149-683: The Forest Park Golf Course , also known as the Courses at Forest Park or the Norman Probstein Community Golf Course , opened in 1912 as a nine-hole golf course . The original course was designed by Scotsman Robert Foulis , an employee of the Old Course at St Andrews , while a second and third set of nine holes were finished in 1913 and 1915. In 1929, the Forest Park Golf Course was home to
298-509: A volleyball injury. He was coached at Scioto by club pro Jack Grout , a Texas-developed contemporary of golf greats Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan ; Grout had played quite successfully on the PGA Tour and would become Nicklaus's lifelong golf instructor. Nicklaus overcame a mild case of polio as a 13-year-old. Nicklaus won the first of five straight Ohio State Junior titles at the age of 12. At 13, he broke 70 at Scioto Country Club for
447-538: A "Pay and Play" course open to the general public. Notable examples include Pinehurst in the US and Gleneagles in Scotland. A municipal course is owned and managed by a local government body for the benefit of residents and visitors. Some of the historic Scottish golf courses, including St Andrews and Carnoustie fall into this category along with Bethpage and Pebble Beach in the US and many others of less renown. It
596-542: A 21-hole golf course, for instance, will have three additional holes that can be used for practice or as substitutes for a flooded or otherwise damaged hole. Many golf courses have what may be referred to as a "signature hole". This will commonly be the most memorable, aesthetically pleasing or photogenic hole. Links is a Scottish term, from the Old English word hlinc : "rising ground, ridge", describing coastal sand dunes and sometimes similar areas inland. It
745-528: A 21-under-par 267 to win by nine shots. He concluded 1972 by competing in 20 official worldwide events winning seven, placing second in four, and compiling 15 top-10 finishes. Bobby Jones's record of majors was soon broken when Nicklaus won the PGA Championship in August 1973 by four shots over Bruce Crampton for his 12th professional major (surpassing Hagen's mark of 11) and 14th overall when using
894-619: A 66 at Scioto Country Club, which was the amateur course record, and qualified for his first U.S. Amateur . He won the Ohio Open in 1956 at age 16, highlighted by a phenomenal third round of 64, competing against professionals. In all, Nicklaus won 27 events in the Ohio area from age 10 to age 17. In 1957, Nicklaus won the International Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament , having lost the previous year in
1043-459: A costly and time-consuming weed. Augusta National is one of many golf courses to use this type of green. The original design of Augusta National did not include bent grass greens, but in the early 1980s the greens were converted from Bermuda to bent grass. This affected the speed of the greens, making them too quick, and several areas were subsequently remodelled to reduce the slopes and make them more playable. Many other golf courses subsequently made
1192-477: A device that removes a plug of the turf from the ground, and the reinforced cup is then moved, before the old hole is filled in with the plug cut from the new hole and levelled. The hole has a flag on a pole positioned in it so that it may be seen from a distance, but not necessarily from the tee. This location marker is officially called the "flagstick" but is also commonly referred to as the "pin". Flagsticks are made of either coated fiberglass, metal, or wood and have
1341-415: A few course hours short of graduating from college. In a goodwill gesture, Ohio State granted him an honorary doctorate in 1972. Nicklaus officially turned professional in late 1961 and began his career on the PGA Tour the following year. He had previously debated the idea of remaining an amateur in order to further emulate his idol, Bobby Jones . However, Nicklaus realized that in order to be regarded as
1490-553: A final nine of 30 and final round of 65 to shoot 275, four shots better than runner-up Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus and Palmer were the only two players to break par for the week. Sports Illustrated ran a cover photo of Nicklaus throwing his leg high in the air with the headline, "Nicklaus Breaks the Open Record". He also finished runner up in The Open Championship and third in the PGA Championship , one shot out of
1639-413: A four-under-par 68 at Augusta National and never looked back. He was the only player under par for the week as he and the field battled difficult scoring conditions. In the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach again under severe scoring conditions, Nicklaus struck a one-iron on the 218-yard par-three 17th hole during the final round into a stiff, gusty ocean breeze that hit the flagstick and ended up three inches from
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#17327796640091788-492: A golf course, where players may simply hit balls into the range for practice or enjoyment. There may even be a practice course (often shorter and easier to play than a full-scale course), where players may measure the distance they can obtain with a specific club, or in order to improve their swing technique. Practice courses often consist of old holes of a previous design that are kept and maintained for practice purposes or as substitute holes if one or more holes become unplayable;
1937-471: A hazard the player must play the ball as it lies. The area between the tee box and the putting green where the grass is cut even and short is called the fairway . The area between the fairway and the out-of-bounds markers, and also between a mowed apron surrounding the green and out of bounds, is the rough ; the grass there is cut higher and is often of a coarser strain than on the fairways, making roughs disadvantageous areas from which to hit. On par-3 holes,
2086-476: A kid who should have won by 10 shots. During the final 36 holes, Nicklaus was two-under-par; he had shot every round of the tournament at or below par and was the only entrant to do so. Nicklaus had led by two shots with six holes to play. In 1960, Nicklaus also tied for 13th in the Masters Tournament . He tied for fourth in the 1961 U.S. Open , three shots behind champion Gene Littler , having played
2235-424: A lapse of form and did not win a tournament. This was the first year in his professional career in which he failed to win a PGA Tour event. He did, however, come close. Playing well ahead of the last group on a windy day in the final round of the 1979 Masters he was 8-under through 16 holes but bogeyed 17 and parred 18 to finish 7-under. The ensuing 3-man playoff between Ed Sneed, Tom Watson and Fuzzy Zoeller (who won
2384-417: A long distance; conversely, on a slow green a stronger stroke is necessary to roll the ball the same distance. The exact speed of a green can be determined with a stimp meter . By collecting sample measurements, golf courses can be compared in terms of average green speed. It is, however, illegal by the rules of golf to test the speed of a green while playing by rolling a ball on it, or by feeling or rubbing
2533-407: A metal or synthetic bottom (called a ferrule) that is designed to fit in the hole cup. Putting greens are not all of the same quality. The finest-quality greens are well-kept so that a ball will roll smoothly over the closely mowed grass. Excess water can be removed from a putting green using a machine called a water hog . Golfers describe a green as fast if a light stroke on the ball makes it roll
2682-496: A new single-season money record during the year. Nicklaus also claimed his third World Cup individual title in 1971, with help from a 63 in the third round. He also won the team competition with partner Lee Trevino by 12 shots. The year 1971 brought Nicklaus a victory in the Australian Dunlop International as well, punctuated by a course record 62 (his career-low score in competition; one of three) in
2831-459: A one-on-one battle dubbed the "Duel in the Sun", Nicklaus shot 65–66 in the final two rounds, only to be beaten by Watson, who scored 65-65. This event marked the first time 270 was broken in a major championship, and the third-place finisher Hubert Green scored 279. Nicklaus would later say: There are those in golf who would argue into next month that the final two rounds of the 1977 British Open were
