Jon Zieske was a talented golfer.
He competed for years in mini-tours, lower-tier tournaments in which professional golfers fight to progress to the sport's next level, and then the next, and then ultimately the PGA Tour. Zieske's wife, Lisa, was often his caddie in those tournaments.
Zieske enjoyed testing his game against other skilled golfers, but according to his friends and associates, he found even greater satisfaction in teaching the game.
"Of course he was a competitor, but it meant more for him for the people he was playing with to enjoy their golf experience than the score he shot," said Dr. John "Mack" Moore, a longtime friend of Zieske. "He had that type of personality, and he was comfortable in his own shoes."
Zieske collapsed and died Saturday morning at The Alotian Golf Club in Roland, where he'd been the director of golf since the club opened in 2004.
He was 48 years old.
Zieske was the Country Club of Little Rock's assistant golf professional for much of the 1990s before Arkansas golf pillar Dan Snider hired him to organize tournaments, run the caddy program and mentor players at The Alotian, the private club that Golf Digest magazine ranked 27th on its list of the 100 best courses in the country this year.
Moore, 79, said it was Zieske's "dream job."
Zieske's golf savvy and easygoing nature led to friendships with high-profile Arkansans including Arkansas Democrat-Gazette publisher Walter Hussman and Dillard's Chief Executive Officer Bill Dillard II.
Dillard on Saturday described Zieske, whom he'd known for 15 years, as a "real positive human being."
Dillard said that even when Zieske struggled on the links -- "he'd actually shoot over par occasionally," he joked -- Zieske was an affable companion.
"He just loved life," Dillard said. "He never had a harsh word."
Snider, chief operating officer at The Alotian, said he was "shocked and stunned" at Zieske's death Saturday. He said Zieske was "one of the most respected golf professionals" in the region.
Snider said Zieske also was a family man.
"The one thing that everybody would tell you about Jon is he was a devoted Christian father and husband," Snider said. "He was strong about his faith and truly devoted to his wife and two daughters. He was just one of the finest men I've ever known."
Zieske was a Cleveland native who graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University.
He was awarded the PGA President's Council Award for Growing the Game in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010. The award recognizes golf professionals who are "committed to positively affecting the game by playing host to and reporting on adult player developmental programs at golf facilities nationwide," according to the PGA.
Golf Digest listed Zieske as one of the top golf instructors in the state, along with Snider, based on a survey of their peers.
"To say he was beloved out there would be a gross understatement," Moore said.
Metro on 06/25/2017