As you walk through the Jack Nicklaus Museum here in Columbus, Ohio you see pretty much what you expect – a lot of trophies. Jack is the greatest golfer of all time. However, about ten minutes in it hits you. This museum is also about a love story.
Jack and Barbara met freshman year at the Ohio State University. He was playing golf. She was initially studying nursing but then switched to education. He was a Golden Bear from Upper Arlington. She graduated from Columbus North High School.
According to Jack, Barbara upon being asked out, couldn’t work him in for about two weeks. Their relationship even fizzled, but they soon reunited with a nudge from his family. His parents really liked Barbara.
When Jack returned from the Walker Cup in Scotland in May 1959 he gave Barbara his fraternity pin. They were engaged at Christmas and were married on July 23, 1960, in Columbus, Ohio. According to People Magazine, Jack even got 36 holes of golf in with his best man on his wedding day.
There is a beautiful wedding picture of the two of them in the museum (above) that is all smiles. Despite being surrounded by a ridiculous collection of golf trophies, that picture rules the room. Together Jack & Barbara would have five kids – four boys and lone daughter Nan.
In 1966, Nan was almost one year old when she began having problems breathing. Multiple doctors were perplexed until a shadow was discovered on an X-ray at the Columbus Children’s Hospital. Nan had swallowed a blue crayon. She spent six days in intensive care where the doctors were able to save her.
Barbara would not forget the scare they had just endured. In fact the health and well-being of children would one day become her life’s work. Jack & Barbara left Columbus and in 1970 purchased a home in North Palm Beach, Florida – the same home they reside in today.
When Jack created the Memorial Tournament in 1976, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital (formerly Columbus Children’s Hospital) was named a chief beneficiary – the same hospital that saved their daughter Nan’s life. Today, some fifty years later, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is still one of the tournament’s primary beneficiaries.
Barbara is widely known as the First Lady of Golf and in fact was the first recipient of that distinction in 1998 by the PGA. The Nicklaus family has twice been named Family of the Year in the world of golf and in 1990 Barbara Nicklaus was awarded the PGA Tour Ambassador of Golf Award.
Their partnership together these past 60 plus years speaks for itself. Jack says despite all the work Barbara has put into children’s charities she is not comfortable receiving awards. Meanwhile Barbara missed only one of Jack’s eighteen major championship wins and that was the first one because she was pregnant.
In 2004 Jack & Barbara founded the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. Through the foundation the Miami Children’s Health System was rebranded to the Nicklaus Children’s Health System and includes 17 outpatient centers in south Florida to support numerous pediatric healthcare services. It is estimated the foundation has raised close to $200 million.
Jack has said that he has achieved his lofty stature in golf because of his wife Barbara. They are a team. In his 2007 book ‘Jack Nicklaus: Memories & Mementos’ “If your partner in life is also your best friend, it’s truly invaluable. I shudder to think about where I would be today, what I might have missed, how less fulfilling my life would have been were Barbara not with me every step of the way.”
In June of 2024, Jack was in the booth with TV announcer Jim Nantz as the Memorial Tournament was winding down. Nantz then says to Jack “you have an announcement on next year’s honoree don’t you Jack?” After announcing that his wife Barbara would be the 2025 Memorial Tournament’s honoree, Jack got emotional.
They’ve been married 64 years.
They’re adorable.
Barbara’s list of accolades is long: She was awarded the inaugural Winnie Palmer Award in 2000; the 2007 African American Golfers Hall of Fame Humanitarian Award; the 2007 Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizens Award; 2015 USGA Bob Jones Award; Key to the City of Palm Beach Gardens in 2016 for improving access to pediatric healthcare in the community; 2019 PGA of America Distinguished Service Award; 2021 Florida Women’s Hall of Fame; 2022 Governor’s Medal of Freedom (the highest honor in the state of Florida). These are just a few of many.
Barbara & daughter Nan came out with a family cookbook ‘Well Done’ in 2015 with all proceeds benefiting the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The book includes great recipes and very personal family photos including a picture of Jack & Barbara in a cake smash at their 50 year anniversary, Jack walking his daughter Nan down the aisle at her wedding and a recipe for Grandma’s meatloaf with a story.
This year’s Memorial marks the tournament’s 50th running (May 26 through June 1) and will feature world #1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
At this year’s Legend’s Luncheon – held in April – Jack & Barbara handed Nationwide Children’s Hospital a check for $1.4M.
The Memorial, in addition to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, also now benefits the Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. In 2023, the tournament raised $4.6 million for these charities.
At last count, Jack & Barbara have been graced with 24 grandchildren and 8 (soon to be 9) great grandchildren.
Sources: TheMemorialTournament.com/First Lady of Golf; Jack Nicklaus Museum, Columbus, Ohio; Columbus Historical Society, researched by Shelby Owings, May 2023; Jack Nicklaus: Memories and Mementos from Golf’s Golden Bear’ (2007); People Magazine by Nasha Smith, June 11, 2024; nchcf.org; jack-columbus.pgatour.com; ‘Well Done’ family cookbook by Barbara Nicklaus & Nan O’Leary; NBC4 Memorial Tournament Special / Nicklaus family, YouTube, May 1, 2025; Both featured photos are courtesy the Jack Nicklaus Museum, Columbus, Ohio.