Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day, Montgomerie Links, Danang, 17 March 2012. Click to enlarge.

*** UPDATE 28 February 2013. Please note, the 3rd Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day, originally scheduled for 23 March 2013 has been postponed until later in the year.

Updated details will be announced in due course.***

See below for what happened in 2012.

In Vietnam, more children die from drowning than road accidents and this Charity Golf Day – organised by Montgomerie Links, the Vietnam Swans and Auscham – is designed to raise funds to support swimming initiatives that allow Vietnamese kids to, not only survive but, thrive in the waterways and along the country’s long coastline.

The money raised will be split equally between Swim Safe (Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA)) and Swim Vietnam which specialise in training trainers and children how to swim.

Last year, the inaugural year, $25,000 was raised. This year, we want to raise $25,000 again and have 150 golfers on the course.

The Essentials – Tournament Schedule

  • 10am – Arrival. Practice at Driving Range
  • 11am – Light lunch and tournament briefing
  • 12 midday – Shotgun start. 18 holes
  • 2pm – Kids clinic featuring Swim Vietnam students
  • 5pm Dinner presentation, awards and auctions (Auctioneer: Michael Francis)

Golf Competitions

Teams format (Scramble) with prizes for:

  • Hole in One
  • Nearest the Pin
  • Longest Drive
  • Par 3, “Circle of Hope”
  • Most Accurate Drive (between the lines), Hole #9

Fees

VND2 million (approx USD100). Includes: entry fee, green fee, caddie fee, balls at driving range, light lunch and dinner presentations (Montgomerie Links and Vietnam Swans members receive a 10 per cent discount).

What happens to the money?

All money raised, less costs, will be donated to swimming projects in Vietnam conducted by Swim Safe (supported by the RLSSA and TASC) and Swim Vietnam.

Who should go? Everyone – including non-golfers!

  • Can’t play golf? Not a problem. It’s a team “scramble” format. That means, you always play the best ball in your group. So, each player strikes a shot, the best shot is selected, then all players play from that selected position. How much fun is that? This format is incredibly inclusive and social.
  • But my partner hates golf! Fine! But your partner will love one of the resorts between Danang and Hoi An on China Beach. They will be having a great time enjoying a massage, shopping, reading a book by the pool etc while you’re playing golf. And, dinner overlooking the fairways, is open to everyone. And how enjoyable would a leisurely breakfast be on Sunday morning?
  • But the family? How much would they enjoy a holiday in Hoi An?

Amazing items for auctions and raffles! So far, we have:

Key documents you need

How did the Swannies, an Aussie Rules football club, become involved in swimming and golf days?

The Swannies have always wanted to give back to the local community where we love to live and work. For example, back in 2006, the then Hanoi Swans used to spend time with the Warmhouse Orphanage and at one stage, even provided some emergency funding for a month (see Hanoi Swans help local kids).

12,500 Child Drownings Each Year in Vietnam

In 2001, UNICEF conducted a study in Vietnam and found that, each year, there were 12,500 child (under 15 years) drownings. Expressed another way, that’s the equivalent of one child drowning every 20 minutes during daylight hours which makes the water even more dangerous than Vietnam’s notorious roads.

In Australia, the situation is very different. Children learn to swim at a very early age. Swimming is a fantastic recreational activity with family holidays always planned around the beach. It’s also a sport that Australia is highly regarded at the international level.

Vietnam Swans Support Swimming Initiatives

Aussie Rules and swimming have a lot in common. For example, while both sports can be fiercely competitive at the elite level, they can also be performed at a recreational/leisure level. Being sports, they both bring people together. Australia is well known for both its Aussie Rules and swimming successes.

The Vietnam Swans Footy Club obviously has an Australian flavour, brings people together, encourages fitness, fun, friendships and competition in the form of matches against other countries.

Swannie, Micky Johnston, has always championed the cause for the Swannies to support swimming initiatives. While he was arguing passionately about this, especially on the bus back to the airport from Kanchanaburi, Thailand (where we had just played the Thailand Tigers in the 2009 ANZAC Match), he also found Jo Stewart from Swim Vietnam in Hoi An.

And so, a partnership was struck up with Swim Vietnam. The Swannies now had a specific cause and organisation to support. Our life had become a lot more fulfilling – and simpler.

The Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day is born

Early 2011, the General Director of Montgomerie Links, Danang, an Australian, Jon Tomlinson, approached the Vietnam Swans. He very generously proposed an idea to host a charity golf day with all funds raised to be donated to Swim Vietnam, the swimming organisation supported by the Vietnam Swans.

We thought this was a magnificent gesture by Montgomerie Links.

But we were also aware that from 10-13 May, the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia was going to host a global conference in Danang on drowning prevention. The conference was being held just 10 minutes away from tMontgomerie Links and was being opened by the Australian Governor General, Quentin Bryce.

