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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-06-04 Jack Nicklaus Story Businessman, Family Man (Palm Beach Post)-Titg Piosn 13-061c1-1 PosT 3utv Prila> ci 9A /530 Nicklaus' main career drive: business of being a family man Last of four parts 0 Golf: A family affair, 4C 0 The business interests, 4C By Craig Dolch Staff Writer Beyond the six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and two U.S. Amateurs, there is one accomplishment that Jack Nicklaus puts above all others. The close relationship with his family. Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills, Pebble Beach, Baltusrol, Muirfield Village and St. Andrews must take a back seat to Barbara, Jack II, Steve, Nan, Gary and Michael. Always have, always will. "The most important thing in my life by a long way is my family," Nicklaus said. "I am never satis- fied that I have actually done my best for and with Barbara and our children, but I am sure they know that they have always come first in my scheme of things and always will." This . is not meant to be window dressing. When someone asked him what he will remember most of the final -round 65 that vaulted him to his sixth Masters title in April, he had a surprise: His eagle on No. 15? His near ace on No. 16? His birdie to take the lead on No. 17? • None of the above. Businessman, Family Man "It was walking up the 18th fairway with Jackie," Nicklaus said. "To have a son share in an experience like that is something I'll always remember." Never away from home long Nicklaus, despite his incredible drive as a golfer, has never allowed his family to come second. It was a commitment he learned through his parents, Helen and Charlie Nicklaus, and something he hopes some- day will be passed on to his grandchildren. "When I had Jackie," Barbara said, "he promised then not to be gone for more than two weeks at any time. In 25 years, the only time we've been away from the kids longer than that was in 1966 when we both took our parents to South Africa for 17 days." Nicklaus sometimes has gone beyond the call of Turn to NICKLAUS, 4C VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH HISTORIAN STAFF FILE PHUT( Jack, Barbara Nicklaus hold newborn Gary, who Barbara calls 'a clone of his father" duty to keep up with the activities Combining golf with business Along the way, there has been Finally, Nicklaus had enough of of his children. After winning the much criticism stating that Nick- doing nothing. "Chuck was expand- 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach,.he Nicklaus, 46, decided early in his laus' business involvement has en- ing the business so much, I ended spent the night flying back from professional career that his golf dangered his golf game. Not so, up not being involved," Nicklaus San Francisco so that he could be game would suffer if he did not said Nicklaus. Part of Nicklaus' said. "It got to the point where I on hand the next day when Steve involve himself with outside inter- makeup is such that the busier he would come in the office and an - and his teammates were playing in ests, particularly in the business becomes off the golf course, the swer phones, sign autographs and an all-star baseball game. field. It's just that, occasionally, better he becomes on it. go to the course. I got bored with And two weeks ago, three days he'd rather read a Wall Street Jour- "Barbara is always pleased to that." before the start of the Memorial nal than a green. see me busy because when my Tournament that he founded and It was this need to expand, along mind is working is when I play my hosts, daughter Nan had a sorority with a few other considerations, best golf," he said. "I don't know function at the University of Geor- that caused Nicklaus to part with why, but I've always been able to gia that she wanted her dad to at- his original manager, Mark McCor- compartmentalize the things I tend. So, despite all the pressing mick, and start Golden Bear Inter - have to do. When I'm on the golf obligations of Memorial, Nicklaus national in 1970. course, I'm thinking about golf. But arranged to stop by Athens on his "First off, I knew I was always when I'm in the office, I'm concen- way from Florida to Ohio. going to be third man on the totem trating on business. I guess this "I made up my mind early that I pole with McCormick as long as ability developed out of necessity." didn't want my children going Gary (Player) and Arnold (Palmer) away to college saying, "Gee, I were still there," Nicklaus said. Enough of doing nothing wish I knew my father better,' " "But, mainly, I left because I felt I Still, this philosophy was put to Nicklaus said. could do a better job in business by the test last fall when Nicklaus as - "I don't think any of them can myself. That's only natural." sumed control of his business from say that," Barbara said. "There are Nicklaus gradually started •to long-time partner Chuck Perry. In mothers and fathers that live half- build a business empire that now the past decade, Perry had gradu- a-mile away that don't make an needs seven, maybe eight, _digits to ally taken over the day-to-day effort to attend things that he'll fly fill out the ledger. All this from chores of running Golden Bear, to in for. I know they appreciate that someone who never received his the point where Nicklaus was bare - kind of commitment." business degree from Ohio State. ly involved with the decisions. Even his closest friends marvel at Nicklaus' resourcefulness in finding time to deal with his fam- VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH ily, golf and business interests. As HISTORIAN much as he's achieved on the course, he's done more off it. Phcr- Businessman , Family Man Immediately after regaining control of Golden Bear, Nicklaus' golf game became unbearable. He missed the cut in three of his first seven events this year, and the ru- mors began anew that Nicklaus the businessman was ruining Nicklaus the golfer. That all changed in April, howev- er. Nicklaus' victory in the Masters was proof that his latest business move had paid off. Even so, Barba- ra said there are times when she has to make sure his priorities are in order. "I remember watching him play the first round at Augusta, and it was obvious that his mind wasn't on golf until the 13th hole," Barbara said. "I told him so after the round. He chuckled at first, but he