Senior Henry Zhong was only two when he first picked up a golf club, but something clicked when he tagged along with his father to an introductory lesson.  

“I had these little plastic clubs,” said Zhong. “I started [hitting] balls, and I really, really enjoyed it.”  

Zhong began playing regularly, using the empty lot next to his house as a practice range. When he was around 8 or 9 years old, he began to play in tournaments for fun. He didn’t find much success, but golf had become an important part of his childhood. 

And then, everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

Zhong spent hours hitting balls at the range and playing rounds of golf. His skill level soared, and he shaved five or six strokes off his rounds.  

“That’s when I began to see myself having a future beyond high school in the sport,” Zhong said. 

 Greenhill Varsity Golf  

From the second he first saw the Greenhill boys varsity golf team play, Zhong had one goal in mind: winning a Southwest Preparatory Conference title. 

“Ever since I got to Greenhill in the first grade, I have wanted to win SPC,” he said. 

Zhong first joined the varsity golf team in his freshman year. Immediately, he became a top-three player on the team.  

A typical competitive round of golf tests a player’s skills over 18 holes. Par is the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take to complete a hole. To shoot an “even par” round, a golfer can’t exceed the number of strokes required to par each of the 18 holes.  

“Not only did I shoot my first even par my freshman season, but seeing my bad rounds get better was transformative,” said Zhong. “When I started to gain distance, where even when I wasn’t playing a great, I was still able to shoot three or four over [par], I started to see the game differently.” 

Although he had copious success as a freshman, Zhong became even more of a force on the Greenhill team as a sophomore.  

Individually, he finished 3rd in the 2023 spring SPC tournament. Despite his high finish, Zhong was disappointed by the result.  

“I was tied for the lead going into the last three holes, and then I really stressed myself out,” he said. 

That same season, the former head varsity golf coach, Thom Flinders, made Zhong a varsity captain.  

“He works hard at the game,” said current Head Coach Will Turbyne. “He doesn’t sit back and rest on what he’s accomplished; he keeps pushing his game further. And I think that’s something – leadership by example – that is very captain worthy.” 

Junior Grant Colocousis, who has played with Zhong since seventh grade, says his impact extends beyond that. 

“Whether it’s your swing or how to attack a hole mentally, Henry’s always willing to help you,” Colocousis said. 

Zhong went into his junior year more determined than ever before. 

“I wanted to make sure I played my game and didn’t get caught up in the context around it,” Zhong said. 

Turbyne says this idea of staying focused is often more prevalent in golf than other sports. 

“Unlike other sports, there’s literally nothing you can do to stop your opponent,” Turbyne said. “You cannot block a shot. You cannot tackle them; you cannot do anything. They’re going to play their game. And so what’s important in the game of golf is that you play your game.” 

Ultimately, after shooting 18-hole rounds of 74 and 71, Zhong won the 2024 SPC individual title in the spring of his junior year. Overall, the Greenhill team placed 6th. 

 This school year, Zhong says he is looking forward to having another shot at the SPC title. 

“Last year wasn’t great for us as a team, but I think this year if we come together and play up to our potential, we have the best chance [of winning] we’ve had in [the] last 20 years,” said Zhong. 

Recruiting and Commitment 

At the beginning of his sophomore year, Zhong began emailing coaches with his statistics to denote his interest in their schools.  

The process intensified the summer before his junior year as Zhong played in more tournaments and began having phone calls with college coaches. This past summer, Zhong says that he verbally committed to apply Early Decision to the University of Rochester in New York.  

“I was emailing probably six schools up until this summer and there were some schools that I definitely put more energy into over others,” said Zhong. 

Zhong says that Coach Dan Wesley at the University of Rochester made the difference for him. 

“He really values putting his athletes in jobs post-college, as opposed to trying to win everything you can, and that was something that I share in my mindset,” said Zhong. “So, I chose that as opposed to going to school where maybe they’re a little bit more competitive, but don’t share those values.” 

Additionally, Zhong sees the potential for a relationship with Wesley progressing beyond just golf. 

“I really think that he could help me and become a lifelong mentor and advisor to me,” Zhong said. 

Location was another important factor. 

“Rochester is driving distance from my grandparents, and that was really important to me, because my cousins are also around there,” he said. 

Turbyne, who also taught Zhong in his technical theater class, says that he believes Zhong will excel in university. 

“He’s a fantastic person, and that shows up in his golf game and shows up in his work in the classroom,” said Turbyne. “The discipline with which he approaches his game, the work ethic that he shows and exhibits and the care he takes in preparing himself to compete are just some reasons he will thrive in the next level.” 

Volunteer Work 

As Zhong became more dedicated to golf, he began looking for ways to give back to the community around him, namely, golfers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 

He joined two organizations that allowed him to do this: Caddies for Kids and First Tee. 

Caddies for Kids is a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and caddies – people who assist golfers by carrying the bag that contains their clubs – in the form of high school players to young golfers. It has grown to three chapters across Texas. He began volunteering for the organization just months after its founding in his sophomore year.  

“We take kids out onto the course, play nine or 18 holes, give them the yardage and tell them, ‘This is how you play golf. This is how you live life. This is how you conduct yourself as a person,’” said Zhong. 

Zhong volunteers once or twice a week, and he has five young players for whom he consistently caddies. 

“I really like them,” said Zhong. “I’ve seen them grow, and I’ve seen them get better, not only as golfers, but as people, and that’s something that really matters to me.” 

First Tee is another nonprofit organization. However, it is a nationwide youth development organization that combines golf with a life skills curriculum that teaches over 3.6 million youth each year. 

Zhong began volunteering there his junior year and coaches group classes for young players every Monday evening.  

“There was one kid, his name was Mason, and last year he was, really, really shy, and just didn’t speak and do that much,” said Zhong. “Over the course of those classes for like eight weeks, he completely changed. He’s funny, he speaks his mind and he’s also really good at golf.” 

Zhong says that his work transcends teaching sports skills.  

“The volunteering is more about just playing golf, it’s about how to be a better person,” Zhong. “When I coach these kids, I see myself in them and get to be the mentor that I never had.”