2980-608: A playoff between Don January and Don Massengale . In 1967, Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list for the third time. Later that year, Nicklaus and Palmer teamed up for a 13-shot wire-to-wire World Cup victory in Mexico City . Nicklaus competed in 24 official worldwide events in 1967, with five victories, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, and one missed cut. For most of his professional career, Nicklaus employed Angelo Argea as his caddie. After Nicklaus won
3129-638: A playoff. Nicklaus also competed in his first of 44 consecutive U.S. Opens that year, but missed the cut. In 1958 at age 18, he competed in his first PGA Tour event, the Rubber City Open, at Akron , Ohio, tying for 12th place after being just one out of the lead at the 36-hole mark, and made the cut in the U.S. Open , tying for 41st place. Nicklaus also won two Trans-Mississippi Amateurs – in 1958 at Prairie Dunes Country Club and 1959 at Woodhill Country Club, with final match victories of 9 & 8 and 3 & 2, respectively. Also in 1959, Nicklaus won
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#17327796640093278-1003: A professional. Along with three other wins including the Tournament of Champions , he placed second to Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour money list with just over $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 995,217 in 2023). He also teamed with Palmer to win the Canada Cup (now the World Cup of Golf ) in France, representing the United States (this event was shortened to 63 holes due to heavy fog). Nicklaus also finished as low individual scorer for that event. Nicklaus's meteoric rise to fame immediately after turning professional enabled opportunities for him to earn significant endorsement income. These business opportunities were facilitated by Mark McCormack , who also managed Palmer and Gary Player . Golf
3427-443: A raised lip or barrier. It is more difficult to play the ball from sand than from grass, as the ball may embed itself into the sand, and the loose nature of the sand and more severe sloping of many bunkers make taking one's stance more difficult. As in any hazard, a ball in a bunker must be played without touching the sand with the club except during the stroke, and loose impediments (leaves, stones, twigs) must not be moved before making
3576-513: A record for the lowest final-round score in the PGA Championship with a 64 (since broken by Brad Faxon in 1995 with a 63), but fell three shots short of champion Bobby Nichols and his record-setting score of 271. In 31 official worldwide events in 1964, Nicklaus achieved six victories, seven runners-up, placed in the top five 21 times, the top-10 21 times, and had only one missed cut. Nicklaus and Palmer also defended their team title at
3725-513: A select-field event for the year's major champions, and collected another $ 50,000 (equivalent to $ 503,630 in 2023) in unofficial money for that win. In 1963, Nicklaus won two of the four majors—the Masters and the PGA Championship . These victories made him the then-youngest winner of the Masters and third-youngest winner of the PGA Championship, and each win came in just his second year as
3874-416: A shooting guard, and he received some recruiting interest from college basketball programs, including Ohio State. During his youth, he also competed successfully in football, baseball, tennis, and track and field. Nicklaus took up golf at the age of 10, scoring a 51 at Scioto Country Club for his first nine holes ever played. Charlie Nicklaus had joined Scioto that same year, returning to golf to help heal
4023-491: A single season in 1972 at $ 320,542; he eclipsed that threshold again the following year with $ 308,362. The former total was $ 106,137 more than runner-up Lee Trevino . The latter total for the year 1973 catapulted Nicklaus over the $ 2 million career PGA Tour earnings mark, making him the first player to reach that milestone. Nicklaus teamed with Johnny Miller for another team title in the World Cup of Golf , held in Spain. For
4172-401: A standard score, known as par , that a proficient player should be able to achieve; this is usually three, four or five strokes. Par-3 courses consist of holes all of which have a par of three. Short courses have gained in popularity; these consist of mostly par 3 holes, but often have some short par 4 holes. Many older courses are links , often coastal . The first golf courses were based on
4321-518: A tie for fourth in The Open Championship and a runner-up finish in the Doral-Eastern Open to Raymond Floyd via his chip-in birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Nicklaus set a new scoring record for the 1980 U.S. Open with an aggregate of 272, eclipsing his earlier record of 275 from 1967 over the same golf course. That record, while since having been tied by three other players, stood until Rory McIlroy's 268 in winning
4470-569: A time, he worked in the insurance field while he also attended college. He married Barbara Bash (b. 1940), who was a nursing student at Ohio State, in July 1960, and their first of five children, Jack Jr., was born in September 1961. The following month, Nicklaus was intent on becoming the first amateur to win the Masters. In early November, he changed his mind and announced that he was turning professional in order to support his family. He wound up
4619-695: A traditional 18-hole course, and the artificial nature and single-minded putting focus of miniature golf . Pitch and Putt, specifically its governing association the IPPA, has received financial support and logo rights from the R&;A. In 2014, the PGA Tour held a Champions Tour event on a nine-hole par-3 course, the Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf in Ridgedale, Missouri , with four (regular division) or three (over-65 division) rounds played over
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4768-417: A traditional full round of 18 distinct holes. Many older executive courses have been upgraded "in-place" to 18 holes and a traditional par score, or the original course was sold for other development and new land was acquired and built into an 18-hole course. By contrast, par-3 courses, especially Pitch and Putt, are rising in popularity as a compromise between the long play time and high skill levels required of
4917-410: Is another PGA Tour record. During the offseason, Nicklaus addressed two problems that had hurt his performance. His lifelong teacher Jack Grout noticed that he had become much too upright with his full swing, which caused a steep, oblique approach into the ball, compared with a more direct hit; this was corrected by slightly flattening his backswing. Then Nicklaus's short game, never a career strength,
5066-591: Is increasingly common for the management of municipal courses to be contracted out to commercial or other organisations or the course to be sold or shut down completely. Many commercial and municipal establishments have associated golf clubs , who arrange competitions for their members on the courses and may provide clubhouse facilities. In the UK particularly, some older private members clubs have an associated "Artisan" club, originally established to provide low-cost golf with limited playing rights in exchange for unpaid work on
5215-500: Is naturally treeless and this combined with their coastal location makes wind and weather an important factor in links golf. Traditional links courses are often arranged with holes in pairs along the coastline; players would play "out" from the town through a series of holes to the furthest point of the course, and then would return "in" along the second set of holes. The holes may share fairways and sometimes greens (such as at St Andrews to economize on land use, but in modern times this
5364-505: Is on links land near the towns of central eastern Scotland that golf has been played since the 15th century. The shallow top soil and sandy subsoil made links land unsuitable for the cultivation of crops or for urban development and was of low economic value. The links were often treated as common land by the residents of the nearby towns and were used by them for recreation, animal grazing and other activities such as laundering clothes. The closely grazed turf and naturally good drainage of
5513-615: Is partially represented by the American Society of Golf Course Architects , the European Institute of Golf Course Architects , and the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects , although many of the finest golf course architects in the world choose not to become members of any such group, as associations of architects are not government-sanctioned licensing bodies, but private groups. While golf courses often follow
