Niko Vui was born in Samoa, raised in New Zealand and is a giant of a man. He’s 6’ 3”, 240 pounds of solid muscle. He works hard day in and day out. He has a good chance at going pro and as the captain of his college team at Southern Virginia University, he has a lot of opportunities to prove his sportsmanlike leadership. You may be thinking, “ah so he plays rugby or football!”
Guess again.
Niko is a golfer.
Born in Samoa and raised there for the majority of his life, Niko always had a strong aptitude for golfing. That isn’t to say, however, that he didn’t put in a ton of work. “My dad had me on the putting green the day after I took my first steps.” Niko says, “While most people in Samoa like to play rugby and basketball, I always liked golfing.”
Their family moved to and from New Zealand regularly. Because his dad had such a love of golfing, Niko always had that at the forefront of his mind. He couldn’t imagine a better setup than New Zealand for golfers. “Think Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings. Those rolling, grassy hills are why we loved golfing in the land of the Kiwis.”
As Niko moved back and forth, he got to experience the incredible culture associated with both the Samoan people and the Maori people. I dare you to find me a person more obsessively in touch with every part of his or her culture than Niko. “I love the way island cultures have always taught me to be positive and do what I love!” Niko exclaimed, “I wouldn’t be golfing for college, let alone attempting to get into the PGA tour in the coming years, if it wasn’t for my culture.” He finds ways to bring that culture into every aspect of his game from the way he trains to the way he does the haka before stepping out onto the course. Yes, I said it, he does the HAKA before GOLFING. Not that golf is a sport that can be affected by the fear one person has in their opponent, but he does it anyway because he says it grounds him by helping to remember his friends and family back home who helped him this far. “My greatest fear is disappointing them after all the help they’ve given me.
I met Niko when we went to Japan to serve as missionaries for our church for a over year period. Each missionary has a companion assigned to them that changes regularly, and though we never ended up as companions, we seemed to always be assigned to areas adjacent to each other. Thus, we became friends over talk of food, culture, and sports. I honestly must admit that I hated golf before meeting Niko. I hated watching it, I didn't like playing it, and I thought it was too meticulous for me to learn anyway. Niko wouldn't allow that. Through his infectious excitement for the game, he roped me in. I am now someone who watches the PGA tour and really genuinely enjoys it! Since returning home to the Americas, we keep in touch. Niko kept golfing while pursuing his business career by getting a degree from the SVU School of Business.
“I hope that I can use this degree to start a non-profit that will help under-privileged kids have the chance to learn how to golf.” A traditionally expensive sport, golf is for the higher-class families. Most people can’t afford it unless they’re living on retirement, which is why for some reason almost every retirement community is built around a golf-course of some kind. “I wasn’t raised in a very wealthy family early on but my dad somehow made it work by scraping together the money to afford golfing.
Niko has been the captain of the SVU golf team over the past year, consistently placing in the top tiers of his competitions. He has a great chance at continuing forward with golf as a career after graduating college. “Golf has just always been the plan,” he says firmly, “I see no other future for myself than to pursue something related to golf.” Whether that be with a coveted green Master’s jacket draped over his shoulders or with a stream of youth behind him all lugging around miniature golf clubs, he can’t stand the idea of life without golf. “I just want to golf, and I want to help others have the chance to do so as well.”
For the last two years, Niko has also been working hard at creating multiple businesses. One of these ventures centers on his love of art, where he draws custom pictures for people. The other is a food business where they make traditional Polynesian food by request. He has a lot of fun with these businesses, though they definitely keep him busy. He told me, “I can’t sleep a lot of days just because I have so many orders, but it helps me keep on my toes. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Niko says that when he’s done with golfing and business for the day, he likes to sit back and play video games or watch whatever anime he’s hooked on at the moment. He loves Naruto, Attack on Titan, and One Piece. But more than games or anime, he loves to spend time with family and friends. “The people in my life are what gives it meaning,” he told me, “it just means more to me than anyone can realize that people would take time out of their day to talk to me, hang out with me, and be my friend.” At times, he gets swamped with his career blend of schooling and golf. He says, however, that because of how busy he is, he never lets a second go by that doesn’t count. “I want to make sure every minute of every day is spent doing something I really care about.
Niko Vui is an incredible golfer, a hard working businessman, and a true friend. Those who are in his life cherish those moments. It is truly rare to find someone so genuinely excited about life and what’s coming. Though everyone faces their fair share of challenges, nobody handles them with more enthusiasm and determination than Niko. Look out Masters, he’s coming for you.
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