Nicholls’ golf team has place to call home

For the nearly two decades, the Nicholls golf team had been the only athletic team on the Thibodaux campus without a place to practice within the city limits.

Players and head coach James Schilling would often travel 30 minutes out of their way to Atchafalya Golf Course in Patterson or any other surrounding course to get enough practice in during the season.

It’s been difficult at times the coach admitted, but things all changed two weeks ago when the school’s new $180,000 driving range along Bowie Road was officially completed.

The facility was built solely on the $3.25 athletic student fee that every student pays per credit hour, fundraising money and a nearly $25,000 donation from the Lorio Foundation.

Nicholls athletics director Rob Bernardi said seeing the completion of the facility is a sign of how things have progressed within the department.

“I felt very bad for the golf team because it was the only team in the department that didn’t have a facility,” he said. “We owe it all to the students and the support they have shown this department. We could not function without that student fee money, so their commitment to us is exceptional. We were very appreciative of it.”

With the money from the Lorio Foundation, the department was able to buy useful items to place inside the facility that will help the team throughout their season

Behind the roll up bay door is an indoor putting green, a lounge area, cameras and a laptop with editing software so Schilling can help teach technique.

It also gives the athletes the opportunity to hit golf balls from the inside onto the green in case of inclement weather.

Now that his team has a place to practice, Schilling said he feels more fortunate than relieved at this point.

“It’s been a long process,” he said. “We’re the only Division I school in the country that does not have an 18-hole golf course in the city limits. I know that sounds a bit far fetched but I actually checked it out and we are the only ones.

“While they couldn’t supply us with an 18-hole golf course Dr. (Stephen) Hulbert was okay with us using the newly acquired land as driving range for the golf team at this time,” he continued.

While the grass on the green is still in its maturing state, the driving range will only be open to team members.

However, Bernardi admitted that they are throwing around the idea of selling memberships to the general public can use the secondary tees next to the indoor facility.

“We have to re-evaluate that in the spring time once the facility has matured a little bit and when we think the timing is right,” he said.

One thing both were unsure of is whether or not the facility would be a permanent addition to the university.

Schilling understands that Nicholls is an academic institution first and may need the land one day to build more academic buildings.

For now however he is embracing the facility and plans on getting the most out of it.

“As Nicholls grows and expands down the line we can always grow this land back for more academic buildings,” he said. “The University, being an academic institution first, may need that land again down the line and we fully understand that.

“Everyone from administration to athletics all worked together to get this done,” he added. “Without their support none of this would be possible.”

Now that the golf facility is done, Bernardi said he is looking to use more of the $475,000 from student fees to renovate the press box and add a concession area at the baseball field, put turf on the practice field behind the football stadium and complete the soccer facility that is already under construction.

He said it’s a sign of good things to come for Nicholls athletics.

“I think we stabilized to a certain extent,” he said. “We are always at the mercy of the state and budget problems. There is no doubt about that but we do have a reliable source of funding. When I got here eight years ago this department was really on life support and now we’re competitive in just about every sport.”

Nicholls’ golf coach James Schilling stands outside the new $180,000 Nicholls golf facility along Bowie Road in Thibodaux. The team was the only athletic team on campus without a practice facility within radius. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER