At age 77, Bruce Buhrandt has the same job he did 55 years ago: Coach. While the locations, sports and athletes have changed, one thing has remained constant for the Naperville native and CDGA member – the passion with which he teaches.
“[Coaching] is something I felt I was born to do,” Buhrandt said.
Today, Buhrandt is the head adaptive coach for the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA), an organization dedicated to bringing inclusion to individuals with disabilities through the game of golf. In addition to hosting coach trainings, performing adaptive golf clinics and coordinating adaptive golf tournaments across the U.S. – the organization will play a large role in helping the CDGA conduct the 2nd Chicago Adaptive Open, June 21-22 at Fox Bend Golf Course in Oswego – the USAGA hosts numerous clinics for golfers with physical and cognitive disabilities at schools throughout the Chicago District. Buhrandt plays an integral role in scheduling and conducting the clinics.
“It’s something I look forward to every day,” Buhrandt said.
The USAGA is the culmination of an impactful career that has spanned seven decades. After growing up in Chicago and playing basketball and baseball at DePauw University in Indiana, Buhrandt’s first coaching job was the 1970 freshman men’s basketball team at Indiana University – one year before the arrival of Bob Knight.
From there, as is typically the case for lifelong coaches, Buhrandt’s career featured multiple stops. Bay Port High School – basketball and baseball – in Green Bay, Wisconsin. An assistaant men’s basketball position at Long Beach State. Head boys basketball stints at Argo High School in near southwest suburban Summit and Leyden High School in Franklin Park, near O’Hare. Time as a scout for the then-Seattle Supersonics. Assistant men’s basketball positions at North Central College in Naperville and Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
Eventually, the time came for Buhrandt to hang up his whistle. When one door closed, however, another opened.
“I did not really pick up golf seriously until I retired,” Buhrandt explained with the raspy and booming voice of a life spent patrolling the sideline. “Once I retired, [golf] has become a passion for me.”
Buhrandt joined Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville and was at the course’s indoor facility in Bolingbrook when he first became exposed to the USAGA seven years ago. A clinic was taking place at the other end of the range from where Buhrandt was hitting balls. A friend was going to help with the clinic, so Buhrandt tagged along – and made a fast impression.
“Within 10 minutes, I was hired,” Buhrandt recalled.
Using his connections at schools throughout the Chicago District, Buhrandt quickly set to work expanding the scope of the adaptive PE clinics and adding to the organization’s array of coaches. Despite an interruption by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program, funded in part by the CDGA, is as strong as it’s ever been.
Buhrandt works clinics almost daily. The indoor instruction uses Starting New at Golf (S.N.A.G) equipment to teach the basics – grip, stance, putting, chipping, etc. More advanced students eventually participate in driving range clinics where increasingly technical skills are honed.
Despite coaching individuals with different aptitudes than he did for most of his career, Buhrandt sees parallels between how he can connect with his pupils.
“Kids are kids,” Buhrandt explained. “They react to a lot of the same things. They react to the fun part of it, they react to discipline. I think very similarly. There's a good balance in there for me.”
Buhrandt shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. His youthful vigor is what keeps him going and has fueled his passion for molding young athletes for 55 years – and counting.
“Somebody asked me one time, ‘What do you think makes a good teacher?’” Buhrandt said. “My response was, ‘I think a good teacher has to have a lot of kid in him’ and I’ve been accused many times of having more than my share. So, it fits me. I love working with kids. I love improving them. I wake up every morning and I absolutely just look forward to going and working with these kids.
“I can’t tell you how blessed I feel.” —Casey Richards
CDGA Member Spotlight articles are a partnership between the CDGA and Wintrust to highlight an individual, group or program making their underrepresented community Better Through Golf. Individuals with CDGA Member Spotlight ideas should reach out to magazine@cdga.org.