Pipe Dream Show

[caniac6]

I used to work at a course that hosted a lot of low level mini tour events in the early to mid 90's. At the time I was a 9 handicap, and I beat some of the pro players in practice rounds. There were guys that were awful, and blamed everyone but themselves for their bad play,and yet, they all thought they were one lucky break away from making the Tour. This guy is just an older version. I really can't believe that he thinks he should be competing against Langer, Couples, and all the rest of the ex tour players. When the Senior tour first started some guys came out of nowhere. Now most of the new players have had successful careers on the PGA tour.

[TourSpoon]

It is now apparent why he is homeless...he has some real deep seated issues.  The whole thing about his mom's death and cremation was creepy.  His psychiatrist is a little smarmy...no socks with a suit!  Is he related to Dr. 90210?

This guy needs to get some real help.

[johnny2balls]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSchott

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny2balls

Last night showed how much of a complete a hole and obnoxious mentally ill guy he is. He is sick in the head. He showed how easy he can lose his temper.  I have no doubt he probably smacked his wife around.  He talks about being innocent every episode yet never shows his proof he just talks nonsense with his stack of papers just like mentally ill people do.  He has showed that he is lazy and not only does not know how to work does not even want to. He has no concept of what a friend is.

That's a harsh take IMO. I'd say he's very competitive but self-centered. He shouldn't blame his poor golf or lack of mental toughness on his caddy but at the least should have set ground rules for his buddy who's caddying for him. As far as working hard, I don't know where you get that he's lazy. It seems to me that Burk does everything he can to get to the range as often as possible.

I think by lazy he means taking the time to find a real job and getting his life together. Him getting to the range as much as possible ain't paying the bills. The guy has a lawyer working for free, sleeps in free housing, and has to get money from friends to get to q-school. You can see through out the show the guy always had the silver spoon and when it got pulled out of his mouth he had no idea what real life is about. I don't wish bad on the guy but he needs to find reality.

Yes, I did not mean lazy as in practicing his golf.  I meant lazy in general when it comes to working. In the episode where his buddy who owns the club shop had his cleaning clubs he acted like a lazy spoiled brainless adult male.  Typically when you work and have a job you have some amount of responsibility.  This guy avoids responsibility by any means necessary even if that means sleeping in a pipe down by the river or crashing at homeless shelters.  We now know why he does not have a job to support hif golf dream, because he is lazy and does not want the reposibility of having a job, and getting an apartment and paying bills etc... which is part of his mental illness.

I work in the mental illness field.  Day in and day out 24/7.  This guy is mentally ill and needs more than anxiety meds.

As far as ground rules.  The guy who's not only putting up the money but caddying for free should have been the one to set up the ground rules.  I got the cash, it's my way or the highway in that situation.

[cory]

From what I have seen from the show he has some talent. The problem as some may know is focus and distractions that can definately affect how we all play. Not comparing his talent with Tiger's but after his "derailment" last year with his wife, he didn't play all that well (for him). This Burk guy obviously has some issues from even his childhood that has affected him dramatically. I personally hope he gets it all worked out and makes it on the senior tour. Lets be honest there are probably a few guys on the tour that were born with the silver spoon in their mouth.

[limoric]

the guys got mental issues, I hate him now. But then again, maybe half the guys on tour spend a good time blaming their caddy for poor play.

77 in 3rd round, with hernia, being homeless and not playing for 2 years seems pretty good though. Most of his bad scores were due to 3 putts. I can't see why he wouldn't make it to the bottom of the money list on the champs tour if he worked on his game and maybe got a new attitude...

Something just came to me. He's now working with a shrink...wonder if the Golf Channel is playing up this bad attitude just a little...

Anyone notice the nice new shinny Bridgstone hat??? I wonder if they are a future sponsor

[mtsalmela80]

He was shooting in the 80s. While he is a good golfer, he cannot cut it on a professional tour. I would gladly take his game, but not his mental health.

[chriskzoo]

Mark Burk's problem is that he thinks the Champions Tour is his way out of homelessness when he should be focusing on doing something like finding a job at a golf course and maybe working up into an assistant pro position at a muni.

[Harmonious]

It would be a fascinating story if the main character were not so darn unlikeable.  Sounds like he never had to make his own way, was taken care of (whether for good or bad) by his mother.  Does not seem to have any desire to change his current condition, except for golf.  That won't happen.  Expects free legal representation, free food, free housing, free entry fees, free transportation to qualifying, free caddying support.  Then he blames his ex-girlfriend for his life and his caddy for his golf.  He's a perfect victim, the kind you see every day on afternoon talk shows, blaming everyone but himself.

No doubt he gets plenty of $$ from the Golf Channel for this; maybe they are paying all his legal fees.  However, I doubt it will change his outlook.

