Boys’ Golf

NJ PREP A CHAMPIONS

2002, 2016, 2023

MAPL CHAMPS

2000, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022

The Blair Golf Experience

At Blair, 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, the Blair golf program seeks to instill in its players a mindset of continuous improvement through preparation, competition and honest self-evaluation. Practices are designed to develop these skills, especially as they relate to a player’s short game, course management, and ability to focus and perform under pressure.

Blair finished the 2023 spring with an 8-2 match record, and finished in the top 3 in 4 different state wide tournaments: 3rd at the Red Devil, 2nd at the Blue Devil, and 1st in the NJ Prep A State Championship and in Peddie’s annual Swing Against Cancer Tournament.  

Blair begins each season with a spring trip to a world-class golf destination. For the last two years, we have traveled to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, home of Pete Dye’s Teeth of the Dog (Golf Magazine #42 in the world). In 2014, it was Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, for five days of practice and competition. In addition to playing Teeth of the Dog the last two years, and Pinehurst #2 (2014 U.S. Open) the year before, the Blair golf team has had the opportunity to play some of the top courses in the U.S. over the last few years including Saucon Valley (2009 U.S. Women’s Open), Somerset Hills (Golf Magazine #77 in the world), and Trump National in Bedminster (2022 PGA Championship), where Blair hosted the 2015 MAPL championship.

Throughout the winter, Blair’s golf team members work on their swings in a state-of-the-art golf training center located near the golf course’s first tee. The facility is equipped with two launch monitors and simulators, a 1,200 square foot putting surface, and a chipping area. The simulators allow students to play their choice of 20 top courses worldwide, and also function as driving ranges. In addition, the golf center has lockers and bag storage for all members of Blair’s golf teams.  

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.

For more information on boys' golf at Blair, please contact head varsity coach Andrew Sykes - sykesa@blair.edu.

Meet Coach Sykes

Andrew Sykes joined Blair's history department in 2000. He teaches global issues and western civilization and is head of the Rules and Discipline Committee. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Richmond in 1999 and earned a master's degree in history from Rutgers University in 2008. Andrew lives in Rea House with his wife, Kate, with whom he has a daughter, Lyla, and son, Ollie. In addition to coaching varsity boys' golf, he serves dorm duty in Locke Hall.

Contact Coach Sykes at sykesa@blair.edu for any questions.

View directions to athletic events. To read recaps about past events, go to the "Team News" tab above.

View more recent photos on Photoshelter or past seasons (2004-2018) on Blair's Flickr.

The Blair-Swifts Golf Exchange began in 1968, and we celebrate 50 years of tours. Originally, the exchange began when Blair Academy sent a team of seven to The Stowe School.

The following year, Stowe sent a team of seven to Blair, thus beginning the illustrious tradition. 

By 1971, other schools were included in the competition and, to date, over 70 schools and over 200 players here and abroad have participated in this extraordinary tradition. In 1992, teams were expanded to eight players when a selection decision between two players could not be made and, as a result, they’ve played that way ever since.

The Tour Today
The tour lasts approximately three weeks, and participants play approximately 20 matches. The British team, the Swifts, comes one year to the United States in March and April. The following year, the American team heads to England in June and July. While there, we play some of the finest courses in England, including Royal St. George’s, Sunningdale, and Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s.

Simply being chosen to participate in these events is considered by all to be a success. Players are chosen for their sportsmanlike approach to competition and talent on the golf course. The players are top-notch, well-rounded individuals with a keen sense of fair play. Blair’s top golfers, assuming they meet the criteria for participation, are given preference when final decisions are made.

The golf exchange has delighted schools and families by bringing an unparalleled golfing experience to the players who undoubtedly walk away with memories to last a lifetime. Usually, American tour members from one year will play host to the British team the following year. The same is true of British participants hosting their American counterparts. This reciprocal nature of the tour helps build a sense of camaraderie between the British and American participants, and also helps keep the cost of the tour at a reasonable level.

If you have any questions about the Blair-Swifts Golf Exchange, please contact Coach Sykes.

Coach Sykes at the Kerry Cup

In July 2016, Coach Sykes spent eight days working with college coaches and top junior golfers from across the country at the Kerry Cup in Waterville, Ireland. In addition to 60+ aspiring college golfers, the program featured college coaches from Princeton, Duke, Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Emory, University of Richmond, Amherst and Trinity. Through a series of clinics, seminars and tournaments, the golfers were exposed to all aspects of the recruiting process including evaluations by coaches, Q and A sessions with coaches and recruiting consultants, and mock interviews with coaches. “It was a great experience for me,” said Coach Sykes, “as I was able to not only get to know and work with some great coaches and kids, but I was also able to gain valuable insight into the recruiting process, into what coaches are looking for and how kids can best package themselves as prospective student-athletes.”

Coach Sykes plans to return to Waterville for the Kerry Cup again in July 2017.

Read more on the Kerry Cup 2017.

From Blair Golf to College Golf

In the last several years, six Blair golfers have gone on to play in college, three at the Division III level (two at Franklin & Marshall College and one at Carnegie Mellon University), and three as Division I athletes at Old Dominion University, Georgetown University and Fordham University.