5662-531: Is played from raised artificial teeing surfaces using a tee and it has its own handicap system. There are three main categories of ownership and management of a golf course: private, commercial, and municipal. A private course is owned and managed by a golf club on behalf of its members, on a non-profit basis. Many of the courses opened during the golf booms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are of this type. Some courses, such as Augusta National , are highly exclusive and will only allow visitors to play at
5811-433: Is rare due to the potential for injury from balls coming the other way. Famous links courses include the Old Course at St. Andrews , often described as the "Home of Golf", and Musselburgh Links , which is generally regarded as the first recorded golf course. The Open Championship , the oldest of golf's major championships, is always played on a links course. Links and links-style golf courses have been developed throughout
5960-597: Is the best-selling golf instructional to date. Nicklaus was born on January 21, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in the suburb of Upper Arlington . He is of German descent , the son of Helen (Schoener) and Charlie Nicklaus, a pharmacist who ran several businesses named Nicklaus Drug Store. Charlie was a skilled all-round athlete who had played football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and had gone on to play semi-professional football under an assumed name for
6109-577: Is to continue to enjoy its past prestige." The changes in team selection procedure were approved by descendants of the Samuel Ryder family, along with The PGA of America. The major change was expanding selection procedures to include players from the European Tournament Players' Division, and "that European Members be entitled to play on the team". This meant that professional players on the European Tournament Players' Division,
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6258-527: The 1967 U.S. Open in record-breaking fashion, he did not win another major championship until the 1970 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews . Moreover, his highest finish on the Tour money list for the years 1968–70 was second; his lowest was fourth, his worst ranking on the list since turning professional. However, his fourth-place ranking in 1970 would have been elevated to second if The Open Championship winnings were included during that period in
6407-445: The 1969 Ryder Cup , the entire competition came down to the anchor singles match between Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin . At the par-5 17th hole with Nicklaus leading by the score of 1 up, Jacklin made a 35-foot (11 m) eagle putt to square the match. With the entire competition outcome riding on this match, Nicklaus made a five-foot par putt on the last hole before controversially conceding Jacklin's par putt, ensuring that this game, and
6556-437: The 1970 Open Championship under difficult scoring conditions in Scotland where the wind howled up to 56 miles per hour (90 km/h), defeating fellow American Doug Sanders in an 18-hole playoff round in emotional fashion. On the 18th hole of the playoff, Nicklaus drove about 380 yards, through the par-4 green with a three-wood, and was forced to pitch back to the hole. His eagle pitch finished approximately eight feet short of
6705-510: The 1977 Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Nicklaus approached the PGA of Great Britain about the urgency to improve the competitive level of the contest. The issue had been discussed earlier the same day by both past PGA of America President Henry Poe and British PGA President Lord Derby. Nicklaus pitched his ideas, adding: "It is vital to widen the selection procedures if the Ryder Cup
6854-438: The 2011 U.S. Open . This was Nicklaus's second major win at Baltusrol Golf Club . Nicklaus opened with a record-tying 63 in round one and fought off his playing partner of all four rounds, 1978 Colgate World Match Play Championship winner, Isao Aoki . Entering the final round, Aoki had caught Nicklaus after three consecutive rounds of 68, but over the course of the last day, Nicklaus pulled away by two shots. Each player birdied
7003-592: The Doral-Eastern Open , the Sea Pines Heritage Classic , and the Masters in consecutive starts. His Masters win was his fifth, a record he was to break eleven years later. In this tournament, Nicklaus's 40-foot (12 m) birdie putt on the 16th hole of the final round was a key in his victory over Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in a riveting final-round battle. He also won the PGA Championship in August at Firestone Country Club by two shots over Bruce Crampton for his fourth win. Having won
7152-514: The North and South Amateur at Pinehurst, North Carolina and competed in three additional PGA Tour events, with his best finish being another 12th place showing at the Buick Open . While attending Ohio State , he won the U.S. Amateur twice (1959, 1961), and an NCAA Championship (1961). In the 1959 U.S. Amateur, Nicklaus defeated two-time winner and defending champion Charles Coe 1-up in
7301-445: The PGA Tour money list for the first time in his career by a slim margin of $ 81.13 over Palmer. At The Open Championship at St Andrews , Nicklaus set a new record for the lowest score in the final 36 holes with 66–68 in high winds (the first time in the championship's history that 70 had been broken in each of the last two rounds). This was not enough, however, to win the event; Nicklaus placed second to Tony Lema . Nicklaus also set
7450-624: The Portsmouth Spartans (who later became the NFL 's Detroit Lions ). Charlie had also been a scratch golfer and local tennis champion in his youth. In February 1970, Charlie Nicklaus died of pancreatic cancer at age fifty-six. Nicklaus attended Upper Arlington High School , whose nickname and mascot are coincidentally the Golden Bears. In Nicklaus's senior year, he was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection in basketball as
7599-574: The Seattle Open and Portland Open . In addition, he tied for third in his first appearance in the PGA Championship . Nicklaus completed the year with over $ 60,000 (equivalent to $ 604,356 in 2023) in prize money, made 26 of 26 cuts with 16 top-10 finishes, placed third on the PGA Tour money list, and was named Rookie of the Year. He also won the inaugural staging of the World Series of Golf,
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#17327796640097748-557: The U.S. Amateur in 1959 and 1961 and finished second in the 1960 U.S. Open , two shots behind Arnold Palmer . Nicklaus turned professional at age 21 in 1961. He earned his first professional victory at the 1962 U.S. Open , defeating Palmer by three shots in a next-day 18-hole playoff and launching a rivalry between the golf superstars. In 1966, Nicklaus became the first player to win the Masters Tournament two years running; he also won The Open Championship, becoming at age 26
7897-513: The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship . Between 2001 and 2004, the three courses and the clubhouse were rebuilt under the direction of course designer Stan Gentry . The rebuilding project initially was funded by St. Louis developer Norman Probstein with a gift of $ 2 million, followed by donations of $ 2 million from Eagle Golf, $ 2.4 million from the Danforth Foundation , $ 4.5 million from Forest Park Forever, and $ 1.6 million from
8046-491: The U.S. Open and PGA Championship the same year (subsequently equaled by Tiger Woods in 2000 and Brooks Koepka in 2018). Between 1981 and 1985, Nicklaus accumulated seven more top-10 placements in major championships, including three runner-up performances. He won only twice on the PGA Tour during this period, the Colonial National Invitation in 1982 and his own Memorial Tournament in 1984 for
8195-531: The World Cup in Hawaii, with Nicklaus again finishing as low individual scorer. When Nicklaus won the Masters Tournament in 1965 and 1966 , he became the tournament's first back-to-back winner and the youngest two-time and three-time winner. He broke Ben Hogan 's 72-hole scoring record of 274 in 1953 when he compiled a new aggregate of 271 in the 1965 Masters . This record was tied by Raymond Floyd in 1976 and lasted until Tiger Woods shot 270 in 1997, which
