"John Clonts" wrote
Flying to Burnet, Texas (BMQ) the other day:

"Houston Center, 7nz request vectors-to-final Burnet GPS-01, or else request
direct JIBAJ for the GPS-19"

"7nz, you're number three, cleared direct Burnet, expect further clearance
2125"
...
I didn't understand what he was telling me to do once I got there.

Unsurprising - he didn't tell you what to do. That was improper. The
only question in my mind is this - why didn't you immediately ask for
a clarification? Why wait until you're 5 miles out?

About 5 miles from Burnet:

"Center, 7nz, unclear my instructions when I get to Burnet"

"7nz, fly the hold as published"

I read that back, but then looked on my enroute, and there was no hold. I
looked on my approach plates (GPS-1 and GPS-19) and there was no hold there.
By this time I'm just about to crossing KBMQ.

"Center, 7nz, sorry I see no published hold"

"7nz, sigh then fly heading 270, vectors to Burnet"

I then eventually flew one missed approach (GPS-19) then a successful
approach (GPS-1).

Afterwards it dawned on me that the published hold that he was talking about
was the hold depicted on the BMQ NDB-1 approach plate. The NDB is on the
field, but my mind had been in "gps" mode since I don't have ADF in this
plane.

So my question (finally!) is: was that proper of Center to assign me that
hold "as published"?

The clearance was proper. Your GPS substitutes for an ADF in all
situations other than an NDB approach with no GPS overlay.

The WAY the clearance was issued (phraseology) was confusing at best.
The controller used nonstandard phraseology. The correct clearance
would have read:

"7nz, you're number three, cleared direct Burnet NDB, hold South as
published, expect further clearance 2125"

Hopefully that would have tipped you that the hold was depicted on the
NDB approach chart, and all would have been well.

Michael