Looking for golf clubs? North Fort Myers collector has about 5,000 for sale

When a visitor once walked into John Berg’s home and saw the hundreds of golf clubs he had around his home, she asked, “How do you live in here?”

Berg slyly replied, “Very carefully.”

And when she noticed Berg wasn’t married, he added, “No female would put up with this place.”

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For about 25 years, Berg has collected putters, drivers and irons in Illinois, the Miami area, Lake Okeechobee and now North Fort Myers. Between his double-wide trailer and warehouses, he figures he has about 5,000 clubs.

“I like to make a few bucks,” he said. “I enjoy the thrill of buying something, stopping in a place and finding something. I’m also glad to sell them.”

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Now in his late 70s, Berg no longer plays golf. While he’s had knee surgery and is bothered by a bad back, he admits he’s burned out on the game. That’s why he’d like to find a buyer for his entire collection.

“If the right person came along, I’d like to sell them,” he said.

Berg was an assistant golf pro, teacher and golf coach who also had rental properties, taught night school and was a caddie.

When he moved to Hollywood in 1996, he started collecting clubs. Berg and a buddy would scour thrift shops and flea markets along the coast, looking for treasures. Over the years, he found a 1900 Slazenger putter, 1915-20 half-blade putter, a rare, no-name Wooden shaft putter, Jack Nicklaus/George Low putter (only about 3,000 produced) and a Bill Buckley putter designed for Karsten Solheim. Solheim, a golf club designer, founded Karsten Manufacturing - better known by the name of PING - and the Solheim Cup, the premier international team competition in women's golf.

“There were only about 100 of those made,” he said. “They were rare ones.”

Taking advantage of an interest in classic collectibles, Berg picked up dozens of wood clubs as well as 1,200 wedges and irons from the 1960s, which he sold either off his front porch or on trips to San Diego.

Some of his customers were just learning to play. Others liked something that reminded them of the good, old days.

“Just the nostalgia, the vintage clubs,” he said. “However, the trend went downhill quickly. Then people wanted mainly newer, better stuff.”

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One time, Berg met a man who invited him to his Miami home and see his golf collection.

“He had about 35 bags of golf clubs,” Berg said. “Old stuff and semi junk. Then I almost fainted. He had about 17 or 18 classics. I loaded up the station wagon. I asked him how much he wanted and he said, ‘Just give me $20.’

“Then he told me about two old Studebakers he had. I wish I had bought one of those.”

When he got home, Berg said found a few more goodies which he put into “junker match sets.

“I took them to the backyard, got out my Brillo pad and cleaned those clubs. I worked and sweated and when I got bored, I played with my dog. It was one of the best days of my life. I think I ended up with about 50 classics. And when I sold them, I think I made about $1,000.”

If he sold his collection, Berg said he doesn’t know what he’d do.

“I just enjoy what I’m doing right now,” he said. “Being retired.”

Want thousands of golf clubs?

John Berg has a 25-year-old collection of golf clubs. If you’re interested in buying it, you can contact him at 618-319-0642.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Looking for golf clubs? North Fort Myers collector has about 5,000 for sale