8344-446: The green , is an area of very closely trimmed grass on relatively even, smooth ground surrounding the hole, allowing players to make precision strokes on it. To "putt" is to play a stroke on this surface, usually with the eponymous " putter " club, which has very low loft so that the ball rolls smoothly along the ground, and hopefully into the cup. The shape and topology of the green can vary almost without limit, but for practical purposes
8493-416: The teeing ground , or tee-box. There is typically more than one available box where a player places his ball , each one a different distance from the hole (and possibly with a different angle of approach to the green or fairway) to provide differing difficulty. The teeing ground is generally as level as feasible, with closely mown grass very similar to that of a putting green, and most are slightly raised from
8642-847: The 18th green to force the playoff but he redeemed himself the following year by winning the tournament) and Tommy Jacobs by shooting a two-under-par 70. Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list again in 1965 by a healthy margin over Tony Lema. Nicklaus and Lema formed the U.S. team for the World Cup, held in Madrid , Spain, but could not defend the title, as South Africa won. In all, Nicklaus competed in 28 official worldwide events in 1965, accumulating five victories, seven runners-up, 19 top-5 finishes, 23 top-10 finishes, and zero missed cuts. In 1966, Nicklaus also won The Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland under difficult weather conditions; he used his driver just 17 times because of very heavy rough. This
8791-563: The 1972 PGA Tour season, Nicklaus won seven tournaments and was runner-up in three events. However, Nicklaus did not win the Grand Slam that year, as Lee Trevino repeated as the Open Championship winner (Nicklaus finished second, one shot behind), and Gary Player prevailed in the PGA Championship . Nicklaus closed out this remarkable year with a second of three consecutive Walt Disney World Golf Classic victories by shooting
8940-523: The 1978 Open as the finest four days of tee-to-green golf he had ever produced, and was most proud that the win came at St. Andrews, his favorite place to play golf. The victory was also his most emotional to date. Nicklaus won three other tournaments on the PGA Tour in 1978. One of those wins came in the Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic , where he played the final 36 holes 13 under par and scored five consecutive birdies over
9089-491: The 2015 U.S. Open at age 21. (John McDermott is still the youngest winner of the U.S. Open at age 19 in 1911). The U.S. Open win thrust Nicklaus into the national spotlight, and he was featured on the cover of Time magazine. This was also the beginning of the Nicklaus-Palmer rivalry, which attracted viewers to golf on television. By the end of 1962, Nicklaus had won two more tournaments, which were back-to-back in
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#17327796640099238-492: The 36-hole championship match. For the week, Nicklaus was 20 strokes under par, including 34 birdies and two eagles. At the 1960 U.S. Open , twenty-year-old Nicklaus shot a two-under-par 282, finishing in second place two strokes behind winner Arnold Palmer . This score remained the lowest ever by an amateur in the U.S. Open , until Viktor Hovland beat the record in 2019. Nicklaus played the final 36 holes with Ben Hogan , who later remarked that he had just played 36 holes with
9387-544: The Masters and PGA Championship, Nicklaus missed a playoff for the U.S. Open by two shots and a playoff for Open Championship by one shot. His performance in 1975 resulted in his being named PGA Player of the Year for the fourth time, tying Ben Hogan , and he was also named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Nicklaus also captured his fourth Australian Open during the year. The year 1975 yielded Nicklaus six wins, 12 top-5 finishes, and 16 top-10 finishes in 18 official worldwide events. Nicklaus placed first on
9536-474: The PGA Championship, which elevated him to record-holder for the most wins in the stroke-play era, and which tied him with Walter Hagen for the most wins overall, since Hagen's victories were all during the match-play era. Nicklaus's seven-shot winning margin remained the largest for the stroke-play version of the championship until Rory McIlroy's 2012 victory. This victory also made Nicklaus the only player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 and Ben Hogan in 1948 to win
9685-583: The PGA Player of the Year award for a record fifth time. Between 1972 and 1976 the only time he failed to win this award was 1974. The year 1976 also concluded an official streak of 105 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour (ending at the World Open), which began for Nicklaus in 1970. At the time this streak was second only to Byron Nelson 's record of 113. The following year, 1977, was also majorless for Nicklaus, but he did achieve four top-10 finishes in
9834-462: The PGA Tour money list again in 1976, despite competing in only 16 events, winning just two ( Tournament Players Championship and World Series of Golf ) – neither of them majors – and playing what he called "hang-back-and-hope golf". The 1976 Tournament Players Championship saw Nicklaus set a championship record of 19-under-par 269 for his second win in this event which remained in place until Greg Norman 's 24-under-par 264 assault in 1994. He also won
9983-589: The Satsuki golf course in Sano , Japan, are the only courses with par-7 holes. Par is primarily determined by the playing length of each hole from the teeing ground to the putting green . Holes are generally assigned par values between three and five, which includes a regulation number of strokes to reach the green based on the average distance a proficient golfer hits the ball, and two putts . On occasion, factors other than distance are taken into account when setting
10132-624: The Senior PGA Tour (now known as the PGA Tour Champions ) when he became eligible in January 1990, and by April 1996 had won 10 tournaments, including eight major championships despite playing a very limited schedule. He continued to play at least some of the four regular Tour majors until 2005 when he made his final appearances at the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship. Today, Nicklaus heads Nicklaus Design , one of
10281-517: The Southern and Southwestern United States) are bent grass greens. A green may consist of a thin carpet so that bad weather is not allowed to become a serious factor in maintaining the course. These are considered the best greens because they may be cut to an extremely low height, and because they may be grown from seed. Bent grass does not have grain, which makes it superior as a putting surface. However, bent grass may become infested with Poa annua ,
10430-479: The United States against Great Britain and Ireland on winning Walker Cup teams in both 1959 and 1961 , decisively winning both of his matches in each contest. On the 1959 trip to Britain, he also made his only attempt at the British Amateur , the world's oldest international amateur event, at Royal St George's Golf Club , losing 4 & 3 in the quarterfinal round to fellow-American, Bill Hyndman . He
10579-424: The ability of the player to "take a divot" (effectively, the ability to hit down into the ball, hitting the ball first, then hitting the turf and removing a portion of it as the club continues its arc). Fairways on prestigious tours, like the PGA Tour, are cut low. Mowing heights influence the play of the course. For example, the grass heights at U.S. Open events are alternated from one hole to the next in order to make
10728-425: The appearance and feel of real grass compared to a sand surface. Holes often include hazards, which are special areas that have additional rules for play, and are generally of two types: (1) water hazards, such as ponds, lakes, and rivers; and (2) bunkers, or sand traps. Special rules apply to playing a ball that falls in a hazard. For example, a player may not touch the ground or water with their club before playing
10877-401: The ball may be supported by a manufactured tee (limited to a height of four inches), or by any natural substance, such as a mound of sand placed on the teeing surface. After the first shot from the tee ("teeing off"), the player whose ball is farthest from the green hits the ball from where it came to rest; this spot is known as its "lie". When the ball is in play and not out of bounds or in
