By Chris Cox

Zane Malone says he’s been around golf virtually his entire life and from the first moment he stepped on a course, he says he was in awe of the beauty surrounding the game.

“My dad always used to go out on the weekends, and we would all play as a family,” Malone says. “I love being outdoors and the beauty of a golf course. It’s where I can find my own piece and be alone while having a good time. It lets me admire all the creations God has made and how beautiful His creation is.”

Malone acknowledges the peace he finds on a golf course can quickly go away once he starts playing but, once that frustration inevitably sets in, Zane says he tries to look around and re-center his mind.

“When you get mad, you have to just look around and see how great we’ve got it,” he says. “I like to take a deep breath and just focus on the beauty of a course. The green grass, the trees, it’s just beautiful.”

For Malone, a senior at Grove High School, being there for his teammates and helping them through the frustrations of their sport is one reason he was named a Character Counts athlete this month.

“For me, character is about how someone presents themselves,” he says. “How they act in public, treat others, and what kind of a role model they are. I try to always bring people up if I can. I like to help people out when I can.”

Beyond helping his teammates and others, Malone has some tangible goals on the golf course he’d like to achieve in his final year of high school.

“Making it to state is my first goal,” he says. “In terms of a score, I’d like to be shooting in the mid to low 70s by the end of the year.”

Outside of golf, Malone was a part of the Ridgerunner football team and considers himself a bit of an outdoorsman.

“I love the outdoors,” he says. “In the wintertime in woods either duck hunting or hunting deer and in the summertime, I’m fishing as much as I can.”

Following graduation, Malone hopes to have the opportunity to play golf in college. He says he’s not sure what he wants to study but would be interested in coaching golf at some level.