Patrick Thomas Burke

I set out to write a biography for my father in these past few weeks, but while searching through his own resumes and cover letters, I was able to find this, a narrative of his career until his shoulder injury, written by him. As I sat down to read this, I quickly realized it was one of the few things that had been able to make me smile in these last few weeks, so I am adding it here, hoping that you all might be able to read along in my dad’s voice smiling as well.

“In 1969, I started playing organized hockey in New Jersey, on an outdoor rink in Navesink NJ.

Our house league had four teams, we practiced twice a week, and played the other teams on Saturday mornings. In those days, we were basically the odd kids playing a sport few knew much about.

In summer, I played golf. SO I basically played the two sports nobody played or really cared about. Every year was pretty much 9 months of hockey, and 3 months of golf. Of course, I played summer league hockey whenever it was available!

I was a really good goalie, but found out pretty quickly at a summer camp in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, that really good players recognize when you’re basically a smurf. When the bantams started shooting at my head, I thought they just didn’t like the only American in the camp. Well, they didn’t, but they were skilled enough to know that a short butterfly goalie was going to leave an enormous target in the top of the net.

So, at 14, my dreams of being an NHL goalie ended. I loved the game, so I started skating as a forward. I was good enough to get a few scholarship offers, but really was kept from playing D1 hockey by an unfortunate break. I was really short, and not particularly good!

It turns out that I was however, a pretty talented golfer. In my senior year I won a few tournaments, including the State Championship (duplicating the feat of my older brother a few years earlier!), and learned that I might be pretty good at it. It was also a relief that being about 5’6” wasn’t going to have the same effect as that height had on the rink.

So, I dove into golf, the family business. My grandfather, mother, father, and older brother were all well regarded golf professionals, and very good players. I wanted no part of the golf business, but really wanted to compete, at anything. Golf afforded me that opportunity.

I played one disastrous year of college golf in Florida, and moved to California to work at my parents course near Los Angeles.

I rediscovered hockey again, and was able to play junior hockey well enough to be invited to a tryout for a Junior A team in Iowa. I had already seen the level of hockey in Prince Albert, and knew my future was on fairways, sadly, not ice rinks. See, the thing is, at 54 years old, I still miss hockey. The smell of rubber mats and the cooling equipment when you walk into a freezing arena on a 90 degree California day. The unmistakable odor of the hockey bag when you forget to air your stuff out after a hard practice. The smart ass comments in the locker room, and weird sound the composite skates make when they’ve just been sharpened and you first get on freshly cleaned ice.

The conundrum is, I was good at golf, but I love hockey. I was able to qualify for and play on the PGA Tour for 7 years. I was interviewed once and drew a blank stare from the writer when I told him I would have easily traded 5 NHL years for 10 PGA TOUR years. I still would, even after reaching the age of 50 and receiving the professional athletes ultimate mulligan, the Senior Tour. I qualified to play a few senior events after earning a conditional status. I hadn’t played competitively for more than 15 years, and didn’t really have much of an opportunity to play, but I was able to see that I was still good enough to play a bit.

SO, now I sit writing this with a serious injury that looks to have ruined my shoulder. I’m 54, and after trying to play senior golf for 3 years, I will be going back to golf instruction and coaching, basically starting over. I have told friends and family that here I am, having to grow up...AGAIN. I played hockey, stopped, got a chance to play again at 18/19, and then played college golf for a few years. Stopped that and went to work for a few years, and tried one more time to play golf. I qualified for the PGA TOUR and lived the fantasy island lifestyle of a tour pro for 10 years before health issues ended THAT career. I taught golf and worked at various golf programs for 10 years, and with the help of friends, qualified to try the Champions Tour the past 3 years. Now it looks like Ive had the worst injury in my sports playing life, and what caused it?

AN EZ GO Golf cart!!! Yup, played hockey a good portion of my young life, continued playing pick up and rec hockey when older, played professional golf for 17 years, and I got taken out by a golf cart.

You grow up playing the fastest toughest sport in the world, and have it all taken away by a 15 MPH vehicle!! All I can think is it would have been so much better if I could have at least said it was a Zamboni!”

-Pat Burke

Patrick Burke was born on March 17, 1962 to Michael and Joan Burke in Hollywood, Florida one of three children, along with Michael and James. Pat's younger years were spent in New Jersey where he attended Christian Brothers Academy and Bricktown High School, graduating in 1978. He went on to attend college in West Palm Beach Florida before moving to California for good in 1982. In California, he continued school at Citrus College and went on to attend Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he began to show his tremendous talents in golf, winning the Gary Sanders Invitational twice.

After finishing college, Pat worked in different areas including as an Assistant Superintendent to his step father, Bill Martin, at Friendly Hills Country Club. During this time, he began to work diligently on his golf game which quickly led to his turning pro in 1986 and qualifying for the Australian Tour. This success led him to the PGA Tour in 1989, again in 1992 and then, the Buy.Com Tour. In 1994, he headed back to Australia and won the Australia Players Championship and the Victorian Open. Returning to the US, Pat enjoyed success from 1995-1997 with numerous strong finishes, and a tie for 3rd at the B.C. Open, his best finish ever. In his career, Pat also competed in 5 Major Championships, but unfortunately, a wrist injury derailed his playing career, leading him back to California, and to a career in teaching all levels of golfers. He found a great niche at Coto de Caza Country Club for numerous years, teaching many up and coming successful amateur and junior golfers. One of his most fulfilling jobs on his portfolio was working with the Get A Grip foundation, where Pat met lifelong friends and helped change the lives of countless young students through golf instruction and after-school education.

At his passing, he had began teaching at El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel, California, and was again reaching a new level of success for himself, his students and, El Niguel. Pat's playing experience, knowledge of the golf swing, and his true desire and compassion to help his students, was what made him such a successful teacher and mentor to so many. His legacy will live on through the many lives he reached throughout his teaching and playing career.

My dad and mom met in 1982 while skating at a rink in West Covina, California, they went on to have their first date at Pizza Chalet that evening, and the rest is history. My father was the most hardworking, honest man I have met, and the absolute best husband and father my mom and I could have asked for. Every minute that he was not working to help provide for us, he was supporting me, showing up for every single softball game, soccer game, award ceremony and every single one of my music performances. Sometimes having to cross state lines to do so. Every decision that he made in life was in consideration of how it would benefit my mom and I. His presence will be tremendously missed by all of his friends and family.