welcome to Divots and Skins, episode three. My name's Jake, and I'm here with Brett. And we're going to talk about our latest US Amateur Hour. Stop at McGregor in Saratoga Springs. What do you think? 00:00:53:10 - 00:01:19:28 Unknown Yes. For you, it was rough. I it was rough. Which is gonna say that, I did not shoot a great front nine. I just could not stop coming up out of my stance and topping the ball. And I felt like the first nine holes. That's all I could do to, like, keep it safe as all over the place. 00:01:20:00 - 00:01:44:27 Unknown Didn't shoot well, the first nine. Kind of recovered a little bit, shot a little bit better on the back nine. But man, it was one of those days where you're like, am I actually a golfer or is this just the worst I can possibly play? Now, in your case, you shot really well off the first tee box, which is something that you tend to struggle with. 00:01:45:00 - 00:02:47:15 Unknown And then you got mad at me. 00:02:47:17 - 00:03:12:16 Unknown For better. Oh, I am so glad I was not in that cart, because I'm pretty sure I would have been in the sand. Yeah. It. I love the course. It's a fun course to play. I just wasn't having a good day. And as we know, as amateur golfers, that happens. You have this days where you go out and you're like, I'm pretty sure I know how to play this game, but right now, nothing is cooperating. 00:03:12:21 - 00:03:34:10 Unknown And that's really how I felt about that. Front nine. Back nine. So I'll be honest, I shot a 61 front nine. Not good. Not good at all. But I turned it around and shot a 52 back nine. Felt much better about my shots. Felt much better about my putting. Just felt like I started to come around and really, like, find my swing. 00:03:34:12 - 00:03:52:20 Unknown But I really wish it didn't take me nine holes to find that swing. But that's part of being an amateur golfer, is you're going to have those days where you're like, why am I doing this? Why is this fun? But I still enjoy it being out there. It was a beautiful day. It was a little bit of wind. 00:03:52:22 - 00:04:15:21 Unknown And that's always a fun factor. But the sun was out. It was. It was really nice to be there. And it's interesting because McGregor didn't used to be a fully private course. It used to be semi-private. It's brand new this year. Yeah, and it's brand new this year that it went private. So it's really nice to be able to go there and actually play that course, even though it's private. 00:04:15:23 - 00:04:35:21 Unknown I don't really know that I had a hole that I was like, I really find it to be my favorite hole. I do like hole one. I like the way you kind of start off. You start up kind of high. Big open fairway. Got some, strategic sand traps. So you really got to think about those second shots and getting on the green. 00:04:35:23 - 00:07:11:09 Unknown But other than that I'm not sure. I really can't imagine why I don't have a favorite front like hole, but I don't really have any favorite holes. Do you have any holes that you were like, hey, this is something I really enjoy playing. 00:07:11:12 - 00:07:31:08 Unknown Yeah, that's something that even this year we had a little bit of rain, a couple days before we went to that event and it was bone dry. So that that's a really nice thing about that course, you don't have to worry about it being muddy or being sloppy or, like I said, buying any standing water. It just drains away. 00:07:31:10 - 00:07:54:10 Unknown And and I'm impressed that they can keep the fairways as good as they do and the greens as good as they do, considering they're sitting on sand. Yeah. And it is. It is a beautiful course. And it is. I found the fairway super fun to head off of because they were nice and tight and and good grass. Greens were, were quick but nothing too crazy. 00:07:54:10 - 00:08:16:10 Unknown I mean, not like the, the last course we went to where we were like, Holy cow, we can't keep anything from going 90 miles an hour. It wasn't like that, but they were quick. I, I find it a fun course to play despite my score. I like some of the challenges that are there, but it's not too tough. 00:08:16:13 - 00:08:38:15 Unknown You're right about the white stakes. It is interesting because there is no forgiveness when you have those white stakes because of back yards. There's a hole that we shoot and there's all back yards on the left side. You go into a backyard, you're out of bounds. So there's no forgiveness for that. So it makes it interesting when you have those kind of white stake situations. 00:08:38:18 - 00:09:33:20 Unknown But of course is in great shape right now. Like you said, the water just basically whisks away. You don't even see it or, deal with it anywhere. There's no muddy spots. There's no, like, ruts or anything like that, because I think that sand really, really helps that situation. So you didn't win this Monday, but you have some interesting news to share. 