Colin Burns’ idea of slowing down is going full speed ahead – just in a different gear. For 31 years – until this past Dec. 31 – Burns was the highly-respected general manager at fabled Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.,Y. Only 32 years old when took the job in October 1991 (after first turning it down) Burns became a driving force behind what has made Winged Foot synonymous for a combination of classic golf club culture and modern, family-friendly atmosphere.
In a way, Colin Burns and Winged Foot came of age together. That might sound a bit unusual for a Club that is celebrating its 100th anniversary, sports two classic A.W. Tillinghast golf courses (East and West); where Bobby Jones (1929) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1984) each won the U.S. Open; and where Davis Love III won the famed rainbow-ending 1997 PGA Championship, but consider that when Burns arrived at Winged Foot, its iconic clubhouse had no thermostats and no air conditioning. There was a swimming pool, but it was in disrepair and the idea of “casual’’ was dining on the patio – but still in a coat and tie for men.
The late Tom Nieporte, Winged Foot’s legendary director of golf, is said to have described driving up Fenimore Drive to the clubhouse as akin to a Hollywood facade. It all looked great on the outside, but not so good on the inside.
During his three-plus decades at the Club, Burns added substance to that Hollywood style, including a caddie center, employee center, clubhouse renovation, and high-profile charity events.
“We spent the first 10 years getting things cleaned up, and then reinvigorating our relationship with the USGA,’’ said Burns, who had a big hand in planning the Club’s star-studded Centennial gala this past May 27.
He still often refers to Winged Foot as “We’.’’
“Maybe in a couple of years I’ll stop doing that. I spent half my life there.’’
A half a lifetime in one place gives a person great insights. Among them, when it’s time to go. Burns knew he didn’t want to stay through Winged Foot’s hosting of the 2028 U.S. Open, and he didn’t want to create a rift between himself and the Club’s board members. So in March 2022, he submitted his resignation, effective at year’s end.
“A good host knows when it’s time to end the party,’’ Burns said. “It was time to end the party. But it was a hell of a party.’’
The party might have quieted down, but life goes on. This past Jan. 1, Burns was named chief operating officer of APOGEE, a private golf club in Hobe Sound, an exclusive, 1,200-acre, three-course property being developed by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Michael Pascucci, who developed Sebonack Golf Club on eastern Long Island.
“I bring a sense of experience,’’ to APOGEE, Burns said. “Let’s just take our time. I think I’m very capable of being an advisor to the two owners – although they really don’t need my advice except for the occasional thought about golf and about club culture.
“Here at APOGEE it’s a very collaborative environment. So was Winged Foot, but here you’re dealing with two owners instead of board members. Mr. Ross and Mr. Pascucci have operated at such high levels… they can have very meaningful conversations without the distractions of all the personal agendas.
“One of the things we’re going to try to do at Apogee is thread that needle between modern golf and traditional. We’ll still want shirts tucked in and hats off in the dining areas. Yet at the same time we want it to be fun. We want members to bring their families.’’
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Photo: Colin Burns in Hobe Sound, FL.