Celebrating 30 Seasons of Women's Golf
30th Thursday
No. 1 | Samantha Martin
For Samantha Martin, a member of the Boise State’s women’s golf team from 2012-16, first place is something she has come accustomed to.
The Southern California native started playing golf at the age of eight. Her father was a constant on the course, playing with his friends, and eventually, he started taking his daughter with him. In addition to golf, Martin also swam and played tennis while trying to find her athletic niche.
“While I was learning to play tennis, I would swing the tennis racket like a golf club,” Martin said. “So, I knew that it probably wouldn’t be the sport for me.”
On her recruiting trip to Boise State, Martin immediately fell in love with the Treasure Valley and its friendly and supportive community. She was drawn to The Blue and the idea of spending her Saturdays at Albertson Stadium cheering on the Broncos.
She also credits former head coach Nicole Bird and former assistant coach Dave Bartels for welcoming her to Boise from the start.
Once on campus, Martin teed up and etched her name into the record book over 35 times. She holds three of the top-10 spots in single-season scoring average with her best coming in 2015-16 (74.03; 29 rounds), and her consistency put her atop the record book in individual career scoring average with a 75.02 through 109 rounds.
Furthermore, she recorded three of the lowest individual rounds in program history during her Bronco tenure, including firing a 9-under 63 at the NMSU Aggie Invitational, Oct. 8, 2015. She is the only student-athlete to shoot sub-65 in program history.
When it comes to leaderboards, Martin often found herself in the top 25. She registered 29-career and nine single-season (2013-14) top-25 finishes, putting her first all-time. In the 2015-16 season, she had eight top-25 finishes, tied for the second-most in Boise State history. She notched 14-career and seven single-season (2013-14) top-10 finishes, ranking her first in the record book once again.
Martin was a mainstay in the Broncos’ conference championship lineup for the duration of her collegiate career, finishing in the top-10 in three tournaments. She carded three of the lowest rounds at the championships in school history, including shooting an even-par 72, twice (2014 and 2016). Those rounds propelled her to finish with the second and third-lowest 54-hole scores in school history and earn all-conference second-team honors in 2013-14.
Martin cemented her legacy at Boise State accumulating four individual career tournament victories, two more than any other women’s golfer in Bronco history. She garnered medalist honors twice during the 2013-14 season at the Winthrop Intercollegiate (Nov. 2-3) and the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic (April 7-8). Her third victory came at the NMSU Invitational (2014-15), and she achieved her fourth title in 2016 at the BYU Entrada Classic.
Records aside, Martin’s most fond memories are the times she spent with her teammates on travel trips and retreats. During one retreat, the team stayed in a cabin and had campfires, roasting s’mores and telling stories, some scarier than others.
“It was nice to travel away from Boise, sometimes to the middle of nowhere, and relax and hang out together before the school year started,” Martin said. “I remember during one trip, we competed in a cooking competition against each other, and whoever made the best dish won.”
Her success on the course carried into the classroom, as she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
After graduation, she moved back to Los Angeles and interned at a police department, but quickly realized it was not the right path for her. Currently, she serves as a junior legal secretary at a law firm in downtown LA.
Martin has a younger brother who is in college and plays quarterback for his football team. Her parents are self-employed and work together in their tax and law business.
Our number-one ranked golfer in school history left us with a special message:
“I want to especially thank coach Nicole (Bird) and coach B (Bartels) for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play at Boise State. I’m grateful to have played with a group of girls, my teammates, who were there supporting and rooting for me every step of the way. Lastly, I want to thank my parents, brother and the rest of my family for supporting me on my journey. Go Broncos!”
