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Golf
Varsity
Andrew Sykes, Boys’ Head Coach
Paul Clavel, Girls’ Head Coach
Junior Varsity
Michael Kornheiser, Head
Coach
The golf season runs from April through mid-May.
Welcome to the Blair Golf webpage
Whether
you are a current Blair student, prospective Blair student,
parent, or alum, I hope this brief program overview will
give you a sense of the values and expectations of the Blair
Golf Program.
The Course
Blair is blessed to have its own nine hole golf course right
on campus. Set among rolling hills and playing through
the woods on the edge of campus, the course is both great
fun and a great challenge for golfers of all levels. It
is a 3000 yard par 35, and its USGA rating/slope, adjusted
for 18 holes is 69.4/126. Provided it is not covered in
snow in the winter months, the course is open to students
to play throughout the year. In the fall, students who
are not otherwise required to play a team sport may participate
in the recreational golf program. Students use this program
as a way to work on their games, regardless of their level
of play, in September and October.
The Blair Golf Team
In the spring, Blair has three separate golf teams: Varsity
and JV Boys and Varsity Girls. Between the two boys’ teams,
we generally carry 16-18 players. Girl numbers have varied
throughout the years, but in recent years, they have carried
4-6 players.
We believe that high school golf, at its
best, is a vehicle for teaching important values both on and
off the course. Chief among those values are honesty, integrity,
and respect for both yourself and your opponent. As one of
the few high school sports to be played without a referee
or scorekeeper, the development of these values is critical
to any successful golf season, and we stress them each and
every day. In addition to those values, practices focus on
three main components of competitive golf: short game, course
management, and performing in pressure situations.
Competition
All Blair teams compete in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League
(MAPL). Along with Blair, the MAPL is made up of Lawrenceville,
Hun, Hill, Peddie, and Mercersburg. The boys varsity team
will play roughly 16 matches each year. In addition to
those matches, we compete each year in various tournaments,
including the Blue Devil Invitational (hosted annually
by Chestnut Hill Academy,) the MAPL Tournament (organized
in a best ball/alternate shop Ryder Cup fashion,) and the
New Jersey Prep A State Tournament.
Blair-Wellington Golf
Exchange
Finally, Blair is the American host school of the Blair-Wellington
Golf Exchange, an annual golf exchange program run in conjunction
with Wellington College in England. Every two years, Blair
selects eight high school juniors and seniors from up and down
the East Coast to travel to England for a three week competitive
tour of some of England’s best golf courses. In alternate
years, a British schoolboy team travels to the United
States to do the same here. For more information on the Blair-Wellington
Golf Exchange, click
here.
Andrew Sykes
(908) 362-8654
sykesa@blair.edu
Varsity Golf Coach
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Introduction