00:09:33:23 - 00:12:24:06 Unknown Yeah. 00:12:24:08 - 00:14:05:21 Unknown Yeah, something like that. But I can tell you that stiff competition did not come from me, did not come from me. 00:14:05:24 - 00:14:27:08 Unknown Yeah, I think that's something Don, our director really wants to emphasize is that he would love to see more women join the Albany region tour. And I feel like the only way I'm going to win is you have to keep Aaron home. I don't know how that's going to happen, but we'll figure that out. No, I kid, it was fun to watch Aaron win. 00:14:27:10 - 00:14:49:20 Unknown And one of the reasons it was, is because in a prior event, there was a two day event. She blew everyone out of the water. Day one. I mean, everyone everyone was shocked at her score. She played absolutely lights out. And then day two, she had a little bit of trouble and just wasn't able to close it. So to see her come out and actually win this event on that Monday was really, really cool. 00:14:49:23 - 00:15:08:06 Unknown After knowing that she had the opportunity on that two day event last year to do it. Yeah. And just like so many amateurs just wasn't able to close it. So it's really, really cool. And like you said, one of these trophies that we have in front of us is hers. And she's nice enough to lend it to us. 00:15:08:06 - 00:15:32:10 Unknown So we actually look like we know what we're doing. I don't know, it's going to be tough to be her. She is definitely somebody to play against and it's enjoyable to play against her because she is competition. And I hope that we'll see more women on the tour because of somebody like Aaron who's not afraid to step up and play against the guys in the same division. 00:15:32:12 - 00:16:23:21 Unknown So it's really, really cool to see that she won. 00:16:23:24 - 00:16:48:14 Unknown So another thing that was really interesting about playing McGregor, like we said, it was a smaller field because it was a Monday and there weren't as many people there because obviously some people have full time jobs and need to work. We have jobs, but we're lucky enough to work for ourselves. But Don does a great job of figuring out how to navigate what's going on on the course. 00:16:48:14 - 00:17:13:04 Unknown He doesn't play, which is really interesting. And so he was there. I had a shot that was kind of off the cart path in the woods. Unplayable. I said to him, okay, what do I do here? So he was able to explain the rules to me and give me that guidance to know what to do it. And I got to share the story because it's funny, and I'm sure a lot of people have run into this. 00:17:13:06 - 00:17:34:23 Unknown I think it's hilarious that you're in an area that, you know, when you drop that ball, it is not going to stay there. So I was off the cart path enough that I was, I think it was two club lengths away from the career path and knee high dropped. The ball rolls away, it rolls down the carpet, walk over, get it, do it again. 00:17:34:26 - 00:17:52:05 Unknown Then you're allowed to place it. I think that's a hilarious rule, because you're looking at this hill and you're like, you know, when you drop it, it ain't staying there. But the cool part and the reason I bring this up is that Don was there to ask that question. I, I'm an amateur. I don't know all the rules. 00:17:52:05 - 00:18:20:04 Unknown I don't know all the particulars of all the rules. And that's obviously why we do rule today. But Don was there and Don was able to have a conversation with me and say, okay, this is what the rule is and this is what you need to do. And he was very patient and he was very understanding. And I think it's really cool that we have a director that doesn't just play, but he also really cares about the whole tour aspect and the whole game in itself. 00:18:20:04 - 00:18:40:20 Unknown And he wants to make sure game, pace of play that we always talk about. He's a very big stickler on that. He makes sure that when we have bigger fields, he's out there riding around making sure people are keeping up with the group in front of them. But in this case, he was able to bounce back and forth between groups and other groups and say, okay, how's everybody doing? 00:18:40:22 - 00:19:02:27 Unknown And the other thing, it was funny, as he was pointing out balls. So we know where they were and things like that, which we always talk about. Man, it'd be so nice to have somebody who was a spotter. So he was doing some of that for us. But the more important thing is that Don cares enough about the game and being the US Am tour director for the Albany region, that he takes the time to explain the rule if you're not sure what it is. 00:19:02:29 - 00:19:08:00 Unknown So I thought that was really cool. 00:19:08:02 - 00:19:24:28 Unknown Yeah. 00:19:25:00 - 00:20:18:15 Unknown Hold on, hold on. We're going to talk about oh yes, it's the rule that day. So let's talk about the rule the day. Oh all right. 