Burke Cromer seemed born to play professional baseball. His father played in the minor leagues and coached the South Carolina freshman team for a year, before coaching the Lake City baseball team for 17 years. Burke Cromer played baseball at the University of South Carolina from 1989-1992, then played with the Atlanta Braves Organization for a year and a half. All three of his brothers played separately on big-league teams like the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers, Houston Astros, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
So, how did he end up having a very successful career as a golf pro, certified by the Professional Golf Association, and employed as head professional at the Mid Carolina Golf Club? In his case, Cromer says he “…kind of got into golf by accident.” He had a serious injury to his shoulder which changed the course of his life.
Were his parents let down in him? Not at all. Cromer says his parents never really pushed the boys toward baseball; they just gravitated to it. He added that the boys did not get all their athletic prowess from their dad. “Our mom was an athlete herself. She told us she played defense in basketball back in the day when you didn’t cross half-court. She twirled the baton in the band. She was a good dancer. She and our dad went shagging all the time. She was pretty smooth on her feet.”
Cromer had played a little golf in the past. His dad connected him to someone who ran a golf course, where he played until he worked out his future. To become a Class A Head Professional, one needs to take a Player Ability Test (PAT). He signed up and passed. He first started playing golf “as a cart guy,” where the local pro gave him a set of clubs. He says, “The irons were half Titleist, half Tommy Armour. And the driver had a dent in the top of it. That’s all the clubs that I had–and a putter.” He used words like “double bogey,” “above par,” and “in the bunker” to describe his early plays. Burke Cromer has some great stories, and his early golf ones are the best.
Cromer has been at Mid Carolina for about a year and a half and sees it growing quickly. He appreciates the great people there and shapes his goal to make it as good a golf course/club as he can. Although he still enjoys playing in tournaments, he especially likes helping other people improve at the sport. He gives about three to five lessons a week. Because he still plays well, people sometimes think there is some magic trick to it. He says, “There is no magic drug to getting better at golf. I have worked extremely hard at it for 20-plus years.”
Cromer enjoys spending time with his wife Monica, their son J.D., 21, and daughter Julia, 19. As for his golf, Cromer says, “I work as hard as I can. So, when I lay my head on the pillow at night, I know I have done my best.”