Where the Greatest Story

in Golf Comes Alive!

Over 2,000 pieces on display – one of the greatest
collections of golf memorabilia in the world.

About

The Jack Nicklaus Museum, located in the heart of The Ohio State University sports complex in Jack's hometown of Columbus, Ohio, is a 12,000 square-foot educational and historical facility. Here, you will encounter the history of golf and its greatest practitioner…take an immersive journey through Jack's brilliant career including trophies, photographs and various mementos from his unparalleled 18 major championships and 100 worldwide professional victories…and discover the many facets of this remarkable man who added so much to the history of golf. Your visit will bring to life the story of a man who transcended the game. Jack Nicklaus' total commitment and mental toughness define greatness not only in golf and in sport, but also in life.

Legends of Golf Gallery
Explore the origins of the sport from the 1400s in Scotland and learn of the great traditions of the game. Encounter golfing greats such as Jones, Snead, Zaharias, Hogan, Palmer, and others who helped build the sport. Here you can also trace the development of golf equipment from the feather ball era of wooden clubs, to the gutta-percha ball and iron "cleeks", to the wound ball and classic irons and woods.
Decades
Learn about the life of Jack Nicklaus through the years. Each decade is represented: his boyhood days in the 1940s, learning the game in the 1950s, challenge for the top spot in golf in the 1960s, dominance of the sport in the 1970s, amazing comebacks in the 1980s, Champions Tour excellence and course design career accolades of the 1990s, and the legendary status he enjoys in the 21st century. An extraordinary collection of Nicklaus artifacts is on display - the clubs, trophies, awards, scorecards, golf bags, golf balls, and mementos collected through over 50 years in the sport. A highlight is Jack's legendary George Low Sportsman putter.
Major Campionships Galleries
The story of Nicklaus' unprecedented 18 major championships and the history of the majors is told in these galleries. Here you will find a record 6 Masters trophies and a Masters green jacket, along with such important golf clubs as Jack's 1967 U.S. Open-winning putter "White Fang", his 1986 Masters irons, his 1959 & 1961 U.S. Amateur wood-shafted putter, and his 1973 PGA Championship wedge. Each of the 5 galleries recreates the environment of each major, complete with venue wall murals and clubhouse doorways.
Nicklaus Family Room
Family life has been the most important part of Jack Nicklaus' career. Nicklaus has said that his family was one of the keys to his success in golf. This gallery gives guests the experience of visiting the Nicklaus home in Florida. On exhibit are photos and family mementos displayed as in their actual family room. Featured is a video production hosted by Jack Nicklaus II providing a unique look at their family life growing up in the Nicklaus household and living as a golf tour family.
Memorial Tournament Gallery
The Memorial Tournament is a dream come true for Jack Nicklaus. In 1974 Muirfield Village Golf Club opened, and the first Memorial Tournament was held in 1976, soon becoming one of the most prestigious stops on the PGA Tour. Artifacts from the tournament over the years are on display, such as Greg Norman's mud-covered golf shoes from the final round of his 1995 victory. There are also tributes to its Illustrious champions and yearly honorees.
Nicklaus Course Design Gallery
Golf course design has become Jack Nicklaus' "second career" and another lasting Nicklaus legacy to golf. He began in the late 60's as a consultant on Hilton Head's Harbour Town Golf Links with Pete Dye, and now has designed over 410 courses worldwide. This gallery shows the locations of these courses on a wall-sized map and illustrates how a course is designed from start to finish. Characteristically, Nicklaus' courses continue his commitment to quality and attention to detail.
Nicklaus Art Gallery
On display is a collection of original Nicklaus paintings by noted golf artist Glenn Harrington. These striking images are a pictorial essay of Nicklaus' Career and his family through the years.
OSU Exhibit
The Ohio State University, host campus of Museum and Nicklaus' alma mater, has over a 100-year history of competitive golf. The Men's & Women's golf teams have a proud tradition of excellence with many former players making their mark on their professional tours. Trophies from Big Ten and NCAA national championships are on display, along with golf equipment and a collection of signed golf balls. The OSU Turf Grass Science program has also made a big impact on the national scene, with many graduates working at the foremost golf courses, ballparks, and stadiums around the country. The unique discipline of turf grass science is clearly presented.
Nicklaus Theater
A three-screen presentation on Jack’s life and career narrated by Sean Connery. The theater is also available for meetings and events.

