- Dick Falenski, 74, from York, Pennsylvania, started collecting in 1965
- He has so many balls he's had to store them in custom-made furniture
- Mr Falenski says he aims to collect more than 50,000 unique golf balls
By Daily Mail Reporter
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A golf fanatic with a love of unusual golf balls has taken his passion to extremes and amassed what is believed to be the biggest collection of unique balls in the world.
Most golfers own plenty, but devoted Dick Falenski, 74, has amassed more than 36,000 differing sorts which he crams into his home - aptly located on Fairway Drive.
He collected his first ball more than 50 years ago and has now got so many he has to store them in specially-made coffee tables, gumball machines, and Victorian bathtubs in his basement.
Golfing fanatic Dick Falenski has collected more than 36,000 golf balls in his lifetime
Mr Falenski's collection is so vast that he has custom-made furniture to store them, but they still spill out
Mr Falenski's incredible collection features balls that belonged to U.S. presidents such as Bill Clinton, sports stars like Michael Jordan and others stamped with famous courses from around the world.
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The balls - some of which date back almost 200 years - have been gathered from 34 different countries with one of the earliest from St Andrews, Scotland, known as the 'Home of Golf', where he first played in 1965.
Rory McIlroy fan Mr Falenski also has balls from other Open venues such as Troon and Turnberry but is missing one in his collection - Muirfield, where the 2013 Open will take place this weekend.
Innovative storage: The balls - some of which date back almost 200 years - are even stored in a giant gumball dispenser
Mr Falenski, from York, Pennsylvania, said: 'I don't know what different ball I will get next but my wife jokes I might have to start looking for a different wife soon if I keep going at this rate.
'I used to collect a few here and there then one day I asked my friend who collected balls he found on courses what he did with his logo balls and he started giving me his spares.
'When he wanted to get rid of his collection of about 3,000 I bought them for $500 and things just escalated from there.
His collection of golf balls can be found hidden in all sorts of furniture, some acting as decorative designs
Devoted Dick Falenski, 74, has amassed more than a whopping 36,000 differing golf balls
Ironic: The world's largest golf ball collector even lives on Fairway Drive, and when he's not planning where to find his next new ball, Mr Falenski gets out onto the course to hit his favourite balls
'I started off just wanting golf courses and golf tournaments. And then I wanted universities. And then it was medical balls - hospitals, doctors, drug companies. And now I have just random brands - it's impossible to categorise them.
'There are probably a couple dozen or so from the UK too which take pride of place during the Open.
'I hope one day to top more than 50,000 in total although I have more to go before I get there. But the closer I get the more I want to hit that target.'
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