ATTENTION - HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS COORDINATORS AND GOLF COACHES
Interest in the 2009 World Schools Golf Challenge is mounting as more and more schools indicate their intention to participate or request further details about the tournament. It appears obvious that the April 13-17 tournament in Adelaide, South Australia is an attractive option for many schools golf teams.
Visit www.worldschoolsgolf.com for all tournament details.
In this seventh newsletter you will read news about the tournament and the teams coming, meet another school coming to Adelaide and get to know more about South Australia.
To date over 80 schools from around the world have requested further information about the 2nd World Schools Golf Challenge to be staged in Adelaide in April 2009. Recent interest has come from schools in England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
A recent change in the tournament Conditions of Entry means that there is no longer a minimum age for team members (previously 13). So long as all team members are current pupils (or immediate past-pupils) of the school entered, they qualify to participate.
Congratulations to Westville Boys High (4 teams coming to Adelaide) who performed well at the St John’s International Schools Golf Tournament held at Sun City, South Africa. Westville finished a creditable 10th in the gold medal stakes with 311 points. Westville Boys High was the highest placed team from KwaZulu Natal.The tournament winners were King Edwards VII on 345 points.
St Andrews College (3 teams coming to Adelaide) won the Secondary School Canterbury Teams Championship held at the Coringa Golf Club in Christchurch in September. The winning team of Taylor Strang, Daniel Shin, Dean Williams and Andrew Namkoong is pictured.
Tell us your news and we will include it in future newsletters – send it to us here
14 new team entries have been received since our last newsletter and there are now 49 teams registered for the tournament. The teams represent the following schools:
- Westville Boys High School – Durban, South Africa – 4 teams
- Tauhara and Taupo-Nuia –Tia Colleges – Taupo New Zealand – 1 team
- Millfield School – Somerset, England – 6 teams
- Auckland Grammar School – Auckland, New Zealand – 3 teams
- Glendowie College – Auckland, New Zealand – 1 team
- Como Secondary College – Western Australia, Australia – 7 teams
- St Michaels College – Adelaide, Australia – 4 teams
- Christ Church Grammar School - Western Australia – 1 team
- St Andrews College – Christchurch, New Zealand – 3 teams
- Sacred Heart College – Auckland, New Zealand – 2 teams
- Waitaki Boys High School – Oamaru, New Zealand – 2 teams
- Bethlehem College – Tauranga, New Zealand – 1 team
- Scots College – Wellington, New Zealand – 1 team
- St Paul’s Collegiate – Hamilton, New Zealand – 1 team
- Rangitoto College – Auckland , New Zealand – 1 team
- St Bede’s College – Victoria, Australia – 4 teams
- St Bede’s College – Christchurch, New Zealand – 2 teams
- Henley High School – Adelaide, Australia – 5 teams
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Special resources have been produced to promote the tournament and to assist teams who have already registered to create further interest within their school and the families of team members. These include a 5 minute DVD which has all details about the tournament, the 4 host clubs, how to enter, the rules and South Australia attractions – it is available now to all teams considering the journey to Adelaide.
The DVD can be viewed on the website here>>>.
Organisers have also produced a tournament brochure with all the details which can also be viewed or downloaded from the website >>> and have supplies of a range of brochures about South Australia and Adelaide.
To request a copy of the DVD and the publicity material email us at the World Schools Golf Challenge office by hitting this link.
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St Bede’s College in Victoria, Australia is a big supporter of the World Schools Golf Challenge. The college had 4 teams at the inaugural tournament in Christchurch and recently confirmed another 4 teams for the Adelaide tournament next year.
St. Bede's College is a Catholic Secondary College for boys with an enrolment of 1,330 students. The College was founded in 1938 by the De La Salle Brothers and is located at Mentone, overlooking Port Phillip Bay in the Australian state of Victoria.
St. Bede's College has a tradition of academic and sporting excellence. The academic, cultural, sporting and social activities within the school are aimed at developing each person, both as an individual and as a member of the community. The Curriculum caters for a range of abilities and learning styles which allow the students to learn at their own rate.