As the recruiting process is different for each student-athlete, we believe in working with families early in their child’s Blair career to get a sense of both golf and college goals. In doing so, we work together to set appropriate summer tournament schedules that will maximize both exposure and potential for success. In addition, Coach Sykes works with many of the top collegiate coaches (and junior golfers) each summer at the Kerry Cup in Waterville, Ireland. This allows him to bring an experienced perspective to the process. For more information, see the "Kerry Cup" tab above.

For those who want to compete at the college level, Blair offers a year-round golf experience. During fall afternoons, students practice on their own, and, in the winter, they practice in the aforementioned indoor space. In addition, Blair golfers have the opportunity to work with the School’s strength and conditioning coach on golf-specific strength programs in the fall and winter. The result is a year-round program that not only readies students to compete in the spring and summer, but also prepares them for college golf.

When winter brings its usual snow and frigid temperatures to Blairstown, Blair golfers work hard on their swings in the J. Li Golf Training Center using professional-grade simulators. Located near the first tee at the crest of the hill from the School's golf course entrance, the golf training center is the first of many upgrades planned for Blair's golf facilities.

In addition to two Foresight simulators that allow golf team members to play at their choice of 20 top courses worldwide and function as driving ranges, the boys' and girls' golf teams practice putting and chipping on an undulated green and a "rough" that mimic actual course conditions.

Welcome

Whether you are a current Blair student, prospective Blair student, parent or alum, this brief overview will give you a sense of the values and expectations of the Blair golf program.

The Blair Golf Experience

At Blair, 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, the Blair golf program seeks to instill in its players a mindset of continuous improvement through preparation, competition and honest self-evaluation. Practices are designed to develop these skills, especially as they relate to a player’s short game, course management, and ability to focus and perform under pressure.

JV golf has enjoyed past successes, finishing the 2013 spring with its second-straight nine-win season, winning its last three matches to finish the year at 9-6. In addition, Blair finished third in the New Jersey prep "A" state tournament, defeating league rivals Hun and Lawrenceville along the way. At that tournament, Nick Rencis '15 finished second individually, shooting a 1-under par 70, and helping to earn him first team all-Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) honors.

Blair boasts an indoor practice room, complete with a hitting net and mat, as well as an artificial putting surface. The practice facility is available for student use throughout the winter and spring.

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 3,000-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.

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, click the "Blair-Wellington Golf Exchange" tab above.

About Coach Clarke

History teacher Quinten Clarke '87 joined Blair's faculty in 2001. He currently teaches global issues and constitutional law, a course he developed, and serves as head coach of boys' 3rds soccer team. Over his years at Blair, Quint has been the international monitor, taught in the English and religion departments, and coached a number of other sports. He completed  his undergraduate work at Rutgers University in 1991 and earned his JD from Rutgers University School of Law in Camden in 1994. Prior to beginning his teaching career, he clerked for Judge Ronald Graves in Newton, New Jersey, worked as an associate attorney at the law firm of Laddey, Clark and Ryan in Sparta, and served as an adjunct professor at Sussex County Community College. Quint founded “Blair in Kenya” in 2005, an independent nonprofit that operates two schools in Kenya and works to improve the lives of the African nation’s rural poor. He and his wife, Blair English and health and wellness teacher Sarah O’Neil, reside in Marcial House. 

View directions to athletic events.

View more photos from the 2016-2017 season or past years on Blair's Flickr.

View more recent photos on Photoshelter or past seasons (2004-2018) on Blair's Flickr.

The Blair-Swifts Golf Exchange began in 1969, and we celebrate 40-plus years of tours. Originally, the exchange began when Blair Academy sent a team of seven to The Stowe School.

The following year, Stowe sent a team of seven to Blair, thus beginning the illustrious tradition. 

By 1971, other schools were included in the competition and, to date, over 70 schools and over 200 players here and abroad have participated in this extraordinary tradition. In 1992, teams were expanded to eight players when a selection decision between two players could not be made and, as a result, they’ve played that way ever since.

The Tour Today
The tour lasts approximately three weeks, and participants play approximately 20 matches. The British team, the Swifts, comes one year to the United States in March and April. The following year, the American team heads to England in June and July. While there, we play some of the finest courses in England, including Royal St. George’s, Sunningdale, and Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s.

Simply being chosen to participate in these events is considered by all to be a success. Players are chosen for their sportsmanlike approach to competition and talent on the golf course. The players are top-notch, well-rounded individuals with a keen sense of fair play. Blair’s top golfers, assuming they meet the criteria for participation, are given preference when final decisions are made.

The golf exchange has delighted schools and families by bringing an unparalleled golfing experience to the players who undoubtedly walk away with memories to last a lifetime. Usually, American tour members from one year will play host to the British team the following year. The same is true of British participants hosting their American counterparts. This reciprocal nature of the tour helps build a sense of camaraderie between the British and American participants, and also helps keep the cost of the tour at a reasonable level.

If you have any questions about the Blair-Swifts Golf Exchange, please contact Coach Sykes or Wayne Rasmussen.

When winter brings its usual snow and frigid temperatures to Blairstown, Blair golfers work hard on their swings in the J. Li Golf Training Center using professional-grade simulators. Located near the first tee at the crest of the hill from the School's golf course entrance, the golf training center is the first of many upgrades planned for Blair's golf facilities.

In addition to two Foresight simulators that allow golf team members to play at their choice of 20 top courses worldwide and function as driving ranges, the boys' and girls' golf teams practice putting and chipping on an undulated green and a "rough" that mimic actual course conditions.