Sammy Nakanjako Stouten is a mother of two. She is a homemaker while her husband works at the Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka. She has turned golf into one of her favourite pastimes, having played in different countries owing to the nature of her husband’s job. She wants to imbibe the good qualities and virtues that golf provides in her children, keeping them away from the evils of social media. In this interview, she shares her passion for golf and what the game means to her and her family.
Tell us briefly about yourself?
I’m originally from Uganda but a Dutch citizen now. I started playing golf when I had my first child, that was 11 years ago. My husband was posted in Nairobi, Kenya at that time.
When did you start playing golf and who introduced you to the game?
We had a posting in Ethiopia and we moved to the Netherlands a year later. We said if we ever get a posting abroad, we’d try to play golf. I had no idea about golf – nothing. So we went to the golf course that was nearby, we got a pro. We went to the range. The golf pro gave me a club, I didn’t know it’s name. I thought it was a stick. I think I hit that ball 150 metres. He said, ‘Have you been playing golf?’ I said, ‘No, no, this is the first time I’m holding a stick like this.’ So I took three lessons on the range and went to the golf course. I found it easy.
What motivated you to play regularly?
I was pregnant and was thinking about playing a sport that was easy and not so intense. I played until the baby was born and I went back a month after it’s birth.
What, according to you, are the best things about golf?
The connections you make with people. I’ve been playing for 11 years and everybody on my phone that I know is through golf. I stayed in the Carribbean for five years and I made so many connections through golf. Everybody I know is a golfer and I try to tell everybody just to try it.
How do you manage your time?
I’m a housewife. So when my husband goes to work and the children go to school, I go to the golf course. I have so much time.
Do your kids also play golf?
My son has been playing since he was 3. At that time we were still in Uganda. He took some lessons in Uganda and then in Trinidad and Tobago. Though Now he’s not very much interested in golf as he finds it a little bit slow. But He’s into extreme sport, he’s a very good skateboarder and he only loves skating. But I try to bring them to the golf course every Friday. My daughter has a lovely swing, she loves golf.
So your husband also plays golf. Who plays better?
My husband plays on Saturdays. Well, I’m not going to say I play better but yes, maybe a little bit better than him because I have more time than him.
How do you plan on influencing other women to play golf?
When I tell friends to play golf, some say, ‘oh, that is so expensive’, others say, ‘that is for old people.’ I say I’m not that old. Nowadays that idea has changed. They’re coming up. I’ve introduced a few friends to golf and they love it.
What would be your message to homemakers?
You don’t have to be in the house the whole day, cleaning and washing. You get out there. Get out and play sports. Golf is the easiest and the least intense. You cannot get stressed on the golf course, but you can get angry for a minute. And if the second shot is better, it gives you all the motivation and the morale you need. So get out of the house and pick up a sport.
Does golf consume most of your free time?
Oh yes it does. If I don’t play, I feel like I’m itching. I feel like I need to be on the course, that’s my happy place. Now Kurmitola is my happy place.
Nowadays kids spend most of their time on mobile phones or other gadgets. What is your suggestion for the parents?
I can’t say about other parents but in our household, they are controlled, so during the week they are controlled on their iPads and stuff but in the weekends they can go up to like three hours on their iPads and phones. But yeah what you say is true. Kids are always on games, on the internet, on social media. But mine aren’t allowed.
Do you have any message for International Women’s Day?
I think I’m a good mommy. I play a lot of golf and I take my kids to golf. When I’m not playing golf, I spend time with my kids. I’m not much into social media and I don’t watch TV. So all of my time is for them.
