| From the Founders Desk | BSI Golf | | 2022 has proven to be another highly successful year at the BSI Golf Academy. The strength in depth of our players is the highest we’ve ever had. We have a very exciting group of talented and hard-working Juniors coming through the ranks and making their mark in national events. Our College students are also climbing the national rankings in large numbers. All of our recent College graduates have either found employment already or are returning to the Academy for further training in 2023. Our 3rd year PGA Diploma students hosted our best ever student golf day and raised over R40,000 for the SA Golf Development Board. They even managed to beat the staff in our annual match, although I did maintain my unbeaten personal record. Below you’ll see images of the Graduation and Awards Dinner that we hosted on the 2nd December to close off the Academy year. As I said on the evening, it fills me with immense pride to not only celebrate their successes in golf and academics, but to also see how well they conduct themselves. A common theme amongst students is how they have found friends for life, and they talk of BSI as a family. Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge my amazing staff in every department for the tireless work that they put in to develop the young people that we have the privilege to guide. The Academy grows from strength to strength because of you. | | | | Graduation and Awards Ceremony 2022 | | CONGRATULATIONS to our Class of 2022 Graduates who successfully completed their tertiary education programs (Sports Management, Greenkeeping or our internationally successful PGA Diploma), and received their accolades at the beginning of the month at our graduation ceremony. The below have graduated through BSI in the following programs: | Sports Management Sadie Niekerk, Mark Fairbank (BSI Head of Academics) & Lebang Makape | Greenkeeping Teddy Mathebula, Ethan Olivier & Juan Roux | PGA Diploma Kyle Ferreira, Daniel Macdonald, Samantha Conradie, Mangezi Maswanganyi, Divan Visagie, Victor Prybylsky, Sean Paxton & Jonathan Williams | We also celebrated our golf award winners at the dinner. Congratulations to the following: | Junior Academy - Most Improved Jonathan Henry | Junior Academy – U16 Winner Grant Labuschagne | Junior Academy – Order of Merit Vuyisani Makama | Premier Academy – Rookie of the Year Jacques van der Merwe | Premier Academy – Order of Merit Sean Paxton | BSI Golf Academy – Matchplay Winner Grant Labuschagne | BSI Golf Academy – Female Player of the Year Samantha Conradie | BSI Golf Academy – Lowest Stroke Average Vuyisani Makama | BSI Golf Academy – Player of the Year Grant Labuschagne | Click on our Facebook page link below for more images of the wonderful evening: | | BSI Golf Academy | College Announcement | | Golf Village Gilloolys – South Africa’s Premier Golf College just got better | We are delighted to announce that our College and Elite Academy students will be training and practicing at Golf Village Gilloolys from January 2023. With the recent installation of InRange ball-tracking technology at the facility, alongside the top class range and short game facilities, Golf Village Gilloolys provides the ideal training environment for our PGA Diploma, Greenkeeping and Elite Academy students. Our students will enjoy full access to this top-class facility 7 days a week as part of their structured programs. | Our Head Office, Study Centre and Junior Academy program will remain at Huddle Park where the students enjoy access to range, golf course, gym and classrooms all on one venue. | Well done to BSI client, Casandra Alexander for her win in the Standard Bank Pro-Am Invitational Series played at Randpark GC (6 & 7 December 2022). Casandra won by an incredible 8 strokes as she recorded a first-round score of 63 (9-under), to tie the course record, along with her final-round of 70 (2-under), to post an unassailable score of 11-under. Congratulations and we look forward to continue following you on the Ladies European Tour in the new year. | Central Gauteng Golf Union – Junior Festive Tour – Parkview | Well done to BSI Junior Academy students, Josh Paisley (T33) and Connor Olfsen (T41) for some good performances in the CGGU Junior Festive Tour at Parkview GC on Tuesday 6 December 2022. | Central Gauteng Golf Union – Junior Festive Tour – Kyalami | Big Shout Out to the BSI Junior Academy students, Eric Ncube (T8), Vuyisani Makama (T17), Grant Labuschagne and Jonathan Henry (both T34) who posted solid scores in the CGGU Junior Festive Tour at Kyalami CC on Thursday 8 December 2022. | Golf RSA – U19 Junior Inter Provincial Tournament – Mbombela | We would like to wish Grant Labuschagne, Mojalefa Nale & Vuyisani Makama good luck as the three of them are busy representing their respective Golf Unions this week in the Golf RSA U19 Junior IPT played at Mbombela GC from 12 to 16 December 2022. Lefa is selected for North West, whilst Vuyi and Grant are teeing it up for Central Gauteng. | Well done to two of our most recent PGA Diploma Graduates, who successfully secured full-time positions in the golfing industry whilst completing their final few weeks at BSI. Kyle Ferreira is Assistant Professional to one of our former PGA Diploma students and graduate of 2012, David Lamprecht, in his new business venture, Swing Shack. Divan Visagie is the Assistant Pro Shop Manager at ERPM GC. | | | Performance Tip | | The K-factor – The Key to solid putts | | By Michael Balderstone, BSI Founder and PGA Master Professional | Click on the link below to read up on how to improve your putting: | Go to our online shop to view and purchase your BSI gear. | From January 2023, BSI is offering a full-time high performance junior tennis program with schooling from grade 7 to 12, based on the best international tennis academies. Our golf and football academies are rated amongst the best in South Africa, and we will be applying the same philosophies and passion for developing young athletes and quality young people to our tennis academy. As with our other sports, a key focus will be on opening up multiple pathways of success for our students, both locally and internationally through their sports performance and education. The BSI Tennis Academy will be led by our Tennis Performance Director, former Wimbledon player Helen Barrett. Enrolment is now open. For more information on our tennis academy please email info@bsisports.com. | Helen Barrett (pictured standing back right) | Higher Certificate in Sports Administration | This 1-year course offers a fantastic foundation to launch a career in the multi-billion dollar business of sport. This course offers high levels of theory and practical element. BSI has nearly two decades of experience in managing academies, sports events, sports marketing and sports facility management. Who better to train the next generation of industry leaders? The course offers a global perspective on the industry of sports and prepares graduates for local or international careers. Learners can study the course on its own, or combine it with one of our renowned sports programmes. We are now offering this course at an incredible price of R20, 000. Contact us on info@bsisports.com for more information if you are interested in this programme. | Catch up on our previous newsletters and re-familiarise yourself with our performance tips. | It’s possible to enjoy both forgiveness and workability in a single iron set with the progressive design of the new Srixon ZX Mk II Irons. | | | | This mail was sent to {{contact.contact_email}} by Michael Balderstone and is provided as a service for the members and guests of Balderstone Sports Institute and has been supported and sponsored by advertisers in this email and our partner suppliers. For any queries contact us on 082 448 0753. Sent on behalf of Balderstone Sports Institute by RetailTribe: Unit 8 | Blaauwklip Office Park | Stellenbosch | 7600 | 021 880 2693 | | |