Today we’d like to introduce you to Ziporah “Zee” Ward
Zee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started off running track and I was pretty good at it. My parents believe in having active children, so playing sports, hiking being outdoors is a natural part of my upbringing. At the time that I began running track, I was having a weird growth spurt that began to make my ankles very unstable and sore. So my Dad, wanted me to find a sport that wasn’t as physically demanding on my ankles. So at 10 years old, golf was only supposed to be temporary until I made it through that growth cycle and could get back on the track. My Dad grew up playing golf, so he began to teach me. He liked the discipline it taught me as well as the amount of time it kept me outdoors, in nature and away from Social-Media and screen time. After about 8 months I became decent enough to enter a US Kids golf tournament. My first tournament was a 9-hole tournament. I shot a 54, placed somewhere near the bottom and the rest was history. I was so nervous that first tournament. From there I continued to play US Kids tournament and then when I made it to middle school I joined the School teams also. I can’t even remember the number of tournaments I have played in since the beginning but each tournament is a new learning experience. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from playing golf is that there are no bad shots, just shots at inopportune moments. Meaning at some point while playing golf, I will need to hit a ball that looks rough because of the position I placed myself into. Eventually, in my Junior year of HIgh School I began to get recruited to play golf in college. I received 46 offers, but ultimately decided on Savannah State University. I wanted to attend an HBCU as well as to take advantage of The State of Georgia’s generous state funded scholarships/Grants for in-state residents to attend in-State schools. I liked that fact that Savannah offered virtually year round golf, I can work on my game more. My family and I have always loved Savannah, it’s one of our favorite American Cities. As well as the fact that Savannah State has a rich history of Education in the state. Most people don’t realize Savannah State is the first HBCU in the state of Georgia.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The sport in general is very difficult! Unlike team sports, where if your having a bad day/game you can depend on your teammates to provide cover and pick up the slack. In golf it’s all on you, the good, the bad and the ugly. In order to play golf at a high level it demands a lot of time. So you can start to miss out on some activities with your friends do to travel etc. The time commitment is crazy! Meaning, if you do a complete practice session which generally consists of about 1.5-2hrs of range time, Then 1-1.5hrs putting, then 1-1.5hrs chipping/pitching and then about another 1.5-2hrs playing 9 holes. So practices can be upwards of 6 hours. A lot of tournaments are held in exclusive country clubs, so I have to constantly deal with the “you don’t belong” attitudes. Or the “be grateful you’ve been invited” attitudes. Golf is also very expensive, so it can be a financial burden. Unlike other sports, every time you practice it costs money, especially if you’re playing on public, municipal, and semiprivate courses. To hit range balls can cost anywhere between $12-$21 for 70 balls in metro-Atlanta and if you play the course that day it can cost between $5-$30 per 9-holes. A box of good playing golf balls, because you will lose golf balls often, are about $45 for 12 balls. Once you get good at golf and move up in equipment a golf club fitting runs about $99-$500 depending on who’s doing the fitting. A fitted set of golf clubs are $1,200 to $2,000. Everyone needs a professional swing coach to help them evaluate and maximize their swing so that’s gonna cost $50-$200 per hour. The costs just add up and add up so the cost to play golf is definitely a constant struggle. Another big struggle I had was just adjusting my maturity level to be able to handle the stress load of practice, school, the emotional roller-coaster that is golf, managing on-course emotions as well as the computing power/concentration needed to make quick decisions on the course.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a student at Savannah State University. I am a scholarship athlete and I play golf for the University. I also am documenting my journey. All my social-media handles are “The Golf Grind Life” (youtube, instagram, tiktok). I believe in growing my social presence organically. I am proud of the fact that as a DII HBCU athlete, I’ve managed to garner about $20K in NIL (Name Image & Likeness) deals in my Freshman year. NIL is a game-changer. My goal is to become a psychiatrist. I am working to get the money I need to pay for medical school through NIL opportunities. Medical School costs roughly $150K-$200K. So the $20K I’ve managed to get so far in NIL is a good start to accomplishing my ultimate goal. What sets me apart from others is my unique and genuine approach to social-media and how I market myself, No flashy camera tricks, no buying likes no green screen/AI heavy masking. It’s literally just me and my Iphone and maybe a couple of instagram filters but that it. The people who follow me are loyal and are really interested in seeing me be successful.
What makes you happy?
Sour patch kids, shrimp alfredo, skate boarding (I’m teaching myself to skate it’s a new challenge and an ice-breaker in a new city that helps me meet new people. It takes my mind off the grind that school and golf causes), birdies on the course (lowers my scores), small intimate setting with friends and family and thrift shopping.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parbetter.golf
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thegolfgrindlife
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegolfgrindlife
- Other: https://tiktok.com/thegolfgrindlife
