EAST LANSING — Chances are your next 11 days aren’t going to be as good as those of the Michigan State men’s and women’s golf teams. Unless you, too, are playing The Old Course at St Andrews and spending the next week and half in Scotland.
The Spartans’ golf teams are playing in the 2025 St. Andrews Links Collegiate this coming Monday, Oct. 13, through Wednesday, against Cal, Princeton and the University of St Andrews.
The first two rounds of stroke play will be played at the Jubilee Course, with the final round of medal match play at The Old Course, much of it televised on the Golf Channel.
“It feels a little far-fetched to actually dream about going and playing it, but to know that it’s actually coming up … is pretty awesome,” MSU senior Caleb Bond said.
This opportunity came about because of MSU men’s coach Casey Lubahn’s work organizing and hosting the Folds of Honor Collegiate golf tournament each September, which, Lubahn said, has become the Golf Channel’s No. 1-rated show. Being one of the schools invited to St. Andrews was a thank you from NBC.
“It’s the hardest invite in college golf to get,” Lubahn said.
Lubahn has played St Andrews plenty, including The Old Course. He was in college, himself, the first time he did and accidentally sent his tee shot on 18 into a hotel to the right of the hole. He’s grateful his players get that same opportunity, sans the hotel shot.
“There’s no place in the world of golf like St Andrews for many reasons,” Lubahn said. “I tell you, it’s the only place that doesn’t disappoint ever. Just what you’ve seen on TV, when you go there, it looks exactly like that. They treat golf differently. They think about golf differently. It’s much more of an everyman embrace of the sport over there. And you know, these kids are going to have the time their lives. They’re going to work their whole lives to one day play a tournament on The Old Course. Well, they’re going to do that before they’re 23 years old.
“The old course doesn’t have a lot of teeth if the wind doesn’t blow. And the forecast right now is fabulous. It’s going to be very light winds and 55 to 60 degrees. So they’re going to have a gentle test there, but they’re in for some serious pressure. It’s even though we’d consider this maybe an exhibition, it’s on international TV, and it’s going to matter a great deal.”
After several days of competition, they’ll spend five more days playing some of Scotland’s best courses.
“They get a lot of time together on the road, but nothing like this,” Lubahn said. “There’s no cars. We’re walking around town. All the meals are shared amongst all the teams. They’re staying in one of the best hotels in the world. Together. They’re going to spend 11 days … the men and women’s teams traveling this countryside, a lot of van time.”
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch @lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU’s men’s and women’s golf teams headed to the home of golf for tournament at St Andrews
Reporting by Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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