Mark Burke Update

[Lefty94]

I was going to post in the Pipe Dream thread but apparently it's locked....I saw this today and thought I would pass it along.

 

“Pipe Dreams” star Mike Burk finds Home On the Range New reality show may be filmed in Newcastle By Sara Seyydin Journal Staff Writer

Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal Former golf professional Mark Burk lived his dream of playing and teaching golf for a living, until court battles with an ex-girlfriend landed him homeless and without a career. Mark's journey has taken him to a new home, Home on The Range golf range in Newcastle where he works as a golf instructor while living in a camper in the parking lot. Less than a year ago, Mark Burk played at the ritziest golf courses in Palm Springs by day and drifted off to sleep in a construction pipe by night.

 

Last week Burk, a professional golfer, went from being homeless to finding his Home On the Range in Newcastle.

 

The 54-year old star of the Golf Channel reality show “Pipe Dreams,” which aired earlier this year, chronicled his quest to qualify for the PGA Champions Tour while calling pipes on a construction site home. He didn’t make it on the tour, and after some teaching jobs at golf courses Burk ended up homeless again.

 

Destination Auburn

 

With nowhere to call home and no steady income, Burk got on a train to Auburn to visit old friend, Carrie Borba, a couple of weeks ago. Borba is the daughter of Burk’s late golf mentor Jimmy Donahue.

 

Last week, Phil Green, Newcastle golf professional and owner of the Home On the Range, met Burk and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse — a recreational vehicle, a job teaching golf and maybe most alluring, the stability of life in small-town America.

 

“Two days before I was getting ready to leave I met Phil,” Burk said. “He said, ‘I believe in your show and I believe in you. I’ve got an RV and a place for you to teach.’”

 

Away from the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, where he grew up, and lavish Country Club lifestyle he once knew as a professional golfer for Warner Brothers, Burk is finding intrigue with a slower pace of life. He may not be teaching celebrities such as former clients Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Josh Dumal or Cameron Mathison, but he has found some loyal friends.

 

“It’s just like Mayberry here, with Aunt Bea and apple pie,” Burk said. “I’ve never been to a place like this. The other day we went to Phil’s parents’ house to put up a Christmas tree and there was a chicken in the middle of the house. I just love the whole family business because it’s small — everything is so corporate now.”

 

The day that changed it all

 

In December 2008, Burk lost everything — a luxurious 7,000-square-foot home and an extravagant lifestyle after getting into a series of legal battles with ex-girlfriend and supermodel Beverly Johnson. The court eventually dismissed many of the cases, but Burk admits he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse charges. He claims those charges were based on false evidence. Fifteen years earlier, Johnson brought similar charges against Chris Noth, who played “Mr Big” on the TV series Sex and the City.

 

“On that day my life changed. It was December 2008. Everyone was panicking over what was going on financially. My friends my age are all married with kids,” Burk said.

 

After that he was in and out of homeless shelters and living on the street.

 

Burk never stopped golfing though. Some producers heard his story and thought it was worth sharing. The second season of “Pipe Dreams” did not get renewed.

 

New reality show in discussions

 

Currently, Burk is in discussions with an Encino-based production company, Bishop-Lyons Entertainment, to tell the next chapter of his story through a new TV series that would likely be filmed at Home On the Range. Burk said he hasn’t given up on his dream of making the tour and he said the Auburn-area would be the perfect backdrop for his series.

 

“Right now we are in discussions with Mark about doing a reality show,” said David Lyons, President executive producer for Bishop-Lyons Entertainment. “We love the story and are thinking that is a large possibility at this point.”

 

Green said he is most focused on helping Burk as a person, although he thinks the notoriety he earned from the show could also benefit his driving range. Green has helped teach and coach golf in many local schools with grants.

 

“Of course I had seen his story on Golf Channel because I’m a golf nerd,” Green said. “I had kids on my E.V. Cain team who were homeless. That’s always been my underlying motive and tendency, to seek out those who are in a bad spot and give them a jump start.”

 

Never Give Up

 

Local golf professional and Placer High School golf coach Greg French has been playing with Burk at The Ridge Golf Course in Auburn since he got into town a few weeks ago. He said Burk’s story really impacted him.

 

“He still plays very, very well,” French said. “He still works on it everyday. He’ll go and ride his bicycle there at 9 a.m. and will stay all day until 5 and then ride back. It takes some kind of very strong person to do what he has done and to find his way to make his dream. He just is (saying), ‘I’m not giving up.’ It’s really riveting. It kind of brings tears to your eyes.”

 

Reach Sara Seyydin at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

[tembolo1284]

Very cool...thanks for that post.

[bubbagump]

How does he have the new MB irons? lol

[Lefty94]

[quote name='bubbagump' timestamp='1324308046' post='3960005']
How does he have the new MB irons? lol
[/quote]

From the pic it looks like he is full out TM now.....

[bubbagump]

Yeah I see that, I guess they just hook him with free stuff.

[tembolo1284]

Jealous of all the free equipment he gets dammit.

[tigerphan]

brb asking him on twitter if I can get in on a show/free equipment .

this guy is either a genius in hiding, or the luckiest guy alive. not sure which

[tembolo1284]

I wonder what/how he actually teaches? Because I remember in the pipe dream show his instruction was utter crappola on wheels.

