Golden Bear eager to see golf museum devoted to his life

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Jack Nicklaus Museum doesn't open until Tuesday but its namesake is already pleased. He was able to find a place for tons of memorabilia without having a garage sale.

Asked how many of the remnants of his legendary career have been donated to the museum, Nicklaus smiled and said, "Oh, essentially 90 percent at this point. I've probably got 10 percent in volume at home -- junk. But anything of any significance is there."

The $14-million museum is located on the Ohio State campus, a couple of 1-irons away from the university's basketball arena on one side and an equal distance from the football practice facility on the other.

It sits a few miles from Nicklaus' boyhood home in Upper Arlington and not far from where he played his collegiate golf at Ohio State's Scarlet Course.

"I can't think of a better place for it than where I came from, where my roots are and the school I went to," Nicklaus said Friday before playing a practice round in the rain at nearby Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Nicklaus is the host, course designer and two-time champion of the Memorial Tournament, which tees off Thursday at Muirfield Village. The museum's grand opening is being held in conjunction with the tournament.

Nicklaus' career, his family and the history of golf are all detailed at the 24,000-square-foot brick building on Olentangy River Road.

A tour of the museum opens in the foyer, with visitors greeted by a large bronze statue of the Golden Bear. His career is broken down by decade, with hundreds of family photos and displays showing how a chubby towhead first learned the game at the urging of his pharmacist father, became a solid player under the tutelage of pro Jack Grout at Scioto Country Club and then built an unparalleled career that included 18 major professional championships.

A video presentation in the museum's theater features actor Sean Connery in full Scottish brogue asking visitors to "look outside the ropes" to get to know Nicklaus "beyond the final round."

There are interactive displays, rooms devoted to Nicklaus' long list of victories -- and even a comfy TV room that mirrors the family's life out of the spotlight, a large couch surrounded by pictures of kids and grandkids smiling in candid shots.

In many ways the museum shows a side of Nicklaus that many might not know. For example, when each of his five children were born, Jack passed out. The joke was that his recovery time might have been longer for each birth than Barbara's.

There are also rooms devoted to his course-design business -- with him describing his thoughts on each layout -- along with separate displays about the Memorial Tournament and each of the Grand Slam events.

There are trophies, medallions, clubs, bags, scorecards, scrapbooks and books spread throughout the display cases.

The museum was built with private donations and Ohio State offered a long-term lease on the land. Executive Director Gerald Goodson said the facility should be a popular stop on football Saturdays and for those who visit the university for academic and athletic pursuits.

"He has connected with us," Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said. "It's very impressive."

Admission ranges from $6 to $9. The museum includes a gift shop, traveling displays, an art gallery and a room with biographies of some of the greatest practitioners of the game's six centuries.

Nicklaus hasn't been through the museum since taking a quick tour last fall.

"It's kind of new and different and neat," he said. "I'm kind of anxious to see how we've finished it off."