11026-471: The ball, not even for a practice swing. A ball in any hazard may be played as it lies without penalty . If it cannot be played from the hazard, the ball may be hit from another location, generally with a penalty of one stroke. The Rules of Golf specify exactly the point from which the ball may be played outside a hazard. Bunkers are small to medium areas, usually lower than the fairway but of varying topography, that are filled with sand and generally incorporate
11175-513: The best of that. So I sort of got myself back to work. So '70 was an emotional one for me from that standpoint. ... It was a big boost. Nicklaus also went on to capture the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship in 1970 with a 2 & 1 win over Lee Trevino in the championship match. In all for the year, Nicklaus competed in 23 official worldwide events, won four, placed in the top-5 10 times, and
11324-615: The best, he would have to compete in greater frequency against the best. Shortly after turning professional, Nicklaus's future agent, Mark McCormack , was interviewed by Melbourne Age writer Don Lawrence , who inquired about the American golf scene. When McCormack described Nicklaus, Lawrence referred to the "large, strong, and blond" player as "the Golden Bear", a nickname that would become synonymous with Nicklaus throughout his professional life. However, another possible origination of
11473-623: The city of St. Louis. The three rebuilt courses are named for trees in St. Louis: the Hawthorn is a relatively flat and walkable layout; the Dogwood is a somewhat hilly course with a water fairway; and the Redbud is very hilly and the most challenging layout of the three. One glass-enclosed clubhouse serves all three courses, and it includes a restaurant open to all park users known as Ruthie's Grill. After
11622-422: The closing holes in the final round. He also won his third Tournament Players Championship in difficult weather conditions; he had won three of the first five stagings of that tournament, and he remains the championship's only three-time winner. He was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated . The year 1978 also marked Nicklaus's sixth and final Australian Open victory. In 1979, Nicklaus suffered
11771-574: The club, as then it is easier to play just a 9-hole round, if preferred, or stop at the clubhouse for a snack between the front 9 and the back 9. A successful design is as visually pleasing as it is playable. With golf being a form of outdoor recreation, the strong designer is an adept student of natural landscaping who understands the aesthetic cohesion of vegetation, water bodies, paths, grasses, stonework, and woodwork, among many other elements. Most golf courses have only par-3, −4, and −5 holes, although some courses include par-6 holes. The Ananti CC and
11920-402: The clubhouse, and thus the front 9 is referred to on the scorecard as "out" (heading out away from clubhouse) and the back 9 as "in" (heading back in toward the clubhouse). More recent courses (and especially inland courses) tend to be routed with the front 9 and the back 9 each constituting a separate loop beginning and ending at the clubhouse. This is partly for the convenience of the players and
12069-548: The completion of the renovations, the Forest Park Golf Course was named the Best Golf Course in St. Louis by the local alternative newspaper , the Riverfront Times . Golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box , a fairway , the rough and other hazards , and a green with a cylindrical hole in
12218-413: The course (a ravine or creekbed may be termed a "water hazard" even if completely dry) Often, a golf course will include among its facilities a practice range or driving range , usually with practice greens, bunkers, and driving areas. Markers showing distances are usually included on a practice range for the golfer's information. Driving ranges are also commonly found as separate facilities, unattached to
12367-545: The course more difficult. One example of this is the infamous roughs at U.S. Opens, which are often 3 to 5 inches high, depending on how close to the fairway or green the section of grass will be. This makes it difficult for a player to recover after a bad shot. Variants of grass used for fairways and roughs include bent grass , Tifway 419 Bermuda grass , rye grass , Kentucky bluegrass , and Zoysiagrass . As in putting-green grass types, not every grass type works equally well in all climate types. The putting green , or simply
12516-455: The course on a long lunch or as part of a meeting. They are also popular with young professionals, because during the normal golf season, the course can usually be played in the time between the end of the work day and sundown. The popularity of the 9-hole course has waned in recent decades; a full 18-hole course still allows for the player to play only the "front nine" or "back nine" as a shorter game, while attracting more golfers seeking to play
12665-431: The course. These associated clubs may be totally independent organizations from the course management, or may have various degrees of formal or informal links. Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus ( / ˈ n ɪ k l ə s ˌ ˈ n ɪ k ə l -/ ; born January 21, 1940), nicknamed " the Golden Bear ", is an American retired professional golfer and golf course designer . He is widely considered to be one of
12814-452: The cup. The U.S. Open was Nicklaus's 13th career major and tied him with Bobby Jones for career majors (although a different group of tournaments had been considered majors in Jones's time). This victory was also Nicklaus's 11th professional major, tying him with Walter Hagen , and made him the first player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open championships on the same golf course. During
12963-424: The current Official World Golf Ranking , starting in 1986. With his victory in the 1971 PGA Championship , Nicklaus became the first golfer to win all four majors twice. In this championship, Nicklaus was the only player to break 70 consecutively in the first two rounds under windy conditions; he finished at seven-under-par 281. Nicklaus finished second twice and fifth in the remaining three major championships for
13112-444: The decision to change from Bermuda to bent grass when they observed increased business at courses that had already changed over. Another type of grass common for greens is TifDwarf Hybrid Bermuda (other variants exist, but TifDwarf is one of the most common), or simply Bermuda grass. Bermuda is more common in regions that have very warm summers and mild winters, such as the Southern and Southwestern United States. Red Bridge Golf Course
13261-444: The early 1960s, McCormack set up a series of televised golf matches around the world among the three stars, known as Big Three Golf. In the early 1970s, Nicklaus left IMG to set up his own management agency, Golden Bear Inc. Nicklaus also signed a contract with Eastern Airlines . He could be seen on TV saying, "If you play golf, Eastern is your airline." Despite winning no majors in 1964 (he had three runner-up finishes), Nicklaus led
13410-467: The final 36-hole match when he birdied the 18th hole. This was significant not only because of Coe's proven ability as a player, but also because Nicklaus became the then-youngest champion in the modern era, second only to Robert A. Gardner , who won in 1909. In 1961, Nicklaus became the first player to win the individual title at the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year. He
13559-407: The final 54 holes one under par. Each of these three major championship finishes designated Nicklaus as low amateur. However, Nicklaus's one-under-par 287 tied for seventh in the 1961 Masters Tournament , and was second that year only to Charles Coe 's low amateur placing, when he tied for second with Arnold Palmer at seven-under-par 281, one shot behind champion Gary Player . Nicklaus represented
13708-444: The final two holes for a dramatic finish. Aoki's aggregate of 274 was the lowest score for a U.S. Open runner-up. Nicklaus's win was his fourth and final victory in the championship, tying him with Willie Anderson , Bobby Jones , and Ben Hogan . Nicklaus referred to this win as "by far the most emotional and warmest reaction to any of my wins in my own country". In the 1980 PGA Championship , Nicklaus set another record when he won