[Texian]

I haven't watched all of these shows and haven't done any research on this guy's character, but from what I've seen the shows are a lot more interesting than anything the Golf Channel does about Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh.

[mtsalmela80]

Originally Posted by Texian

I haven't watched all of these shows and haven't done any research on this guy's character, but from what I've seen the shows are a lot more interesting than anything the Golf Channel does about Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh.

The last episode of two of World of Golf has been boring because where-as usually its a celebrity match, they have just been showing his new projects, which is not that interesting. I have a Trump course in my backyard.

Depending on your targets political standing, Rush is either the best or worst in the Haney Project series.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by chriskzoo

Mark Burk's problem is that he thinks the Champions Tour is his way out of homelessness when he should be focusing on doing something like finding a job at a golf course and maybe working up into an assistant pro position at a muni.

Exactly - I've said this many times watching the show.     He has the basic skills & knowledge, he needs to get a job at a course & work his way into another non-competitive avenue of golf.

[Texian]

I would probably agree more with Rush than disagree, so that's not the issue. I just think they're both blowhards.

[limoric]

Originally Posted by chriskzoo

Mark Burk's problem is that he thinks the Champions Tour is his way out of homelessness when he should be focusing on doing something like finding a job at a golf course and maybe working up into an assistant pro position at a muni.

That's a bit of a ridiculous statement don't you think. He taught professionally from 1995-2005, working with celebs and and other high profile figures, apparently he's a very good teacher. Prior to teaching he played on the mini-tour circuit as well as the South African Tour. He may not have been a star, but he did well enough to live a decent life (he shacked up with a sugar mama towards the end of his modest up-rise, so what). In the early 2000's he won some mini tour events shooting in the low 70's (70, 71 was his last win). Is he PGA tour material, no. Could he get by on the champs tour, mini tours, while teaching and perhaps earning some other golf business income...for sure, it's what he's done his whole life!

I hate the guy, but to say he should try to become an assistant pro at a muni is like saying a successful actor down on his/her luck should wait tables. If you've go the skills, use them...he just needs to fix his mental issues, of which they are severe

To much hating on this guy just to hate him. And for the record, I hate him but mostly because he's a jerk...or perhaps he's just being portrayed as one...

Is it lost on some of you guys that he is actually exploiting this Golf Channel opportunity, and that in itself is actually a business strategy. You don't think they just found this fellow in the tubes do you.

[jetsknicks1]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

It would be a fascinating story if the main character were not so darn unlikeable.  Sounds like he never had to make his own way, was taken care of (whether for good or bad) by his mother.  Does not seem to have any desire to change his current condition, except for golf.  That won't happen.  Expects free legal representation, free food, free housing, free entry fees, free transportation to qualifying, free caddying support.  Then he blames his ex-girlfriend for his life and his caddy for his golf.  He's a perfect victim, the kind you see every day on afternoon talk shows, blaming everyone but himself.

No doubt he gets plenty of $$ from the Golf Channel for this; maybe they are paying all his legal fees.  However, I doubt it will change his outlook.

^^^^This. I try to like the guy but you're right, he is the perfect victim. When his life went downhill he didn't do too much to change it. He seems to just wait for someone to give him something, then blames those that are trying to help him for his continuing misfortune.

[xxsoultonesxx]

I just have difficulty feeling too sympathetic towards the guy. It is really hard to swallow his whole situation when you know there is so much that isn't mentioned. They show him riding his bike around and bumming meals at shelters, when you know somebody gives him rides and feeds him. You don't get your own TV show and NOT collect some kind of payment. Everything feels entirely too fabricated for me to feel for the guy. It doesn't help his cause that he acts like a total child around anyone willing to help/support him.

Good golfer or not, I simply don't care.

[franky21]

Well he is a pretty good golfer and for not being able to play it is amazing how good he is. I mean i fell a little bad for the guy but we just know what they want us to know who really knows what has gone on in his life to get where he is today. But it is a entertaining show i have to admit.

[Deryck Griffith]

The little respect I had for him was completely gone when he told his friend / caddie to leave him alone during his final round at Q school.  This is the same guy that volunteered to caddie for him, helped pay his entrance fee to Q school and drove him 6 hours to compete.  If you can treat someone that cold who is there for you in that way, then you are scum.  It also shows how miserable he is and make me question what reallyu did happen between him and his ex.

[walk18]

The little respect I had for him was completely gone when he told his friend / caddie to leave him alone during his final round at Q school. This is the same guy that volunteered to caddie for him, helped pay his entrance fee to Q school and drove him 6 hours to compete. If you can treat someone that cold who is there for you in that way, then you are scum. It also shows how miserable he is and make me question what reallyu did happen between him and his ex.

+1. Totally agree with this.