Lewis University visits The Atchafalaya at Idlewild

Skip Steffey, head golf coach of Illinois-based Lewis University, had heard good things about The Atchafalaya at Idlewild and the south Louisiana area.
Last week, he and his team got a first-hand look at the area as his boys’ and girls’ teams practiced at the area golf course before opening their spring season in Loyola University’s tournament, which began Monday and concludes today.
“We had spring break this week and thought that it would be a good chance to come down and play for four or five days before the Loyola tournament,” Steffey said Friday.
He noted that Atchafalaya’s golf course is a good layout for both men’s and women’s play.
“It’s a great facility because it’s (a) great practice facility, and the course itself requires great shot-making so it prepares us better for the spring season than many other courses would’ve,” Steffey said.
Lewis University is a Division II school in Romeoville, Illinois, which is 35 miles southwest of Chicago.
Steffey, who brought 10 men and women golfers apiece, said both his teams are ranked in the top 40 in Division II.
During the fall season, the team set some school records and also each team won two of the five tournaments they participated in.
“We’re doing really, really well,” Steffey said. “We’re setting school records for low team score average and both teams will probably go to the NCAA tournament, so we’re real happy with the way the team’s gone so far.”
According to Ed Selser, director of golf at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild, this is the first time the local golf course has hosted an out of state university for practice.
“We were excited when we heard they were coming to us to practice,” Selser said.
While he said it gives Lewis College a chance to get outdoors this spring in preparation for their tournament, it also presents the golf course with an opportunity.
“I think it’s something we can do with other schools in the future and certainly want to talk to Coach Steffey about the possibility of maybe talking to some of his friends and hopefully down the road we can do this on a regular basis with other colleges and universities up north,” Selser said.
Selser said he has heard of talk of possibly moving a tournament that is held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, about this time of year to New Orleans next year.
“If that occurred, those northern schools would come down and play in that tournament,” Selser said. “Well, it makes plenty sense for them to play a few days here prior to going over to New Orleans. Maybe we can build on this year.”
The Atchafalaya at Idlewild already is home to Nicholls, who recently hosted a tournament at the course.
At Loyola’s tournament at Oak Harbor in Slidell on Monday, the Lewis teams led the fields.
On the men’s side, the university’s two teams entered both led the field as Lewis University’s “A” team shot a 307, while its “B” team recorded a 333.
Individually, Lewis University teammates, senior Jeremy Fraser and freshman Austin Fuente, tied for the tournament’s lead as both recorded a 74.
On the women’s side, the Flyers shot a 339. They lead second-place to Loyola by two strokes.
Individually, sophomore Melissa VanSistine recorded an 81, tying her for the overall lead with University of Mobile’s Heather Nall.