Jack's Career

(Professional Years: 1962 through 2003, inclusive)
Summary Victories:20, Second Place:19, Third Place:9
18 Professional Titles 6 – Masters (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)
5 – PGA Championship (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980)
4 – U.S. Open (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980)
3 – British Open (1966, 1970, 1978)
2 Amateur Titles 2 – U.S. Amateur Championship (1959, 1961)
8 Champions Tour Titles 4 – The Tradition (1990, 1991, 1995, 1996)
2 – U.S. Senior Open (1991, 1993)
1 – PGA Seniors Championship (1991)
1 – Senior Players Championship (1990)
PGA TOUR Career Statistics

Year

Tour
Appearances

Scoring
Averages

Tour
Victories

2nd Place
Finishes

3rd Place
Finishes

Tour
Winnings

1962

26

70.80

3

3

4

$61,868

1963

25

70.42

5

2

3

$100,040

1964

26

69.96

4

6

3

$113,284

1965

24

70.09

5

4

2

$140,752

1966

19

70.58

3

3

3

$111,419

1967

23

70.23

5

2

3

$188,998

1968

22

69.97

2

3

1

$155,285

1969

23

71.06

3

1

0

$140,167

1970

19

70.75

3

3

2

$142,149

1971

18(25)

70.08

5

3

3

$244,490

1972

19(21)

70.23

7

3

0

$320,542

1973

18(22)

69.81

7

1

1

$308,362

1974

18(20)

70.06

2

3

0

$238,178

1975

16(20)

69.87

5

1

3

$298,149

1976

16(19)

70.17

2

2

1

$266,438

1977

18(21)

70.36

3

2

1

$284,509

1978

15(18)

71.07

4

2

0

$256,672

1979

12(13)

72.49

0

0

1

$59,434

1980

13(14)

70.86

2

1

0

$172,386

1981

16(18)

70.70

0

3

0

$178,213

1982

15(18)

70.90

1

3

2

$232,645

1983

16(18)

70.88

0

3

1

$256,158

1984

13(16)

70.75

1

2

1

$272,595

1985

15(17)

71.81

0

2

1

$165,456

1986

15(19)

71.56

1

0

0

$226,015

1987

11(14)

72.89

0

0

0

$64,686

1988

9(11)

72.78

0

0

0

$28,845

1989

10(13)

72.35

0

0

0

$96,594

1990

9(13)

73.71

0

0

0

$68,045

1991

8(10)

71.61

0

0

0

$123,796

1992

8(9)

72.29

0

0

0

$14,868

1993

10(11)

72.96

0

0

0

$51,532

1994

8(12)

74.79

0

0

0

$11,514

1995

10(12)

72.69

0

0

0

$68,180

1996

7(12)

73.50

0

0

0

$37,779

1997

7(10)

72.91

0

0

0

$85,383

1998

5

71.1

0

0

0

$128,157

1999

2

73.25

0

0

0

$5,075

2000

8

73.56

0

0

0

$17,244

2001

4

73.08

0

0

0

0

2002

1

75

0

0

0

$8,910

2003

4

75.61

0

0

0

0

Champions Tour Career Statistics

Year

Tour
Appearances

Scoring
Averages

Tour
Victories

2nd Place
Finishes

3rd Place
Finishes

Tour
Winnings

1990

4

68.60

2

1

1

$350,000

1991

5

69.79

3

0

0

$343,734

1992

4(5)

71.00

0

1

1

$114,547

1993

6(7)

71.00

1

0

0

$206,028

1994

6(8)

70.35

1

0

0

$239,278

1995

7(11)

69.68

1

2

1

$538,800

1996

7(10)

70.92

2

1

0

$360,861

1997

6(8)

71.41

0

1

0

$239,932

1998

6(7)

71.64

0

0

0

$205,723

1999

3

71.63

0

0

0

$19,673

2000

7

71.84

0

0

0

$166,422

2001

7

71.59

0

0

0

$266,127

2002

3

74.83

0

0

0

$266,127

2003

10

71.33

0

0

0

$221,593

Selected PGA TOUR Records

Most Major Championship Victories

20 Total
6 Masters
5 PGA Championships
4 U.S. Open
3 British Open
2 U.S. Amateur

Most Masters Victories

6

Most U.S. Open Victories

4 (tied with Hogan, Jones, & Anderson)

Most PGA Championship Victories

5 (tied with Walter Hagen)

Most World Series of Golf Victories (old and new format combined)

5

Most Tournament of Champions Victories

5

Most Players Championship Victories

3

Most birdies in a row to win PGA Tour event

5, Jackie Gleason Inverarry Classic, 1978 (last five holes)

Most consecutive years winning at least one tournament

17, 1962-78 (tied with Arnold Palmer)

Most consecutive years, top-10 money list

17, 1962-78

Most years No. 1 on final money standings

8

Selected Champions Tour Records

Most Senior major championship victories

8

Best 72-hole score

261 (65-68-64-64) 27 under,
1990 Senior TPC

Largest 54-hole lead

8 strokes, 1991 PGA Seniors' Championship

Most Tradition victories and Wins in a single event

4

Jack won 10 of the first 35 official starts on the Champions Tour, eight of which were senior majors. He has finished in the top 25 in 57 of his 68 senior starts and has 38 top-10 finishes, as of January 2002.

