Brown Boy Bogeys start of the third course at Kāpiti Golf Club halfway through the longest day challenge (72 holes in one day). (LR Back: Dannielle Gaualofa, Wesley Leota, Sam-Baker Leota, Rapata Wiki-Cummings, Reegan Gaualofa, Terence Slade. LR Front: Andre Kemp, Ali Leota, Nohorua Parata) Photo: Supplied
“We’re just some Pacific and Maori boys just enjoying golf as much as they can” Ali said (Ali Leota Brown Boys Bogeys)
When New Zealand went into total lockdown during the global Covid 19 pandemic, people looked for ways to stay active while adhering to social distancing and gathering rules.
And while most opted to take long walks and running, Ali Leota and his brothers found a love for the sport of golf.
Since then, their obsession with golf expanded with their other close mates joining in. This has resulted in them forming their new group, Brown Boys Bogeys.
The group have amassed a total of four thousand plus followers on their instagram page (@brownboysbogeys), uploading content on their progressive golf journeys as a group of friends.
Ali laughs as he recalls, “the closest thing we got to golf growing up was playing mini golf or going to the driving range.
“I think the only thing we could relate to golf was when Michael Campbell won the US Open in 2005,” Ali said.
Professional golfer and winner of the 2005 US Open, Michael Campbell who is of Maori descent, is widely regarded as one of the country’s best golfers to ever play the sport.
But for Ali, it’s a deeper connection with Campbell as both of them are from Porirua in Wellington.
“When you think golf it’s mainly just palagis to be honest. So to see someone like him who came from our neighbourhood go and be great, it was inspiring for us”
Feeling a sense of connection and representation is something that is emphasised heavily by the Brown Boys Bogeys club.
At LIV Adelaide having a talanoa with major champion and former LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. Photo: Supplied
As Ali and his brothers felt represented by Campbell on the international stage, he hopes that his group can help more Pasifika people join the sport of golf.
“We’re just some Pacific and Maori boys just enjoying golf as much as they can.
“It’s been awesome to see other pacific groups start up similar to us. And then, even from non-pacific people, they’ve reached out and just appreciate us and how we are bringing a bit of flavor to the course,” Ali said.
The group have managed to travel to some of New Zealand’s finest golf courses, and take their unique island style to wherever they go.
Whether it’s through their infectious laughs and banter or their well dressed island etiquette, they sure know how to give the sport a bit of a pacific vibe.
A vital part of what Ali and Brown Boys Bogeys enjoy of golf is its social aspect and easy going nature.
Which is quite the contrast to the competitive nature in sports he (Ali) is familiar with in his upbringing as a Samoan and Pacific islander.
But it’s also his Samoan humour and character that draws him to the sport in which he finds a way to also crack a laugh and enjoy their time on the golf course.
“All of us grew up playing sports quite competitively and quite seriously. Whereas golfers you know, we’ve taken the social aspect of it where we can really enjoy ourselves learning the craft of the game.”
Invited to play 18 holes with New Zealand’s top ranked Disability Golfer Guy Harrison at Royal Wellington. Photo: Supplied
“We’re always laughing, always happy, because a big part of golf is its mental game.
“You can see a lot of people on the golf course get frustrated. But you know, when we get a bad shot. We just laugh it off and mock each other. Golf is a good reflection on life in general. You have good shots, and you have some bad shots. But, more importantly, you’re just having a go,” Ali adds.
While enjoying their time on the course, the group has also thought about making an impact on its people and communities.
When one of the group members, Reegan Gaualofa, a close friend of Ali’s, celebrated five years of being cancer free, the team put together a fundraiser to raise money for the Cancer Society.
“A big highlight for us was for Regan. We celebrated his 5 years out of remission from cancer, and we took part in the longest day challenge, which is playing 72 holes in one day to raise funds for cancer society in New Zealand.
Ali adds, “We played 4 different courses and walked all 72 holes and raised about seven thousand.”
Reegan is currently eyeing up the 2027 Pacific Games with the hopes of representing Tokelau in golf hoping to follow the footsteps of his sister who had also represented Tokelau in the 2011 games.
For Ali, seeing his close friend and also a member of Brown Boys Bogeys setting out to achieve such a goal is an achievement he hopes can be emulated through their group.
And knowing that they also were able to help him celebrate his amazing comeback journey from cancer is a testament to why the group was formed in the start.
“But now we’re seeing like the potential with the likes of Reegan who is doing so well makes us be happy of our group and what we can achieve”
“I guess you could say, like none of us cracked a black jersey. But I guess you could say, this is our all black moment seeing one of us go to the Pacific Games”
Moving forward for this year, the group are continuing their golf journeys and hope to push out more content for their followers.
“We definitely want to take this more seriously because we’ve been given advice from other pages and other groups who do similar work in other fields, and you know they really love our content that we produce.
Ali said, “Just hope we can show what we as pacific people can bring to this sport.”
