Sunshine Coast captain Stuart Sutherland is living the retirement dream in Queensland.
If he’s not on the golf course, Stuart can be found riding his mid-life crisis (sorry I mean Harley Davidson) around the picturesque Sunshine Coast countryside.
Born in Durban, Stuart moved with his family to Harare when he was eight.
After school he worked in financial services, manufacturing and mining before completing accountancy articles in both Harare and Johannesburg.
“I had younger twin brothers, so we were a boys’ only family. As teenagers I think we found girls to be a bit frightening,’’ he said.
“Now I have a daughter who lives in Cape Town and she runs her own business in the wine industry and a son who lives and works in Melbourne. My son has a daughter, that’s my only grandchild at the moment.’’
Stuart has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, Switzerland 
and Australia.
“Maybe the best job I ever had was in finance in Geneva and Lausanne Switzerland for four years. It was an amazing opportunity to see how business and life work in a totally different country! The most surprising job I ever had was working for a friend in head-hunting in London, which was entirely out of my comfort zone. It gave me some great insights into large corporations, mainly FMCG corporations, and how they placed candidates for roles in sub-Sarahan African countries, excluding South Africa.’’
Stuart, who was once a single figure golfer, now says he finds comfort in his current Nomads handicap which sits at 15.
He started playing golf in Harare on weekends with his dad before migrating to golf with school mates and then business colleagues.
“The first club I was a member at was Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg, then Johannesburg Country Club for 15 years. I was a member at the Bossey Golf Club outside Geneva for four years, then Foxhills in Surrey England for nine years.’’
He’s been a member at the challenging Peregian Springs course on the Sunshine Coast for the past decade.
His greatest golfing moment came at the prestigious Longcross Course at Foxhills when he aced the 167-yard fourth hole.
Introduced to Nomads by his mate Geoff Cannings in 2014 Stuart says being captain in 2023 has had some unexpected perks.
“I get free drinks from my playing partners,’’ he joked.
“Seriously, I want to carry on the good work of my predecessors and emulate the good relationships I see in the other Chapters in Australia. If possible, I want to make Nomads even greater fun.’’
When asked if he could play golf anywhere in the world, where would it be? Stuart nominates the Old Course at St Andrew’s in Scotland and his dream fourball would include schoolboy friend Derek Prior, my son Graham and Sandra Gal – the German pro.