Santa Clara University golfer Max Margolis wants to become a legend.
His dream? To earn a green jacket, the iconic prize awarded to the champion of the Masters Tournament, which Tiger Woods has won five times.
“That’s what we play golf for,” Margolis told J.
Margolis is an exceptionally talented 18-year-old college freshman who was ranked 55th in the country in the high school graduating class of 2025.
Two days after his 17th birthday, he broke the course record at the Stone Eagle Golf Club in Palm Desert by shooting 8-under 63. That round was even more special because on the 17th hole, he made an albatross, a score of 3-under-par, incredibly rare even for professionals.
And get this … the previous course record holder was Jason Day, a major champion on the PGA Tour.
“That round solidifies that I know I have the skill to do great things in golf, and it boosted my confidence,” the teen said.
Margolis was born in London and moved to the Los Angeles area at age 4. He has three sisters. His father is Jewish and his mother is in the process of converting to Judaism. At age 6, he got a set of plastic golf clubs from his father.
“My dad took me to the range, and the rest is history,” Margolis said. “I fell in love with golf immediately.”
Margolis graduated in the spring from Palm Desert High School, which is about a dozen miles southeast of Palm Spring. He has already used his skills on the green to raise money for charity.
During his senior year, he took a self-described “solidarity trip” to Israel with his father and played 101 golf holes in a single day at the Caesarea Golf Club, Israel’s only 18-hole, international-standard course.
Each hole that Margolis played in September 2024 represented a hostage who remained in captivity at the time in Gaza. The endeavor helped raise $100,000 for OneFamily Fund, an Israeli organization that supports victims of terrorism. Afterward, he put on a golf clinic to teach technique and offer pointers to some of the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack and others harmed by terrorism.
“It was a tiring, long day, starting at 5:30 in the morning with no warmup,” he said. But the effort was all worth it, Margolis added, and he found it especially fulfilling to offer people an “afternoon of fun and laughter” during the golf clinic.
His goal is to eventually raise $1 million for the fund. Hearing stories from victims of Oct. 7 has changed his life, he said.
“Since Oct. 7, my Jewish pride really went up. I felt very Jewish after that day, and I felt very compelled to help my people out in such a tough time. I had actually never been to Israel before,” he said. “It was the best trip of my life.”
Margolis is now settled in at Santa Clara University, which is located in the South Bay. After playing in four events during his first season, Margolis said, he wasn’t satisfied with his performance but understood that newcomers are there to learn more about their game and how to improve. One of his takeaways is the importance of playing in a more disciplined way, as courses are set up to be more challenging at the college level.
Margolis chose Santa Clara because he felt great about its golf team. He knew teammates ahead of enrolling and believes in the coaches’ ability to help him grow.
“I’m really happy I made the decision to come here,” he said.
Off the golf course, Margolis plans to study business and calls it a “great challenge” to manage his academics, social life and golf. He’s already made it to a couple of Hillel events, though.
Margolis took to golf quickly from a young age. By middle school, his goal was to play at the NCAA Division I level in college, where he now finds himself.
Margolis’ charity event in Israel was the second time that he played at least 100 holes of golf in a day to raise money for a cause. A year prior, he did the same at the Mission Hills Country Club in his hometown of Rancho Mirage to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His motivation that time was his cousin Constantino, who passed away from leukemia when Margolis was 7.
As a gesture of appreciation, St. Jude invited Margolis and his father to play in the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship Pro-Am. (In a pro-am, amateur players get to team up with professionals.) Margolis got paired with five-time PGA Tour champion Nick Taylor and two-time major champion Justin Thomas, currently ranked as the world’s eighth best player.
It was an unforgettable day for Margolis during which he earned praise for his ball-striking ability.
Taylor and Thomas “were really good to me,” Margolis said. “We talked the entire round pretty much. They’re used to playing with older guys in pro-ams, so it was fun for them to be able to play with a [younger] golfer. They said they were impressed with my game.”
Margolis has had other inspiring interactions with PGA Tour winners, including Matt McCarty, an alum of Santa Clara University.
A few months ago, Margolis and his teammates traveled to Napa to watch McCarty play his first round in the Procore Championship at Silverado Resort. After McCarty shot 8 under par that day, he spoke about the importance of remaining grounded.
“[McCarty said] you’re 5 under through nine holes … you can’t be thinking about that,” Margolis recounted. “That’s how you let go of a round.”
At the age of 7, Margolis wrote a letter to his favorite golfer and undisputed golf legend Rory McIlroy, telling him that one day they’d be competitors. Margolis liked McIlroy in part because they were both born in the United Kingdom and support the Manchester United soccer team. Along with sending a signed photograph, McIlroy wrote back.
“His response was short and sweet,” Margolis said. “He said he looked forward to battling it out with me.”
Margolis is apparently on his way to keeping his end of the bargain.