Community Corner
Betty Burfeindt: From golf pro to pet photographer
What started out as a hobby to fill the time between golf tournaments has turned into a full-fledged career.
At the height of her pro career, Betty Burfeindt was touted as one of the best on the course, winning five tournaments and an LGPA Championship.
For celebrity events, she was paired-up with the likes of Peter Falk, Gary Morton and Sammy Davis Jr.
Burfeindt, a long-time Rancho Mirage resident, smiles as she remembers her time on the course with Sammy.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“He looked at me and said, ‘I’ll teach you how to dance if you teach me how to putt,’” she said.
And she was an acquaintance of Dinah Shore, playing the tournament that bears the renowned singer’s name each year from 1973-86.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Being on the road as much as she was, Burfeindt decided to pick up a camera to take scenic shots of the places where she played.
And at home, she began photographing her two cats, Sadie and Harriet.
“A friend of mine saw the pictures,” Burfeindt explained. “She had a Siamese and I took a picture of him. She wanted it framed. So I did. Then she told some people and they told some people and that’s how it started.”
Now, 20 years later, Burfeindt has a long client list throughout the Coachella Valley, including many in Palm Desert.
Burfeindt said she is completely self-taught. In addition to the photographic work, she has a complete frame shop in her studio and can deliver the finished product ready to hang.
Over the years, she has photographed dogs, cats, birds and a horse named “Chapeau.”
“The horse was supposed to run past me so I could shoot it in the air, running,” Burfeindt recalled. “He took a look at me and came running right at me, charging. I knew enough about horses not to move or run. But he came up real close and looked right at me and snorted and kept running. He was a tease.”
New clients often find her by spotting her car around town. It has a conspicuous “Petography” sign emblazoned on the side. She can be found online at: www.pet-tography.com.
Burfeindt’s work is clearly a source of joy, which is evident when she displays the many images of adorable pets that she has shot.
“I love animals, I always have,” she said.
When she isn’t shooting, or in her studio, Burfeindt can still be found on the golf course, teaching at The Springs Country Club, where she is a resident golf pro.
