Golf Channel · Jan 21, 2017
77 facts about Jack Nicklaus on his 77th birthday
1. He was born in Columbus, Ohio.
2. His father, Charlie Nicklaus, played football for Ohio State University and later played semi-professionally under an assumed name.
3. Although his father went by Charlie, that was his middle name. His first name was actually Louis.
4. As a 13-year-old, Charlie Nicklaus saw Bobby Jones win the 1926 U.S. Open at Scioto Country Club, where the family would later have a membership.
5. He took up golf at age 10, and shot 51 for the first nine holes he ever played.
6. He first broke 70 at age 13.
7. When he was 13, he had a mild case of polio.
8. His nickname, the Golden Bear, comes from the mascot at his high school, Upper Arlington HS.