Why the St. Andrews Links Collegiate was the family trip of a lifetime

Getting to compete on the Old Course at St. Andrews is special already, but getting to do it surrounded by family is a whole other level.

While the Notre Dame men’s and women’s golf teams were already surrounded by their Fighting Irish family for the inaugural St. Andrews Collegiate, they also got to play the first-of-its-kind college event with their own families in attendance.

GOLF tagged along with the Notre Dame squads as they prepared for and played in the one-of-a-kind college event featuring three other schools: Georgetown, North Carolina and Vanderbilt. The journey and event were documented in GOLF’s latest documentary, Beyond The Bend, which you can watch in full above.

While many parents and families do travel for many college events around the United States, going across the pond to Scotland for a college event with your family in tow is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“To have each of our players have their parents here or someone from their family was super special,” women’s team coach Caroline Powers Ellis said. “And especially for [assistant] coach Kari [Bellville] and I to have our families here too— to get to celebrate it as a complete Notre Dame family was something really cool.”

Men’s team coach John Handrigan added that family is one of the most important values to Notre Dame golf.

“Having all the families here to celebrate this moment— I saw tears from dads when their child was walking up 18 and having this experience with our families has been great,” Handrigan said. “Nothing better than family.”

“You just never know what life has in store so to have this moment with them forever, I’m really thankful for it,” added graduate student captain Palmer Jackson.

For more on Notre Dame’s journey to the Home of Golf for the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, you can watch GOLF’s full documentary, Beyond The Bend, here.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.