APPLETON, Wis. — Bob Burns stays busy doing what he loves best, teaching and sharing his passion for golf.

He came to Appleton in 1975 to be the golf pro at the newly created Chaska Golf Course. Now at the age of 73, Burns is celebrating 50 years as a PGA member.

“A lot of people think I’m much older than that,” said Burns. “They’ll come in and say to my son, you know, my grandpa got clubs from your dad and my dad got clubs from your dad. He got clubs for me and I want to get clubs for my son.”

He now runs the 20-acre Bob Burns Golf Learning Center that allows for year-round training. Burns became well known for his custom work with clubs. His innovative “No Bananas” club solved slicing problems and helped put him on the national stage.

“We were set up next to Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made, all the big names,” said Burns. “Here we are right in the midst of them and we’re selling our anti-slice clubs.”

Burns started in the golf world as a caddy at the age of ten. Over the years he honed his craft in club making and club repair. In 1996 he became a PGA Master Professional. 

“It took me about 26 years to get enough credit, enough study, enough workshops and things I had to attain myself and then write a master thesis to become a Master Professional,” said Burns.

Burns worked with big names like Bob Hope, former Green Bay Packers coaches Mike Holmgren, and Mike McCarthy. His biggest joy however may come from the work he’s done with Wounded Warriors. Burns’s father was severely injured on the beaches of Normandy during World War II. He enjoys working with wounded veterans to help them get the most out of golf.

“I spent a week out there at Walter Reed. I was really moved by it,” said Burns.

Bob’s son Robbie now heads up the club department. To commemorate his father’s 50 years in the PGA, Robbie designed a special club with the exact gold and blue Pantone of the PGA.

“What’s the reason why they come? It’s because of his PGA credibility,” said Robbie Burns. ”I wanted to highlight that and this is the most popular product we have right now.”

Bob Burns has spent most of his life in golf but he’s never shied away from new technology. Even now, Burns can be seen giving lessons and recording swings with an iPad. Later, he’ll break the swing down, drawing different colored lines on the screen, to show his pupil where improvements can be made.

“I never thought it would come to this but whatever it was, we had it first,” said Burns.

He’s at home here, in the learning center that he built, passing his knowledge on to another generation of golfers.