Daniel Wendt
Zeal Golf Owner & Instructor
Golf Bio
Daniel Wendt is a full time PGA golf instructor and owner of Zeal Golf, LLC. Born in Flagstaff and raised in Northern Arizona, he was active in competitive Junior Golf and mini tours. In 2005, he accepted a position as Head Golf Professional at Brasada Ranch Resort outside Bend, Oregon. Shortly thereafter he graduated from the PGA’s Golf Management Program. During his 11 years as Head Golf Professional and Lead Instructor at the facility, his primary focus was to grow the game and encourage members and guests to take part in golf programs, tournaments, and events.
He also played competitively in local, state, and sectional championships, most notably the Oregon Open, Washington Open, and Northwest Open. In 2014 he place top 20 in the World Speed Golf Championships at Bandon Dunes Resort, where the minutes it takes to play is just as important as your score. In 2016, he moved back home to Arizona. In addition to helping with a family business, he kept his PGA affiliation and skills active by working at the highly respected Forest Highlands Golf Club for three seasons. Today, he is taking his passion for golf and instruction to the next level with Zeal Golf. Through this endeavor he hopes to pass on his knowledge of the swing and the game from years of experience to those who are eager to learn and become their best on the course.
How I Got Started
At five years of age my dad introduced me to the game by bringing me along to play golf with his buddies after work. I didn’t have a set of clubs, so my dad took matters into his own hands. One evening we ended up at the window factory where my dad worked, we walked inside with a few old clubs in hand. He directed us over to a large commercial grade table saw, where he proceeded to cut about a foot of steel out of the middle of each of the clubs. He then took a large roll of duct tape and wrapped the grip side and the head sides of the golf clubs back together. As you can see my dad’s golf club building methods were a little unusual by the large wad of duct tape wrapped around the middle of the shaft, but I didn’t care, I thought it was the best thing ever. I now had my own clubs, an old Persimmon wood driver, a seven iron, and a putter. There was one small problem, naturally I was a lefty, but these clubs were built for a righty golfer.
At that time, left-handed clubs were much harder to come by, so I just learned to play with what was available. I also played a lot of baseball, but with baseball I still chose to swing lefty. So, when people ask “what’s a lefty doing playing with right-handed golf clubs…I just tell them, “I don’t want to mess up my baseball swing”. To this day, I remember getting that first set of clubs, it’s my earliest golf memory. I remember the special thing my dad did for me just to get me started. I can honestly say I have dozens of stories like that, where someone cared enough to help me enjoy and love the game just a little more. Now I don’t know where I’d be without it, it’s practically part of my DNA. I only hope that I can pay it forward and help encourage others to play their best and find enjoyment in the game.