13857-570: The first time, and became that year's youngest qualifier into the U.S. Junior Amateur , where he survived three match-play rounds. He had earned a handicap of +3 at age 13, the lowest in the Columbus area. Nicklaus won the Tri-State High School Championship (Ohio/ Kentucky / Indiana ) at the age of 14 with a round of 68, and also recorded his first hole-in-one in tournament play the same year. At 15, Nicklaus shot
14006-564: The forerunner to the European Tour we have today, from continental Europe would be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup. When Nicklaus won the 1978 Open Championship at St. Andrews, he became the only player to win each major championship three times. This record was tied by Tiger Woods when he won the 2008 U.S. Open . Nicklaus and Woods are the only two players to win three "Career Grand Slams". Nicklaus considered his performance in
14155-402: The four events inclusive of two second and one third-place finish – this being one shot out of the PGA Championship playoff between Lanny Wadkins and Gene Littler . Despite a brilliant final round 66 at the Masters, he finished second by two shots to Tom Watson . But his subsequent second-place finish behind Watson at the Open Championship at Turnberry created headlines around the world. In
14304-404: The grass which are raked out at the sod farm), which are laid out on the green. Two downside factors of Bermuda greens are cost of maintenance, and also the existence of grain (the growth direction of the blades of grass), which affects the ball's roll and which is called "the grain of the green" and not to be confused with "the rub of the green" which are idiosyncrasies encountered getting through
14453-557: The greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tournaments in his career. Over a quarter-century, he won a record 18 major championships , three more than second-placed Tiger Woods . Nicklaus focused on the major championships—the Masters Tournament , U.S. Open , Open Championship and PGA Championship —and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events. He competed in 164 major tournaments, more than any other player, and finished with 73 PGA Tour victories, third behind Sam Snead (82) and Woods (82). Nicklaus won
14602-457: The greatest head-to-head golf match ever played. Not having been around for the first five hundred or so years of the game, I'm not qualified to speak on such matters. What's for sure, however, is that it was the most thrilling one-on-one battle of my career. In 1977, Nicklaus won his 63rd tour event, passing Ben Hogan to take second place on the career wins list, behind only Sam Snead (subsequently Hogan's official career PGA Tour victory total
14751-411: The green is usually flatter than other areas of the course, though gentle slopes and undulations can add extra challenge to players who must account for these variations in their putting line. The green typically does not include any fully enclosed hazards such as sand or water; however, these hazards can be — and often are — placed adjacent to the green, and depending on
14900-414: The green on the line of the putt. Most putts are not struck directly at the hole, instead they must be struck to take into account the characteristics of the green to arrive at the hole at the proper angle and speed. The best players will read the green by walking around the green and studying the characteristics of the green before addressing the ball. Many golfers consider reading the green and putting to be
15049-418: The green. The cost of installing and maintaining grass greens constitutes a considerable proportion of the expense of installing and maintaining a golf course. To save money, many low budget courses catering to casual players have sand greens instead of real grass. In recent years, artificial turf has also become an increasingly popular surface as a less costly alternative to grass which more closely resembles
15198-450: The ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes, and as such most courses contain 18 distinct holes; however, there are many 9-hole courses and some that have holes with shared fairways or greens. There are also courses with a non-standard number of holes, such as 12 or 14. The vast majority of golf courses have holes of varying length and difficulties that are assigned
15347-503: The higher grass can interfere with the path of the ball, so players often choose to use a lofted club such as an iron to make a " chip shot " or a "bump and run", where the ball carries in the air for a few yards and then rolls along the green like a normal putt. The grass of the putting green (more commonly just "green") is cut very short so that a ball can roll for a long distance. The most common types of greens are for cold winter, but warmer summer regions (i.e., not extremely warm, as in
15496-476: The hole. Nicklaus threw his putter into the air after sinking the winning putt, as he was thrilled to have won the Open at the home of golf, St Andrews. He describes this period in his life: I was playing good golf, but it really wasn't that big a deal to me one way or the other. And then my father died and I sort of realized that he had certainly lived his life through my golf game. I really hadn't probably given him
15645-426: The hole. The slope or break of the green also affects the roll of the ball. The hole, or cup, is always found within the green and must have a diameter of 108 millimeters (4.25 in) and a depth of at least 10 centimeters (3.94 in). Its position on the green is not fixed and typically is changed daily by a greenskeeper in order to prevent excessive localized wear and damage to the turf. A new hole will be cut by
15794-459: The invitation of and alongside a member of the club. Others allow visitors at certain times but may insist on advance booking and proof of golfing competency. A commercial course is owned and managed by a private organization and is operated for profit. They may be constructed to provide a core or supplementary attraction for visitors to a hotel or commercial resort, as the centrepiece to a real estate development, as an exclusive Country Club , or as
15943-431: The links was ideal for golf, and areas of longer grass, heather, low growing bushes and exposed sand provided the hazards that are familiar on modern courses. Although early links courses were often close to the sea it was rarely used as a hazard, perhaps due to the instability of the dunes closest to the water and the high cost of hand-made golf balls precluding anything that could result in their irrecoverable loss. The land
16092-439: The most difficult part of the game. The green is typically surrounded by slightly higher grass, cut at a height between that of the green and fairway, and then by the fairway and/or rough. This longer grass surrounding the green is known as the fringe and is designed to slow and stop balls rolling along the green from an approach shot or errant putt, preventing them from exiting the green. Though putting strokes can be made on it,
16241-464: The name derives from the high school that Nicklaus attended in Upper Arlington, Ohio, which uses the mascot the Golden Bears for its sports teams. As mentioned above, Nicklaus played on several Golden Bears athletic teams, including captaining its 1956 state-champion golf squad, suggesting that McCormack may have adopted the name through Nicklaus's high school affiliation. Regardless, by 1963,
16390-558: The nickname had stuck. Nicklaus won his first PGA tournament in his 17th start. He and Arnold Palmer were tied for the lead at 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont after Rounds 3 and 4 were played on Saturday. Nicklaus won the Sunday 18-hole playoff and earned $ 17,500 ($ 15,000 plus the $ 2,500 playoff bonus)—far behind Gary Woodland 's $ 2,250,000 check for the 2019 U.S. Open—for his efforts. The galleries were more vocal in their support for Palmer—who had grown up in nearby Latrobe —but Nicklaus won
16539-474: The number of holes of each par value per course. It is also preferable to arrange greens to be close to the tee box of the next playable hole, to minimize travel distance while playing a round, and to vary the mix of shorter and longer holes. Combined with the need to package all the fairways within what is frequently a compact square or rectangular plot of land, the fairways of a course tend to form an oppositional tiling pattern. In complex areas, two holes may share
16688-454: The official PGA Tour money list, as they are today. Nicklaus finished runner-up in both the 1968 U.S. Open (to new rival Lee Trevino ) and the 1968 Open Championship (to old rival Gary Player). Nicklaus made his inaugural appearance in the 1969 Ryder Cup at age 29; eligibility rules at the time required a minimum five-year PGA Tour membership before points could be counted for team qualification; rules have been relaxed significantly since. In