Golf Honors
1974 Inductee World Golf Hall of Fame World Golf Hall of Fame
1978 Sportsman of the Year Sports Illustrated
Golfer of the 1970s GOLF Magazine
1970s Athlete of the Decade National Sports Writers
1888-1988 Golfer of the Century Centennial of Golf in America (GOLF Magazine)
Golfer of the Century GOLF Magazine
Associated Press
Golf Monthly Magazine
British Broadcasting Company
Toronto Star
Asian Golf Monthly
Top Male Golfer of The 20th Century Golf World Magazine
Golfweek
Best Individual Male Athlete of the 20th Century Sports Illustrated
Golfer of the Millenium PGATOUR.COM
GolfWeb
Today's Golfer
Greatest Golfer of All Time Golf Digest
2000 Memorial Tournament Honoree Captains Club
2000 Distinguished Service Award PGA of America
2001 Payne Stewart Award PGA TOUR
ESPY Lifetime Achievement Award ESPN
Golf Course Design Honors
Architect of the Year 1993 Golf World
Environmental Recognition Awards 1996 John James Audubon-Links Magazine
Environmental Leaders in Golf Award 1998 Golf Digest
ING Achievement in Golf Course Design 2000-2001 International Network of Golf
Donald Rossi Award 2001 Golf Course Builders Association of America
Donald Ross Award 2001 American Society of Golf Course Architects
At age 10
carded 51 in the first nine holes he ever played... won the Scioto Club Juvenile Trophy.
At age 11
won the Scioto Club Juvenile Trophy for a second time.
At age 12
won the Ohio State Junior Championship to launch a consecutive streak of five straight wins (1952 to 1956 inclusive).
At age 13
played in his first national tournament (U.S.G.A. Junior Championship for ages 17 and under) and captured first three matches before being eliminated. Won the Columbus Junior Match-Play Championship and Ohio State Junior title.
At age 14
won the Columbus Junior Championship in both the stroke-play and match-play competitions as well as the Ohio State Junior crown.
At age 15
again claimed both Columbus Junior Championships along with Columbus District Amateur title...for the first time, qualified for the U.S. Amateur, losing in first round, 1-down...won Ohio Jaycees and Ohio State Junior again.
At age 16
among most notable victories during these early years was the Ohio State Open, which featured a strong field in 72-hole stroke-play. He won easily on two-round final day with scores of 64 and 72 ... again won the Ohio State Junior title and Ohio Jaycees, but lost the U.S. National Jaycees Championship in playoff.
At age 17
won his first national title by capturing the U.S. National Jaycees Championship. Qualified for the first time at the U.S. Open and missed cut.
At age 18
won Trans-Mississippi Championship...qualified again for U.S. Open, this time making the cut and finishing in tie for 41st place; playing in first PGA tour event (Rubber City Open at Akron's Firestone), was one stroke back of lead at halfway point with rounds of 67 and 66 and finished 76-68 for 12th spot.
At age 19
aptured 1959 U.S. Amateur, defeating Charles Coe, 1-up, in 36-hole final at Broadmoor, Colorado Springs ... also played on winning Walker Cup squad against Britain at Muirfield, Scotland ... won North-South and Trans-Mississippi championships ... reached quarterfinal at British Amateur.
At age 20
runner-up to Arnold Palmer in U.S. Open by two strokes at Cherry Hills and established a record 282 for an amateur entry ... emerged individual winner in World Amateur Team Championship by 13 strokes with 269, eclipsing Ben Hogan's record by 18 shots at Merion Golf Club, where Hogan had finished Open with 287...Colonial Amateur Champion.
At age 21
in last year as amateur, won U.S. Amateur a second time, defeating Dudley Wysong, 8 and 6, at Pebble Beach, California...member of winning Walker Cup squad; Western Amateur Champion, NCAA and Big Ten Champion; finished tied for fourth at U.S. Open.
Height 5' 11“
Weight 190
Birth Date January 21, 1940
Birthplace Columbus, Ohio
Residence North Palm Beach, Florida
Family Wife: Barbara
Children: Jack II, Steve, Nancy, Gary, Michael
Grandchildren: 22
Honors 1985 Golf Family of the Year presented by National Golf Foundation; 1992 Family of the Year presented by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association; 1999 Father of the Year Award presented by Minority Golf Association of America.
Barbara 1998 First Lady of Golf Award presented by PGA of America (inaugural winner); 2000 Winnie Palmer Award presented by Metropolitan Golf Writers Association (inaugural winner).

Host a Special Event

The Jack Nicklaus Museum is the perfect place to host an event that your guests will be sure to remember. Whether a formal dinner party, corporate board meeting, or 200-person reception, the Jack Nicklaus Museum can accommodate your event.

  • CORPORATE FUNCTIONS
  • BANQUETS
  • RECEPTIONS
  • REHEARSAL DINNERS

Please contact the museum for details about hosting your next event in a museum dedicated to the Golfer of the Century!

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