Manu Golf brings Polynesian flair to the fairway

"A golf apparel brand inspired by Polynesian culture."

That’s how Tunganekore 'Kevin' Fuavao (Holonga, Vava'u and Koulo in Tonga, Atiu, Cook Islands) describes his sportswear business, Manu Golf.

The business idea came about from a conversation on the green.

“We were a bunch of Polynesian, Māori boys, and when we looked around the course at the time, including ourselves, everything was just quite plain.

“One of them mentioned they were struggling to get sizes, and they weren't big, he wasn't a massive guy, they were just 2XL, and that was sort of where Manu started.”

Photo/Supplied

Fuavao launched the business in August 2024, bringing in designs and larger sizes that appealed to the “big Poly boys”, with the bold Island Bloom polo quickly becoming a bestseller.

"It’s light, covered in frangipanis, and way more vibrant than traditional golf shirts.

"I was surprised, but I think people love it because it stands out, golfers get a lot of compliments on it—it’s different from the usual one-stripe or plain-colored polos."

Challenges and learning opportunities

Business surged over the summer period, but Fuavao admits the demand went beyond his expectations.

“I planned my stock for the Christmas and New Year period when customers basically had their wallets open and wanted to buy, and I actually ran out of stock in the first week.

“And the harsh thing was that traffic to my website doubled, and I had no products to sell.”

Fuavao has since restocked, but says a challenge will be trying to entice those customers back.

Fuavao’s entrepreneurial aspirations began at boarding school, where he would sell icecreams to his classmates. After selling another business that didn’t go as planned, Fuavao approached Pacific Business Trust (PBT) for mentorship.

“At the time, I thought I was a bit of a failure, it took a bit of a hit to the ego.

“I had three business ideas and we went through it and picked the right one that we thought was correct and then we made a really solid plan.”

He credits the organisation that provided support and mentorship and says it helped create a solid business model that he could grow.

"I found PBT, and they gave me funding to work with Purpose Empowering People, who helped me build a solid strategy, without that, I truly believe Manu Golf wouldn’t be here."

Fuavao encourages other aspiring business owners to embrace steady growth, and not expect to blow up immediately.

"Starting out you face challenges and mistakes, but if you stay small, tactically, those errors won’t destroy your business."

The future of Manu Golf

Fuavao’s vision for 2025 includes broadening his apparel range, introducing new collections and designs.

"I want to bring in a Māori designer to create something meaningful because I’m not Māori myself. It’s important that the designs have a real story behind them."

Fuavao wants to partner with local golf clubs and also wants to expand to Australia and the U.S. by early 2026.

"A lot of that work starts this year. I also want to get Manu Golf into more pro shops domestically and especially in the Pacific, where we can be a truly representative brand."

For now, Fuavao continues to balance business growth with cultural representation.

"At the end of the day, Manu Golf is about giving Polynesians visibility on the golf course.

“We’re just getting started, and there’s so much more to come."