Curriculum options offered to students include: VET courses, a vertical curriculum for Years 9 - 12, University Enhancement courses, and Individual Difference programs.
The College is located in the famous sandbelt of Melbourne and has many great courses on it’s doorstep. These include : Royal Melbourne, Victoria, Woodlands, Yarra Yarra, Commonwealth, Metropolitan, Huntingdale and Kingswood. A result is that many of the students have a keen interest in golf. The College has won the Victorian Team's Championship more times than any other school and represented Australia in the now defunct World Schools Championship in 2003. A member of this team was Andrew Tampion, who is a current European PGA Tour member and a former Victorian Amateur team Captain. Another famous old boy is Brad Hughes, 2 time Australian Masters Champion and former USPGA player. Additionally many local Pennant teams have former students playing in them, while the Professional at Woodlands Golf Club is an old boy of the College.
The College is a member of the Associated Catholic Colleges, the strongest Catholic sporting competition in Melbourne. The Senior Team has won the title in this competition every year since its inception in 1988. We have also won the Year 7 to 10 title every year also, except 1995 and 2004. In addition the school promotes the game by staging its own Year Level Championships and hosting 2 invitational events for other schools to play, as well as clinics for junior player.
Mick Roberts, the College golf co-ordinator, says “I consider the World Schools Golf Challenge provides a tremendous opportunity to not only advance the golf skills of the students but also to give them experience in planning, organizing, promoting and working together towards a worthwhile goal. The boys are all looking forward to Adelaide in 2009 as they were either in New Zealand in 2007 or have heard from their peers such glowing reports that they can’t wait.”
“I believe that the idea of having as many students involved is fantastic. There are very few team events for middle to higher handicap golfers. It is for this reason that I took 4 teams to Christchurch and not just my best 2 teams over. In fact it was my worst handicap team that performed the best.”, he said.
Photos are from the first WSGC in Christchurch.
You can visit St Bede’s College here
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The tournament is a four-round stroke play event with team and individual gross and nett competitions. The 4 student teams can be boys, girls or mixed teams.
Organisers expect to attract at least 80 teams from high schools in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Asia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as from throughout Australia.
There are no qualifications required beyond being a member of a school team, having a recognised golf handicap, a love of the game of golf and a desire to meet other college golfers from around the world and to experience all that Australia (and South Australia in particular) has to offer.
The beauty of the tournament is that entry is not limited to one school per country – any school can participate and there is no limit to the number of teams that a single school can enter.
You can get the full details about the tournament here>>
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A wide variety of fascinating experiences and exciting activities are waiting to be discovered in South Australia. Escape the crowded cites, and busy resorts and discover a destination with unique wildlife, stunning landscapes, great golf courses and wide open spaces. It's easy to explore on your own in a rented vehicle or join one of the many coach tours easily available.
Dare to desire something different while attending the World Schools Golf Challenge. 
Visit the fourth largest state Down Under and take your pick of experiences: food and wine, heritage and culture, festivals and events, nature and wildlife.
Sample world-class wines overlooking the vineyards in some of the most picturesque wine regions in the world and enjoy fabulous meals made using only the freshest local produce, or enjoy relaxing with a picnic on a secluded beach.
Australia's fourth largest state offers all those experiences synonymous with Australia in one very convenient and accessible area. Slightly larger than Texas, South Australia has a climate similar to California. Its population is only 1.4 million, 1 million of whom live in the capital city, Adelaide (host to the World School Golf Challenge). There is so much to see – you won’t be disappointed!
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The South Australian Tourism Commission have a big range of excellent brochures and maps that you can access on their website. They're ready for you to download. To view all the available brochures www.southaustralia.com/Brochures.aspx
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Secure your team’s place in the tournament by registering today.
The entry fee is A$150 per team and you can enter online or download and print the entry form on the website and post it to the tournament office
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Take a look at the great sights of South Australia and Adelaide – all waiting for you to experience personally in the photo gallery