A 7-iron, Two Golf Scholars, and the Balgove

A round on the Balgove with some of the university's finest golfers

How tricky can golf actually be? I own a 7-iron. I’ve played the Balgove on numerous occasions. I can mimic my dad’s ‘no one’s watching kitchen swing’ perfectly. It was time to take on the big dogs and play the Balgove with none other than the men’s golf scholars: Michael Crowley, Sam West, and Winston Margaritis. How hard could it be?

The scholars, fresh off the back of the St Andrews Links Collegiate tournament and their recent trip to Sweden, made for quite the trio. Each brings a different motivation, accent, and academic pursuit to the team. The trio united by golf, separated by handicaps far superior to mine.

Sam West grew up in Portsmouth and first crossed the Atlantic to play collegiate golf at Miami University of Ohio, where he completed his undergraduate degree. Now studying for his Master’s in Finance and Economics at St Andrews, West represents the UK in the scholar team, highlighting home-grown role models such as Fleetwood and Rose during the round. I felt like West and I had a sort of Ryder Cup-esque alliance — though I think he may have pulled the short straw with me there.

What I could help him with, however, was the Rainbow Challenge at the Union, which he confessed he hadn’t yet completed. Maybe one for the next Sinners!

Michael Crowley grew up in Baltimore, just twenty minutes from Loyola University Maryland, where he spent five years competing for their Division 1 golf team. He is now pursuing an MSc in Entrepreneurship at St Andrews. Athleticism runs in his family — both of Crowley’s sisters play Division 1 lacrosse in the US. If he can rip a lacrosse shot the way he sinks a putt, the men’s team might just have a new recruit.

Winston Margaritis began at Florida State University, transferred to Baylor, and later completed graduate studies at Belmont University in Nashville before making the move to Scotland. Now studying International Business, Margaritis likes to unwind by playing tennis and reading — he even recited John McPhee’s opener on Arthur Ashe mid-round, somehow making it sound like a sermon.

All three confirmed that word of mouth influenced their move across the pond, with scholar alumni raving about their time in St Andrews. From the way they spoke about their experience so far, it’s clear the reality has lived up to the hype.

“It’s the best place in the world,” Margaritis told me, and Crowley added that it has “exceeded expectations.”

The scholars outlined the layout of the R&A Student Tour Series. They have already competed in Sweden and Ireland, with Crowley leading within the trio. The team will head to Spain and Portugal in February to complete the second half of the tour. If they finish inside the top 30 individually, they’ll qualify for the final in March, held here in St Andrews on the Jubilee Course. I’m sure they’ll be booking in another round with me mid-March to practice for that.

When it came time to play, their drives were mammoth: straight, long, and seemingly effortless. I tried not to look too shocked. By contrast, my shining moment came later: a short, four-foot putt Crowley kindly let me take. Against all odds, it dropped. The celebration was instant and excessive — what could only be described as a victory leap of joy.

The scholars laughed, suggesting maybe they should start celebrating their own putts that way. West added that their Scot coach might not be best pleased if that became part of their practice. Personally, I’m rooting for the victory leap.

As we ambled towards the final holes, talk turned to players who shaped their games. Margaritis nodded to Tiger Woods, with his generation watching Woods and aspiring to swing like him. “The Federer of golf,” Maragaritis said, with Woods and Federer alike having beautiful and powerful motions — and huge successes —  in their respective sports.

Between shots, the scholars floated ideas about running student golf clinics — to introduce beginners to the game and share a taste of the sport that’s taken them across the globe. One thing’s for sure: if they have the patience to lug me around the Balgove, they’ll make excellent coaches.

Before we parted ways, Crowley handed me the St Andrews-marked golf ball I’d been using, insisting I keep it as a souvenir. A small gesture, but one that summed up the afternoon perfectly — the kind, light-hearted spirit and generosity of three very skilled athletes.

As the sun set on the Balgove and I lined up my final putt, I realised golf isn’t tricky — it’s impossible. But at least I had good company while finding that out. And at least the trio will have someone to show them the ropes of the Rainbow next Wednesday night.

Image by Elodie Cowan