June 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

“Tasks connected with the home are the fundamental tasks of h uma n i t y.’ ’………T h e o d o r e Roosevelt Whether, or not Jack Nicklaus ever read that quote from the man his sons called “The Lion,’’ is not as important as the fact that Nicklaus, known the world over as “The Golden Bear,’’ lived TR’s philosophy when it came to balancing fame and family life. In his new book, “Best Seat in the House,’’ Jack Nicklaus II – the oldest of the five Nicklaus children – describes what it was like growing up with a famous father, as well as, sharing that famous name. GROWING UP NICKLAUS: A SON’S TRIBUTE TO HIS FAMOUS FATHER Now approaching his 60th birthday, Jackie told me, “I still struggle with it,’’ The book’s title comes from Jackie caddying for his father, when the older Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters at the age of 46. The pictures of father and son embracing on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club are among the more famous in sports. The title, of course, is also a metaphor for what it was like to be raised in the House of Nicklaus. Co-written with best-selling author Don Yaeger and published by HarperCollins, “Best Seat in the House,” is an easy and entertaining 189- By Steve Pike Ohio Golf Journal