Hall of Fame
Lewis Taylor turned an opportunity to simply keep playing a sport he loved into two unbelievably successful seasons of golf at Madison College, where he seemed to get better and better with each tournament played and left a lasting impact on what it means to play golf for the WolfPack.
Lewis showed promise as a prep golfer, catching the attention of then Madison College golf coach Jim Thomas after earning two all-conference honors and qualifying for the WIAA State Tournament while playing for Sauk Prairie High School. As a freshman, he joined a deep and talented roster that claimed eight tournament victories in the 2004-2005 season, including a string of four consecutive events late in the fall season. Lewis received All-WTCC and All-WJCAA honors, and after a second-place finish individually at the state meet, he tied for sixth with a 157 at the Region 13 Tournament to earn all-region and qualify for the NJCAA Division III Championships in Chautauqua, New York. Following a first round eight-over-par 80, Lewis settled in for scores of 73-77-73 to place 19th overall, missing out on NJCAA All-American in a tie-breaker. His debut collegiate season ended with a 78.1 scoring average over 20 rounds.
One year later, Lewis took a major step forward as one of the program’s captains and top returning players. He opened with a fourth-place individual finish at the Highland “36”, and then produced the greatest 18-hole round in school history with a program-record, and then-course-record, seven-under-par 65 to win the Madison College Fall Golf Invite at The Bridges Golf Course. It would be the first of back-to-back tournament victories and four individual titles overall as a sophomore. In all, he amassed a dozen Top Ten finishes and ten Top Five placements. After earning all-conference and all-state recognition for the season consecutive year, which included medalist honors at the WJCAA State Meet with a 149, he shot a 148 at the Region 13 Tournament to place runner-up, securing back-to-back all-region honors and a trip to the national tournament. His second trip to upstate New York saw consistent scoring with rounds of 74-72-73-74 and featured an eagle during the final round as he shot 293 to finish in fourth as a First Team NJCAA All-American.
Lewis capped his collegiate career with a 74.9 scoring average in 2005-2006, a mark that still stands as the fifth best season in school history. His 78.2 career scoring average is eighth all-time. In addition, Lewis holds three of the top 18-hole scores in school history, as well as two of the best 36-hole tallies in WolfPack history. Off the course, he was a two-time WTCC Academic All-Conference recipient and earned WJCAA Academic All-State as a sophomore.
When asked about his time at Madison College, Lewis said, “My education in the Architectural Design program at Madison College has proven to be invaluable throughout my career. The opportunity to play golf for the WolfPack was an added bonus for me, and now receiving the honor to be placed in the Hall of Fame is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Lewis took advantage of his associate’s degree, and has worked in architectural design for 20 years, including the last 11 as the owner of his own company. He still enjoys playing a round of golf, as well as other outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. Lewis and his wife, Amanda, live in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, with their two kids, Waylon and Layla. He also serves as VP of the White Lightning Snowmobile Club and on two committees for the Lake Wisconsin Country Club.