00:20:18:18 - 00:21:49:12 Unknown Yes. All right. So my mistake, he was talking about a different thing than now is the rule the day. What is the rule the day you want to talk about? 00:21:49:15 - 00:22:44:08 Unknown So so that's interesting what you're saying is it if you. So you hit your provisional and then you find your original ball. You can play your original ball. But if you hit your provisional and you think you can't find your original and you hit that provisional a second time, then that becomes your live ball. Okay. 00:22:44:11 - 00:23:02:27 Unknown And again, this is these are rules that we use when we're playing on the US entry. These are not well we tend to try to stick to those rules when we're playing, for fun and stuff like that. But if you're just playing with your friends and you're having a good time, that provisional is actually a breakfast ball. 00:23:03:00 - 00:23:22:29 Unknown So it has to do with like the amateur. And these are rules that we use for that. These aren't the rules that we use, but we're all having a good time and we're having fun. But you and I try to stick to those rules when we're playing courses because we want to get better and we want to get better for our US amateur. 00:23:23:02 - 00:25:34:14 Unknown So again, you don't have to use these rules all the time, but it's important to know what they are. So if you do join a tour or you are in an event where the rules make a difference, it's important to know what these rules are. 00:25:34:16 - 00:25:59:28 Unknown Well, and so I'll share a story. And actually it happened at McGregor last year. We had a situation where the guy I was paired up with needed to leave early. And so we actually got paired with the champ flight. Now I am in a 20 plus handicap flight. I was like, oh, this is going to be horrible because these guys are going to get grumpy. 00:25:59:28 - 00:26:29:12 Unknown They're going to get upset about playing with us. They were amazing. They were amazing. As far as being patient with us, listening to our questions, answering our questions because they're more experienced. And so yeah, it's exactly that example. And so I will say that even though they were champ flight, which is the top flight and same thing as the guy you were playing with at McGregor this year, it was amazing to watch them hit. 00:26:29:14 - 00:26:48:11 Unknown It was amazing to watch them putt. It was really cool. But what I thought was really interesting is that they didn't put their nose in the air and feel like that they were above us. They were guys that were willing to have conversations and say, hey, okay, do you know what to do with this ruler? Do you know how to handle this? 00:26:48:13 - 00:28:04:06 Unknown And so I agree, like the tour is a great way to learn the rules. And it's a great way to learn from other golfers. I won't say it better golfers, but other golfers, because there's guys that are in my flight that have taught me all kinds of stuff. And again, Don is there to answer any question and he loves to do that. 00:28:04:08 - 00:28:29:01 Unknown So I want to take a break real quick to thank the Luxury Box for allowing us to record in one of their bays here at their indoor facility. The luxury box is a great facility if you're looking for indoor hitting and if you're looking for it in the winter, the summer any time. And so I want to do a special shout out to Dave and say thank you for always letting us record here. 00:28:29:04 - 00:28:52:19 Unknown It's great to have this backdrop, which is actually one of his bays, and be able to do the podcast in this environment and have a great set up. The luxury boxes and Queensbury in New York, if you're looking for an indoor facility when it's raining out, this is the place to check out. So thanks, Dave. So we had a good day, a really good day. 00:28:52:22 - 00:29:15:18 Unknown So today I'm really happy that we got a chance to play one of my clients charity events, the Conklin Center's Golf tournament, and we got to play it at Highland Park here in Queensbury in New York. It was a four person scramble event, and like I said, it was a charity event to help them raise money for the organization. 00:29:15:20 - 00:29:37:01 Unknown I've worked with them since 2014, 2015, and I have a great relationship with the executive director, Joan, and we've worked together. And I actually I was one of the people that suggested we should try to do a golf tournament, and today was the fourth annual golf tournament. How do we do? 00:29:37:04 - 00:29:41:25 Unknown Yeah. 00:29:41:28 - 00:30:26:03 Unknown Yeah, yeah. So it was it was a lot of fun today. The weather was a little chilly, a little windy. But I'll be honest with you, we've had some 90s in the last couple days. I'm kind of glad it wasn't in the 90s today, because it would have been a little brutal out there. But man, it was so much fun to be out there because we were not hitting great. 