agreed." Soon enough, Nicklaus got back to the business at hand — winning another major championship. When he did, the man he replaced at Golden Bear was duly im- pressed. "It was taking 100 percent of my time to run the company, and he took over all my duties," Perry said. "It's a miracle that he's been able to play golf as well as he's played." A mastermind and perfectionist It's not a miracle to those associ- ated with Nicklaus. "He has an incredible'ability to quick -study a sit- uation," said Dick Bellinger, Golden Bear's senior vice-presi- dent. "He can take a rather com- plex set of circumstances, analyze them and make the right decision. If Jack Nicklaus had not been a successful golfer, there's no ques- tion in my mind that he would have been a successful businessman." His close friends wonder if there is an aspect of his personal life that Nicklaus hasn't mastered. He's an accomplished fisherman, has de- signed 62 golf courses throughout the world and even is somewhat of a specialist on Southern vegetation, another of his hobbies. "Anything that piques his inter- est, he learns everything there is to know about it," said Bob Hoag, a long-time friend who's the chair- man of Mairfield Village. "He's such a perfectionist that he won't do anything halfway." Said Nicklaus: "That's the way I am. Whatever I do, I do all day." Sometimes, his drive for perfec- tion causes problems. Pandei Sa- vic, another of Nicklaus' close friends, laughingly recalls a fishing expedition they took when Nicklaus was exhorting his novice compan- ions not to let a big one get away. "He wanted me to catch a fish so badly, he was practically trying to catch it for me," Savic said. "He kept screaming in my ea];' how to catch it. Finally, I turned, around and yelled at him to shut up,. That's where he got his nickname,' 'Boca GOande' (big mouth)." A few nicknames Nicklaus has a few other nick- names that he'd rather not hear about. One Barbara gave him early in their marriage was "Handy Jack," and it had nothing to do with the ovation he received at golf tour- naments. "I made the mistake of asking Jack to put up a simple cup rack," Barbara said. "But about 45 min- utes later, he was still trying to figure out where the screws went. We established early that Jack wasn't going to be much help around the house." He wasn't much help when the children stared to arrive, either. Nicklaus was 5-for-5 in fainting ev- ery time he rnt the newest Nick- laus. Once again, he had mastered another, albeit' unusual, art. Nicklaus may not have been with his family at the start, but he's been there ever since. Consider that af- ter all he's accomplished — the 20 major championships, the 71 PGA Tour titles, the 89 victories world- wide, the five Player of the Year Awards — he still looks away from the golf course when asked to find his true highlight. "I think it's my relatioLtship with Barbara and the kids," he said. "The sole objective in life is to bring the kids up to be goodcitizens and contributors to society. If I can do that, then that's my main goal, and that's something that 1.'11 re- member for the rest of my life. That's more important to me 'than winning the Masters." VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH HISTORIAN PAgx For BUSiIIeSQ i:;::rry+: ?G'::}r .. 5:::? j•'::r• Sjtii:Yti: }v: ' Nicklaus startedGolden Bear In:.{::.. 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Excelling on the greens seems to be in its genes. Jack Nicklaus II, 24, won the prestigious North and South Amateur last year to match his dad's 1959 victory in the event. The eldest son will follow into the family business later this summer when he turns professional. In the meantime, Jackie will continue to serve as his father's caddie. Steve, 22, the second -oldest son, can occasionally match par despite playing golf on a limited basis. "He's the type of golfer you hate," said Barbara Nick- laus, Jack's wife, "He won't play for six months, and then he'll shoot 75." Steve knows the ropes of the professional golf circuit, working for Executive Sports, an organization that produces golf tournaments throughout the coun- try. Gary, 17, is a scratch golfer who already has been featured on the cover of Sports Ill ustra ted. The Benja- min School junior recently was named to The Palm Beach Post's All -Area team for the second consecutive year. He looks, and at times, plays like his father. "He's a clone of his father," Barbara said. "They're the same height. They even have the same shoe size." Michael, 13, has played in junior tournaments, but, like most of the family, enjoys all sports. Women enjoy the sport, too The sport isn't limited to the males in the Nicklaus family. Barbara has seen professional golf throughout the world, along with her globe-trotting husband. While at Ohio State, Barbara took a golf class and made three pars and two bogeys during a five -hole `After I played that day (in college), .I: wondered why Jack practices so much. But I haven't broken 60 yet (for nine holes) . I knew it was time to quit after Gary beat me when he was 6.' Barbara Nicklaus examination when the students were let loose on the campus course. "After I played that day, I wondered why Jack practices so much," Barbara said, smiling. "But I haven't broken 60 yet (for nine holes). I knew it was time to quit of ter Gary beat me when he was 6." And Nan, 21, showed enough ability on the prac- tice tee to prompt the women's coach at the University of Georgia to ask her to try out for the team. Twice. "I can remember her being so nervous before the first tryout," Barbara said. "She said, `I'm not ready for people yet.' I thought that was cute. She's played with her father before, but she was worried about playing in front of a real gallery." Nan's sport is volleyball, however, and she at- tends the University of Georgia on a volleyball schol- arship. Just how competitive is this family? Jack Sr., possibly the best golfer ever to tee up, has admitted to losing to his sons on the golf course. Really. Jack II and, yes, even Gary have defeated the six -time Mas- ters champion. Dad doesn't mind. "I really enjoy playing with them," he said. "The kids are always trying to get me to play when I come home, and it's always a lot of fun. ... Even when he loses. That's because with the Nicklauses, golf truly is a family affair. 0 VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH HISTORIAN P/I-E,