16837-411: The old-style configuration of Jones's day. In that year he won another six tournaments. When he won the 1973 Ohio Kings Island Open, he became the first PGA Tour player to win a Tour event on a course that he designed himself. The PGA Player of the Year was awarded to Nicklaus for the third time, and the second year in a row. Nicklaus was also the first player to win over $ 300,000.00 in official money for
16986-437: The original landscape, some modification is unavoidable. This is increasingly the case as new courses are more likely to be sited on less optimal land. Bunkers and sand traps are always built in by architects unless the formation of such items is already in the course's natural terrain. The layout of a course follows certain traditional principles, such as the number of holes (nine and 18 being most common), their par values, and
17135-702: The overall match, ended in a tie. Afterwards United States team Captain Sam Snead said "This is the greatest golf match you have ever seen in England." During this period, Nicklaus's physical condition declined somewhat; he put on some excess weight, which affected his stamina. Following the Ryder Cup, he significantly improved his condition in the fall of 1969 by losing 25 pounds (11 kg) in one month, and his game started to return to top form. In February 1970, Nicklaus's father, Charlie Nicklaus, died of pancreatic cancer at age 56. Five months after this, Nicklaus won
17284-549: The par for a hole; these include altitude, terrain and obstacles that result in a hole playing longer or shorter than its measured distance, e.g. route is significantly uphill or downhill, or requiring play of a stroke to finish short of a body of water before hitting over it. Under the United States Golf Association , the typical distances for the various holes from standard tees are as follows: Men Women The first section of every hole consists of
17433-418: The par-3 course, and one round played on a nearby regulation 18-hole course with par of 71. Pitch and putt is an amateur sport , similar to golf and is also known as chip and putt. The maximum hole length for international competitions is 90 metres (100 yd) with a maximum total course length of 1,200 metres (1,310 yd). Players may only use three clubs ; one of which must be a putter . The game
17582-404: The player is expected to be able to drive the ball to the green on the first shot from the tee box. On holes longer than par 3, players are expected to require at least one additional shot to reach their greens. While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing ground to the green, a hole may bend either to the left or to the right. This is called a "dogleg", in reference to
17731-403: The playoff by three shots (71 to 74). In 90 holes, Nicklaus had only one three-putt green. The U.S. Open victory made Nicklaus the reigning U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur champion. This major championship win was also his first PGA Tour win. In addition, Nicklaus (22) was the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones won at age 21 in 1923, and remained the youngest winner until Jordan Spieth won
17880-433: The playoff) took place at 8-under after Sneed bogeyed the last three. Jack also finished in a tie for second with Ben Crenshaw behind 22-year-old Seve Ballesteros at The Open Championship . He would not win another tournament until June 1980. Previously, Nicklaus won at least one PGA Tour tournament per year (a record he shares with Arnold Palmer), and a minimum of two tournaments per year for 17 consecutive years, and this
18029-502: The same tee box, fairway, or even green. It is also common for separate tee-off points to be positioned for men, women, and amateurs, each one respectively lying closer to the green. Eighteen-hole courses are traditionally broken down into a "front 9" (holes 1–9) and a "back 9" (holes 10–18). On older courses (especially links courses, like the Old Course at St. Andrews), the holes may be laid out in one long loop, beginning and ending at
18178-424: The second round. For the record, Nicklaus played in 23 official worldwide events in 1971, won eight, had 17 top-5 finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, and compiled a 5–1–0 record in that year's Ryder Cup competition. Nicklaus won the first two major championships of 1972 by three shots each in wire-to-wire fashion. He won the Masters and the U.S. Open , creating talk of a calendar-year Grand Slam . Nicklaus opened with
18327-417: The shape of the green and surrounding hazards, and the location of the hole (which often changes from day to day to promote even wear of the turf of the green), there may not be a direct putting line from a point on the green to the cup. Golfers use a method known as "reading" the green to enhance their chances of making a putt. Reading a green involves determining the speed, grain, incline, decline and tilt of
18476-402: The similarity to a dog's ankle. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards, and a "dogleg right" if the hole angles rightwards. A hole's direction may bend twice, which is called a "double dogleg". Just as there are good-quality grasses for putting greens, there are good-quality grasses for the fairway and rough. The quality of grass influences the roll of the ball as well as
18625-448: The stroke. Courses may also have other design features which the skilled player will avoid; there are earth bunkers (pits or depressions in the ground that are not filled with sand but require a lofted shot to escape), high grass and other dense vegetation, trees or shrubs, ravines and other rocky areas, steep inclines, etc.; while disadvantageous to play from, these are typically not considered "hazards" unless specifically designated so by
18774-411: The surrounding fairway. Each tee box has two markers showing the bounds of the legal tee area. The teeing area spans the distance between the markers, and extends two-club lengths behind the markers. A golfer may stand outside the teeing area, but the ball must be placed and hit from inside it. A golfer may place his ball directly on the surface of the teeing ground (called hitting it "off the deck"), or
18923-590: The third round in 1986. It was at this time that Bobby Jones stated Nicklaus played a game with which he was unfamiliar; Jones called Nicklaus's result "the greatest performance in all of golfing history". After Nicklaus's record performance at Augusta National in 1965, the course underwent some minor changes to make it tougher. These modifications and the difficult weather in the 1966 tournament did not deter Nicklaus. He successfully defended his title with an even-par aggregate of 288, 17 shots higher. He won in an 18-hole playoff over Gay Brewer (Brewer had three-putted
19072-574: The top-10 in 14. Although Nicklaus's performance had declined somewhat during this period, he was still ranked as the No. 1 player in the world, for 10 straight years, beginning in 1968, on the McCormack's World Golf Rankings , which were introduced that year by sports agent Mark McCormack . These rankings, the first attempt to take into account results from professional tours around the world, were not official during that era, but they eventually evolved into
19221-461: The topography of sand dunes and dune slacks with a ground cover of grasses, exposed to the wind and sea. Courses are private, public, or municipally owned, and typically feature a pro shop . Many private courses are found at country clubs . The golf course has its roots dating to the 18th century. The 18-hole course Old Course was established in 1764 at St Andrews , Scotland and has existed under its name since 1895. In 2009, Nullarbor Links ,
19370-509: The tournament by seven shots over Andy Bean at the Oak Hill Country Club ; the win was largely due to exceptional putting. Nicklaus shot an even-par 70 in the first round. This was followed by three successive rounds in the 60s over the difficult course, and he was the only player to break par for 72 holes. For the week, the field averaged 74.60 strokes while Nicklaus averaged 68.50. This was Nicklaus's fifth and final victory in