[bubbagump]

[quote name='tembolo1284' timestamp='1324317760' post='3960887']
I wonder what/how he actually teaches? Because I remember in the pipe dream show his instruction was utter crappola on wheels.
[/quote]

I thought he was a pretty good lesson. He was a a walking billboard "Do not become this guy".

[tembolo1284]

[quote name='bubbagump' timestamp='1324318282' post='3960921']
[quote name='tembolo1284' timestamp='1324317760' post='3960887']
I wonder what/how he actually teaches? Because I remember in the pipe dream show his instruction was utter crappola on wheels.
[/quote]

I thought he was a pretty good lesson. He was a a walking billboard "Do not become this guy".
[/quote]


Haha, you got that right.

[Llortamaisey]

Good for him.

Hopefully he is no longer his own worst enemy.

[tembolo1284]

He needs to find another chick.

If Daly has a chick...then Burk can get one.

[french bum]

I have no sympathy for this D bag. Instead of going to McDonald's and getting a job flipping burgers and a studio apartment so he can begin to rebuild a normal life for himself, he opts for a steady diet of government cheese and sleeping on the street. I guess a studio apartment and a minimum wage job is the same as being homeless when you used to living in a huge house with a rich supermodel.

[bubbagump]

[quote name='french bum' timestamp='1324327197' post='3961591']
[b]I have no sympathy for this D bag[/b]. Instead of going to McDonald's and getting a job flipping burgers and a studio apartment so he can begin to rebuild a normal life for himself, he opts for a steady diet of government cheese and sleeping on the street. I guess a studio apartment and a minimum wage job is the same as being homeless when you used to living in a huge house with a rich supermodel.
[/quote]


hahahahah harsh crowd

[thekru]

I have no sympathy for this D bag. Instead of going to McDonald's and getting a job flipping burgers and a studio apartment so he can begin to rebuild a normal life for himself, he opts for a steady diet of government cheese and sleeping on the street. I guess a studio apartment and a minimum wage job is the same as being homeless when you used to living in a huge house with a rich supermodel.

 

Couldn't agree with you more. When you lived that kind of life style previously I find it hard to believe you don't have a couple of connections to land you a decent job. One better than flippin' burgs at McDonalds for damn sure. Never met the guy, but he seems like a drama queen with 'poor me' syndrome.

 

 

 

[tembolo1284]

[quote name='french bum' timestamp='1324327197' post='3961591']
I have no sympathy for this D bag. Instead of going to McDonald's and getting a job flipping burgers and a studio apartment so he can begin to rebuild a normal life for himself, he opts for a steady diet of government cheese and sleeping on the street. I guess a studio apartment and a minimum wage job is the same as being homeless when you used to living in a huge house with a rich supermodel.
[/quote]


I agree with this. Just funny to see this coming from a dude with the name french bum. Love it.

BANG!

[french bum]

^^lol
I never thought of that.....

[Thrillhouse]

ME: Hey Mark, do you live in this parking lot?

 

MB: pfft, no, its an RV, it can go anywhere.

 

[zripp3]

[insert National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation quotes here]

[Txstcatman]

[quote name='tembolo1284' timestamp='1324321564' post='3961153']
He needs to find another chick.

If Daly has a chick...then Burk can get one.
[/quote]

They don't call him "Big" John Daly for nothin'.

[kemau]

glad to see this....hopefully taking a "step back" to small town america will help lead him to find the meaning of being humble, grateful and thankful for the little things that he seemed to overlook in palm springs

[henricogolfer]

I can not fathom how giving golf lessons from the top of a garage did not work out for him.

[kemau]

[quote name='henricogolfer' timestamp='1324344234' post='3962967']
I can not fathom how giving golf lessons from the top of a garage did not work out for him.
[/quote]

looks like it did work out for him though....has another gig with room & board waiting for him to accept. that's the good 'ol USA for ya. gotta love it

ponder this however....how many of us would quit our job right now and do what he is? would you like to teach or play/practice golf all day long as your chosen profession the way he is? of course it's well within reason to say he hasn't been successful but he has or is playing golf every day. to be totally honeest i wouldn't mind having golf as what i do or am involved with on a daily basis. but is it paying the bills versus having a steady 9 to 5 job elsewhere?

[kemau]

fully equipped with adidas & taylormade head to toe

 

 

homeless & struggling?

 

[Thrillhouse]

[insert National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation quotes here]

 

 

 

 

 

proving once again that elaborating on a joke is not the same as making a joke.

[Motoman]

So I live like 20 mins from this place but I've never been there, but for fun I'm going there to see this guy

[Thrillhouse]

[quote name='Motoman' timestamp='1324349161' post='3963381']
So I live like 20 mins from this place but I've never been there, but for fun I'm going there to see this guy
[/quote]

Huh, I think thats the first time ive seen "fun" and "meeting mark burk" in the same sentence.

[Motoman]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]Just having fun here so sorry if I offend anyone[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]But what teaching package should I pick[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]The Pipe Dream[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]Up In Smoke[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]Half Baked[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]Dazed and Confused[/size]

[size="3"][/size][size="3"]Super High Me[/size]

[size="3"][/size]

[Pert1862]

This guy is a joke. I didn't like listening to him on his show I can only imagine him giving me lessons!!!

[Body_Visions]

I have two questions.

1) How could anyone watch that show and feel connected to him and want to help him?

2) Who, other than a beginner than knew no better and didn't know him, would take a lesson from him?