Varsity Golf (2023-2024)
By FORREST ZENG ‘26
The Academy’s varsity golf team finished their season with five wins, dropping only three matches.
Coached by Bob Bailey, the members of the team span all grade levels and train at the Breakfast Hill golf course after school. Although they started their season with a marginal 2.5-1.5 loss to Andover and a loss to Deerfield, the team quickly picked up a winning streak.
“We practice every day after school at Breakfast Hill, a golf course nearby,” shared prep Sophia Xue. “They provide us with great resources such as tee times to go on the course, a driving range, and a putting green where we can practice our short game.”
“Our practices consist of our choice of playing nine holes or practicing that day. Usually leading up to matches, we try to get more course-work in so we go out and play more on the golf course, and the earlier parts of the week consist of more time on the driving range to work on more technical issues,” explained lower Ananya Ray.
The golf varsity team easily won 10-2 against Tilton School, beating them again later in the season. They conquered Tabor, Loomis, and Winsor School and swept Portsmouth Abbey School with a 6-0 finish. At the Andover Invitational, the team finished strong in second place, featuring players Paco Sze, Grady Larson, Michael Nardone, Angelina Gong, and Nick Fasano.
The team continued to win 6-3 against the Holderness School, 6-2 in a rematch with Tilton School, and swept the Brooks School 11-0. Their seven-match winning streak was only stopped by Proctor School on May 4.
“The season so far has been good,” shared Bob Bailey, who co-coaches the team with Instructor in English Brandon Hew, “with many players contributing to the team’s success.”
When asked about their highlights of the season, the members of the golf team gave a variety of different answers. For some, it was the games. “So far, for me, [the highlight] was traveling to Rhode Island to compete against Newton Country Day and Portsmouth Abbey,” said Ray. “We swept and got to play at a beautiful course, the Aquidneck Club.
For others, it was the community. “I think that the highlight of the season has been the bus rides to practice everyday,” said upper Henry Hahn. “Especially after a long day of school it feels great to share some laughter with my teammates on the bus.”
“The season so far has been amazing,” continued Hahn. “This is my first year on the team and so far it has been one of the best experiences I’ve had during my time at Exeter.”
“It has been very fun, and it was nice getting to know the people on the team,” agreed Xue. “Since the start of the season, everyone has been improving their game, and recently we have been winning a lot of our matches, which is great. The atmosphere within the team is very chill, people are always helping each other out on the course and supporting one another during practice.”
“The great leadership from captains Angelina Gong and Michael Nardone has been a highlight,” added Bailey.
Overall, the Academy’s varsity golf team has led a consistent winning season, paired with a strong sense of community and leadership.
