#50 Patty Berg
Home Course: Como Golf Course – St. Paul, Minnesota
From Como Park Fairways to Golf’s Mount Rushmore
When Patty Berg first picked up a golf club at age 13, she didn’t walk through the manicured gates of an exclusive country club, she stepped onto the city-owned fairways of Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minnesota. In an era when golf was overwhelmingly male-dominated and often elitist, Berg’s introduction to the game through a public course set the stage for a career defined by both record-breaking performance and barrier-breaking leadership.
Berg would go on to win 15 major championships, still the most in women’s golf history, and 60 professional titles. But the foundation of her greatness was built on a muni that welcomed everyone, from weekend warriors to kids like her who had never even considered golf until they stepped onto those public greens.
The Early Years in Minnesota
Born in Minneapolis in 1918, Berg was a gifted all-around athlete from a young age. She was the quarterback of her neighborhood football team, excelled at tennis, and had the speed for track and field. Golf wasn’t even on her radar until her parents suggested she try something “less rough.”
That suggestion brought her to Como Golf Course, a municipally owned course nestled in Como Park. With its affordable fees and open-access policy, Como became a playground for young Berg. It was here, among factory workers, schoolteachers, and retirees, that she began her journey in the sport.
Unlike the cloistered environment of a private club, Como exposed her to golf’s democratic spirit, everyone was equal on the first tee, and the game itself was the only judge.
Finding Her Game at a Muni
Como Golf Course wasn’t a pristine championship venue. It had the quirks, bare spots, and scrappy edges you’d expect from a Depression-era municipal layout. But those conditions were an advantage. They taught Berg creativity, adaptability, and the ability to thrive without perfect lies or flawless greens, skills that would prove invaluable throughout her career.
Berg learned by doing. With no formal junior academy for girls at the time, she relied on repetition, trial and error, and a growing obsession with mastering every shot.
Amateur Dominance
By the time she was in her late teens, Berg was already making a name for herself. She won the Minneapolis City Championship at 16 and quickly became a fixture in regional tournaments. Between 1934 and 1938, she claimed three Women’s Western Amateur titles and three U.S. Women’s Amateurs, the most prestigious events in women’s golf before the professional tour existed.
These victories, many on public or open-access courses, showed the world that talent could flourish outside of golf’s traditional power structures.
Turning Professional and Changing the Game
Berg turned professional in 1940, and the next three decades cemented her as a legend:
- 15 major championships — a record that still stands in women’s golf.
- 60 professional wins.
- First-ever winner of the U.S. Women’s Open (1946).
- Co-founder and first president of the LPGA Tour.
Her career was interrupted by World War II, during which she served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Even then, she found ways to promote golf, organizing exhibitions for troops and teaching the game to servicemen and women.
Public Golf’s Lasting Influence
Berg’s upbringing at Como influenced her career in three profound ways:
- Inclusivity – Playing at a muni made her believe that golf should be open to everyone, a philosophy she carried into her LPGA leadership.
- Self-Reliance – Without elite private-club instruction, she learned to troubleshoot her own swing, giving her confidence in any competitive situation.
- Community Connection – She never forgot her roots, often returning to Como for exhibitions and youth clinics, inspiring the next generation of public-course golfers.
Ambassador for the Game
Beyond her competitive record, Berg was one of golf’s greatest ambassadors:
- Conducted over 16,000 free clinics, many at public facilities.
- Served as a visible role model for women athletes during a time when their opportunities were severely limited.
- Promoted the LPGA’s mission to bring professional women’s golf to audiences nationwide, often choosing venues that were public or municipally owned.
Her work wasn’t just about trophies, it was about expanding the reach of the game.
Como’s Place in History
Today, Como Golf Course proudly displays a plaque honoring Berg. The course still serves a diverse community of players, and walking its fairways is like stepping back into the origins of a Hall of Fame career. For young golfers there, Berg’s story is a reminder that greatness can grow from the most humble turf.
Why She’s #50 on the Countdown
Berg sits at #50 not because her achievements are modest, they’re towering, but because she’s the foundation stone for so much that came after. Without her, the LPGA doesn’t exist in the form we know today. Without Como Golf Course, we might never have had Patty Berg at all.
Her story is exactly why the Muni Kids Muni 50 exists: to prove that champions can come from anywhere, and that public golf is more than just accessible, it’s transformative.
Key Stats
- Born: February 13, 1918 – Minneapolis, MN
- Home Course: Como Golf Course, St. Paul, MN
- Professional Wins: 60
- Major Championships: 15 (Record, women’s golf)
- Honors: World Golf Hall of Fame (1974), LPGA co-founder & first president
- Military Service: Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps (WWII)
Quote
“Golf is about what you put into it. I found that on a public course as a kid, and it never left me.” – Patty Berg
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