We were lucky to catch up with Liz Breed recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz , thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I was born into a golfing family. With that, I feel like I’ve worn many hats within the golf industry. It’s hard to pinpoint just one defining moment in my golf career. Playing professional golf has taught me that success comes from a series of small moments. Over time, those little, tiny things lead to some pretty serious momentum.

I’d say that is how I would define my career. Not one tangible defining moment, but small organic growth. I feel like I can keep up with that pace.

A few moments that do stick out:

– My biggest professional tournament win. I won the 2017 Colorado Women’s Open. In my playing professional days, this gave me a huge sense of relief. I could compete, I could win.

– The decision to teach golf full time. Playing golf was all I knew until about 2019. Switching to teaching golf allowed me to have a healthier relationship with the game. Very healing decision.

– Leading training trips abroad. In fall of 2024, I began taking small groups of students all over the world to train. Seeing my students way out of their comfort zone, working hard, brought me so much joy.

Liz , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Currently, I serve as the Senior Instructor at Five Iron Golf and as the Lead Instructor at the Seawane Club. I’ve been teaching full time for just over 5 years and it’s truly the happiest I’ve been in the golf world. As mentioned, I grew up around this sport and have been playing for over 25 years. Being around golf as its perks, but it’s also become my primary identity: I am a golfer first and foremost.

My services include: technique training, playing development, equipment education, guided practice, etc. The list could go on forever. It may sound silly, but my primary responsibility is developing a students’ relationship to golf; they need to know that they can get better, both mentally and physically. I think that is what sets me apart from others: I want you to make the games yours, in however you define that.

I am most proud of navigating a close minded field in my own way. Golf is rooted in privacy and exclusion. Being heavily tattooed, maybe too boisterous at time is not cohesive to most golf facilities. It’s fun to uproot the system sometimes.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Playing professional golf is an immense challenge, especially on the women’s side of the sport. I loved competing and traveling, but the resources were too limited. Teaching wasn’t really on my radar, as playing golf took up my entire life. But like most things in life, stumbling into something is the best way to find out if it really matters to you. Through teaching, I’ve been able to develop my leadership skills, create a warm environment for people to learn, and (hopefully) be an approachable golf resource.

One of my more recent pivots has been the development of events that I lovingly call, the Safaris. These are small group training trips that I’ve put together. These are the perfect balance between adventure, exploration, and dedication all surrounding golf. I’ve been hosting these events since last fall and have been able to take my students all across the world: London, Los Angeles, West Palm Beach to name a few.

Pivots are a sign of growth; if you need to pivot, you are developing into who you want to become.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There is a lot of power in being yourself, especially in your career. My consistency as an instructor, my ability to learn and instill better habits for myself have all come from staying true to myself. With how much work and passion I have towards golf, I don’t think I could water myself down. That has been the key to building my reputation in golf.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shank.haney

Image Credits

Photos by Jack Ducey and Katie McCurdy