00:30:26:05 - 00:30:48:28 Unknown Yeah, yeah, I was I think I had at least two birdie putt, super happy about those. And they were between 50 and 20ft away. And it just it felt good to really sink those because I'll be honest, we and not a lot else was really going great for me. But Dave, who owns Luxury Box, was our fourth, with your wife being another one on our team. 00:30:49:01 - 00:31:14:22 Unknown And she's kind of a given because we want that kind of cheat code of having a woman on her team because she gets the hit from the, the tee box, that you're a little further ahead. But more importantly, Aaron hits it straight and really, really well. So we want that on our team. But Dave, I have to say, Dave was crack me up because he was like, well, I'm going to go first because I'm not the greatest putter. 00:31:14:25 - 00:31:35:06 Unknown And so he would show me the line and then I'd be able to sink it. But the best part is we were like, all right, Dave, it's your turn. You need to sink a putt now. And what did he say? 2 or 3 after that? Yeah. 00:31:35:09 - 00:32:27:04 Unknown Yeah, well, that was the trick. Not only do we take second place, and we got a chance to pick from a few different courses as a foursome, so we picked Thailand because we love Island. So we ended up picking that's the course that we're going to go play again. But yeah, he ended up winning a bunch of money for us because he sunk that putt on 14. 00:32:27:06 - 00:32:52:23 Unknown Yes we have. Yes we have. Because remember we finished first at Fir Park. Oh not yes at this at this tournament we hadn't. But we actually did finish first at a tournament a couple years ago in Fair Park and Troy with the same score, which was kind of crazy. So yeah, it and I, I have a heart for this tournament obviously, because it is a client of mine and I have that special relationship with them. 00:32:53:00 - 00:33:13:27 Unknown And I love golf, and I love the fact that they do this event as a golf event to help them raise money. But man, we could not have had a better day. The turnout for golfers was amazing. The food was amazing. They did a golf ball drop with a helicopter, which is always fun. And that was kind of cool. 00:33:13:27 - 00:33:40:14 Unknown They had a $5,000 putt off that came down to I think she said 3 to 5 guys were left for that, and one guy had actually made a putt. But it wasn't enough to win the full cash. So so good day. I mean, it was a lot of fun. I think one of the things that we really enjoy competing on the US Am tour, but we also really enjoy doing scrambles. 00:33:40:16 - 00:34:04:12 Unknown Yeah. Yeah, it's it's just it's a lot more fun. It's a lot more laid back. It's it's a situation where you're like, okay, I had a bad shot, but I've got three other guys or three other people that are going to shoot and hopefully they end up doing something better and it just becomes a fun day of golf and it becomes a fun day of golf for something that's important. 00:34:04:14 - 00:34:31:28 Unknown And so again, it was the the Conklin Center in Queensbury, New York. It was their golf tournament. And I'm super happy how it went. Of course I'm super happy we came in second. Now I will say I'm a little disappointing. We came in second because the group that I invited two weeks ago came in first, and I went over to that gentleman, Ryan, and I said, hey, I invited you to this. 00:34:32:00 - 00:34:51:17 Unknown How dare you beat us? And you're not invited next year? So it was a great time, and it was really cool that it was, 12 under, 11 under and ten under. So that it was just awesome. 00:34:51:20 - 00:35:21:10 Unknown Yeah. 00:35:21:13 - 00:35:42:14 Unknown Well, and I will say I was super proud this year. I put it in the middle of the fairway. You did it in front of the green. Now I wish I could have that gun every hole because that would make my golf game so much better. So yeah, it was a great day and and I'm glad we could raise the money for the Conklin Center. 00:35:42:16 - 00:36:31:06 Unknown And we have some other scrambles we're talking about doing and we have coming up and we're looking forward to them there. Always a good time. It's just a great way to get out with friends and have a great time playing. So why don't you explain to everybody just real quick, what is the difference between a scramble and best ball? 00:36:31:09 - 00:36:56:11 Unknown Yeah, I think that that is where some people get confused as to what the difference between a scramble and a best ball is, so I think for good for this week. Congratulations Erin on winning McGregor. And we'll be talking about the next event which was at Norman's side on the next episode. And we have some really cool news, but I'm not going to spoil that for you. 00:36:56:11 - 00:37:12:01 Unknown You're going to have to tune in for that. Remember, if you're listening to this or watching this on YouTube, please make sure you like, subscribe and turn the bell notification on so that you can make sure that you know when the next episode comes out. And remember.