Golf officially moves from spring to fall
Mollie Seibly hits a golf ball during practice at Bryden Canyon Golf Course. Photo courtesy of Mollie Seibly.
Formerly a spring sport, golf has moved to the fall season this year. The girls golf coach Greg McMillan said, “the Boise Valley golf courses needed to make more money.”
By having the golf season in the fall, the golf course can make more money from paying customers who tend to play more often in the spring. The golf courses finally decided that the golf team could only continue playing if they moved to the fall, in hopes that they would be able to make more money while also supporting the high school golf programs.
This shift from spring to fall poses challenges and opportunities for the LHS golf team. “The challenge for us is finding teams for the JV to play against,” said McMillan. Many smaller schools that JV has played in the past did not transition to playing in the fall along with Lewiston’s golf team.
Despite several challenges, some opportunities have opened up for the golf team. Lance Bambacino, an LHS Junior on the boys golf team, said, “They changed the golf season from the baseball season [spring] to the fall so I could play.”
By moving golf to the fall, athletes playing other sports in different seasons can participate in golf and another sport. However, this can also pose a challenge for the athletes that used to play a different fall sport while golf was in the spring. These athletes have to either pick a sport or try to play both sports during the same season which can pose many challenges.
For Mollie Seibly, a Junior on the LHS girls varsity golf team, the season shift opens up several opportunities. Seibly said, “I think I play better when it’s warmer.” The weather was cold and rainy during the spring golf season, and the school canceled several tournaments. Oftentimes, the golfers had to bundle up at the cold spring tournaments to stay warm. The weather this fall, however, is warm and much more enjoyable, making it easier to play.
Coming into the season this year, Seibly feels much less rusty than last year. “In the summer, I play a lot more in general than in the winter,” Seibly said. By having the extra practice coming into the season, Seibly hopes to score better and place higher this season as she is much more practiced.
The golf coaches hope that the golf program will continue to grow as the word gets out about golf moving to the fall, but for now, they are excited for this year and hope to overcome the few obstacles they can see ahead.