19519-462: The triple career grand slam in 1978, winning all four majors two and three times, respectively. Nicklaus was part of another title for the U.S. in the World Cup in Japan. Nicklaus concluded 1966 playing 22 official worldwide events, with four victories, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, and zero missed cuts. In 1967 , Nicklaus won the U.S. Open for a second time. The tournament
19668-474: The world's largest golf course design and construction companies. Nicklaus runs an event on the PGA Tour, the Memorial Tournament , named after the annual honoring it bestows to individuals associated with the game of golf. Nicklaus's books vary from instructional to autobiographical, with his Golf My Way considered one of the best instructional golf books of all time; the video of the same name
19817-766: The world's longest golf course spanning 1,365 kilometres, was established along the Eyre Highway , in Australia. In 2023, the golf course at Moundbuilders Country Club , was integrated into the world heritage-listed Hopewell Culture National Historical Park . Although a specialty within landscape design or landscape architecture , golf course architecture is considered a separate field of study. Some golf course designers become celebrities in their own right, such as Alister MacKenzie ; others are professional golfers of high standing and demonstrated appreciation for golf course composition, such as Jack Nicklaus . The field
19966-414: The world, reproducing the broken, treeless terrain with deep bunkers of their Scottish prototypes. An executive course or short course is a course with a total par significantly less than that of a typical 18-hole course. Two main types exist: These types of courses provide a faster pace of play than a standard course, and get their name from their target patronage of business executives who would play
20115-485: The year, Nicklaus competed in 20 official worldwide events and claimed seven victories, 14 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s, and compiled a 4–1–1 record in that year's Ryder Cup competition. Nicklaus's failure to win a major in 1974 was somewhat offset when he won the inaugural Tournament Players Championship and was named one of the 13 original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame . Nicklaus said this honor
20264-620: The year. While he finished tied for second in the Masters with Johnny Miller , Nicklaus made a big enough impression on a young Nick Faldo (watching on TV in England) in order for Faldo to take up the game seriously. By the end of 1971, Nicklaus had won four additional PGA tournaments including the Tournament of Champions by eight shots and the National Team Championship with Arnold Palmer by six shots. With $ 244,490 in official PGA Tour earnings, Nicklaus established
20413-408: The youngest player to win all four golf majors. He won another Open Championship in 1970. Between 1971 and 1980, Nicklaus won nine more major championships, overtook Bobby Jones ’ record of 13 majors, and became the first player to complete double and triple career grand slams. He won the 1986 Masters , his 18th and final major championship at age 46, the tournament's oldest winner. Nicklaus joined
20562-454: Was a "nice memento" after a "disappointing season". Although he had no major championship victories in 1974, Nicklaus still achieved four top-10 finishes in the four events, three of which were in the top four, and placed second on the official money list behind Johnny Miller . While less than a stellar year, Nicklaus was able to claim two victories and 13 top-10 finishes in 20 official worldwide events. Nicklaus started off well in 1975: he won
20711-493: Was a 72-hole record that was subsequently tied by Jordan Spieth in 2015. When Woods and Spieth shot 270, the scores were achieved with significantly improved golf equipment on essentially the same-length golf course over which Nicklaus and Floyd shot 271. During the 1965 tournament, Nicklaus hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation and had 123 putts, inclusive of just one three-putt green. This was good enough to win by nine shots over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player ; this margin of victory
20860-528: Was a tournament record that would last for 32 years until Woods won by 12 shots in 1997. The week's performance was highlighted by a third-round 64 that consisted of eight birdies and no bogeys. It was of this round that Nicklaus said, "I had never before and have never since played quite as fine a complete round of golf in a major championship as I did in the third round of the 1965 Masters." This round tied Lloyd Mangrum 's record set at Augusta National in 1940 and remained in place until Nick Price shot 63 during
21009-451: Was also a member of the victorious 1960 U.S. Eisenhower Trophy team, winning the unofficial individual title by 13 shots over teammate Deane Beman with a four-round score of 269 at Merion Golf Club , a record which still stands; this score was 18 shots lower than Ben Hogan 's earlier U.S. Open aggregate of 287 at the same site (which had, however, been scored under much tougher conditions). For three straight years (1959–1961), Nicklaus
21158-624: Was followed by Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996), Ryan Moore (2004), and Bryson DeChambeau (2015). Nicklaus also won the NCAA Big Ten Conference Championship that year with a 72-hole aggregate of 283, while earlier claiming the Western Amateur in New Orleans. In his second and last U.S. Amateur win in 1961, Nicklaus convincingly defeated Dudley Wysong 8 & 6 at Pebble Beach in
21307-531: Was further developed with the help of Phil Rodgers , a friend for more than 20 years, and earlier PGA Tour rival, who had become a fine coach. Rodgers lived for a time at the Nicklaus home while this work was going on. In 1980, Nicklaus recorded only four top-10 finishes in 14 events, but two of these were record-setting victories in majors (the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship); the other two were
21456-407: Was growing rapidly in popularity and media coverage during the early 1960s, led by the performances of these three star players. This association was the start of the agency that became known as International Management Group , and IMG, after building a base in golf management, eventually expanded into other sports. The Palmer-Nicklaus-Player rivalry developed into the so-called "Big Three" of Golf. In
21605-416: Was held at Baltusrol , and he broke Hogan's 72-hole record by one shot with a 275 when he birdied the par 5 18th hole. During the four rounds, Nicklaus hit 61 of 72 greens in regulation. Nicklaus finished this record win with a dramatic 238-yard 1-iron shot, uphill into a breeze and light rain, to the 72nd green (an approximate 260-yard equivalent) and holing out a 22-foot (6.7 m) birdie putt to close out
21754-505: Was named the world's top amateur golfer by Golf Digest magazine. Nicklaus attended Ohio State University from 1957 to 1961. He majored in pre- pharmacy and had good grades in his first three years; he intended to follow his father into pharmacy after graduation. As his amateur golf achievements mounted, Nicklaus changed his mind on his career path; he switched programs to study insurance . At that stage, he planned to remain an amateur golfer and earn his living by selling insurance. For
21903-430: Was put at 64, including his 1953 Open Championship which was retroactively deemed an official PGA Tour event). He also became the first player to amass over $ 3 million in official PGA Tour earnings. The year also saw Nicklaus win for the first time his own Memorial Tournament , where he described the victory as the most emotional moment of his entire career, and nearly decided to retire from competitive golf. During
22052-493: Was the first course in North Carolina to utilize a special Bermuda called Mini Verde. A green is generally established from sod which has had the soil washed off of it (to avoid soil compatibility problems) and which is then laid tightly over the green, then rolled and topdressed with fine sand. Another common and more economical approach for establishing a putting green is to introduce hybrid Bermuda sprigs (the stolon of
22201-488: Was the only major he had failed to win up to that point. This win made him the youngest player, age 26 (his fifth year on Tour), and the only one after Gene Sarazen , Ben Hogan , and Gary Player (until Tiger Woods at age 24 in 2000, also during his fifth year on Tour) to win all four major championships, now known as the Career Grand Slam. Nicklaus eventually accomplished the double career grand slam in 1971 and
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