It seemed like an obvious opportunity to seize the day and host the Swing to Swim Golf Day on 14 May – the day after the conference had concluded. The Aussie Rules Club, the Vietnam Swans then approached the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA). RLSSA’s local organisation was Swim Safe. It was then agreed in an instant that all money raised would be split equally between the two local swimming organisations.

In our first year, 2011, $25,000 was raised. An outstanding achievement. At the end of the event, Montgomerie Links confirmed that it would make its golf course available in 2012 to run the event again!

This year, 2012, the Australian Chamber of Commerce has come on board as a partner which is terrific news.

Everybody is looking forward to the 2012 Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day! It’s time to sign up.

PRESS RELEASE by MONTGOMERIE LINKS and VIETNAM SWANS, February, 2012.

Montgomerie Links and the Vietnam Swans are pleased to announce details of the 2nd Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day to raise funds to reduce the number of drownings in Vietnam. Below is the press release.

***Stop Press! Auscham, the Australian Chamber of Commerce, becomes Official Partner of 2nd Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day***

The 2nd Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day will once again be hosted by The Montgomerie Links and proudly supported by Indochina Land and the Vietnam Swans while being endorsed by the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA), which have contributed significantly to swimming programs in the country

Swing to Swim will be held on Saturday 17th March 2012 in a bid to raise VND 500,000,000 for local swimming programs, Swim Vietnam Hoi An and Swim Safe Danang. In a country where more children die from drowning than road accidents, these swimming programs are essential for raising awareness and reducing the number of drownings in Vietnam and the immediate region.

The Montgomerie Links and Vietnam’s very own Australian Rules Football Club, the Vietnam Swans will continue their cooperative building on the success of 2011 when VND 500,000,000 (USD25,000) was raised in the charity golf event’s inaugural year.

“The Montgomerie Links is proud to host Swing to Swim due to the significance of drowning in our region. With miles of coastline and rivers that surround Danang and Quang Nam provinces, this charity golf event takes enormous steps to provide funding to these worthy swimming programs to save the lives of local citizens while further demonstrating Indochina Land’s commitment to charitable causes” said Jon Tomlinson General Director of The Montgomerie Links and Vice Director of Indochina Land’s Hospitality Division.

Vietnam Swans’ National President, Phil Johns commented that “Along Vietnam’s coastline and internal waterways, we know how water can take someone’s life in a breath. We also know that water sustains life” he said. “Australians are renowned for their swimming ability and therefore, as Vietnam’s Australian Rules Football Club, we are very proud to support these swimming initiatives. Vietnamese children should not only survive but thrive in the waterways of Vietnam. Swim Vietnam and Swim Safe are unlocking an exciting world of safe swimming in this wonderful country.”

The golf event is designed to be fun and light hearted with a team “scramble” format played over 18 holes at the stunning Montgomerie Links Golf Course voted the best in Vietnam for the past two years. In addition to the round of golf, as part of the package, there is lunch and gala dinner comprising an auction hosted by the Vietnam Swans who also donate AFL football memorabilia such as the 2010 West Coast Eagles Australian Rules Football jumper that last year was auctioned for VND, 25,000,000 to Montgomerie Links member and Danang resident, Mr Le Ngoc Tu.

Entries and sponsorship opportunities are now available!

Tournament Schedule:

  • 10.00am – Arrival and practice at Driving range
  • 11.00am – Light Lunch and Golf Tournament Briefing
  • 12.00pm – Shot gun Start – 18 holes
  • 2.00pm – Kids Clinic featuring Swim Vietnam students
  • 5.00pm –  Dinner Presentation, Awards and Auction

Golf Competitions:

  • Teams Format (Scramble) with prizes for:
  • Hole in One
  • Nearest the Pin
  • Longest Drive
  • Par 3 “Circle of Hope”
  • Most Accurate drive (In Between the Lines) – hole #9

FEE: All inclusive entry fee VND 2,000,000 – entry fee, green fee, caddie fee, balls at driving range, light lunch, dinner presentations. (MLV members receive a 10% discount)

If you feel ready to commit now, please join us on Saturday 17th March 2012

For more information and reservation please contact us at:

Tel: 0510 3941 942 or Ms. Donna Tran – 0905 226 206

Email: events@montgomerielinks.com

SPONSORSHIP opportunities:

  • NAMING RIGHTS – Medley Platinum level – USD $10000 cash:
  • Gold Freestyle – USD $5000:
  • Silver Backstroke – USD $2500
  • Bronze Butterfly – USD $1000
  • Hole In One – USD $5000 of retail value
  • Naming right on hole min at $500
  • Auction and raffle: Items with a minimum value of $100 will be very gratefully received!

If you would like to register your interest in being a sponsor and/or playing in the Swing to Swim event, please email Donna Tran at Montgomerie Links on donna.tran@montgomerielinks.com or Phil Johns, National President, Vietnam Swans on vietnamswans@gmail.com.