Jack Nicklaus has been called many things: the Golden Bear, golf’s greatest closer, and a champion with a trophy room that strains belief. But behind the 18 majors, the pressure-proof mindset, and the reputation for grace, Nicklaus insists his greatest influence was never a coach, caddie, or competitor.

It was his father, Charlie Nicklaus. The revelation comes not in a grand speech, but in a simple memory Nicklaus still quotes word for word. When asked what made him so gracious in defeat, a trait that peers have praised for decades.

In a May 2019 interview with Business Jet Traveler, Nicklaus recalled, “My dad. He always told me, ‘That other guy is working just as hard as you are, and if he beats you, he deserves to be congratulated and you ought to do it properly. You’ll get your chance the next time.’”

In that BJET’s interview, Nicklaus recalled how his father shaped his work ethic and even his pressure approach. Charlie’s lessons showed up early. One afternoon at Scioto, Jack hit an 8-iron into a bunker on the 15th hole and, frustrated, threw the club almost as far as the ball. Charlie didn’t lecture.

He said only, “Pick up your club. Pick your ball.” They walked straight in. His father added one sentence Jack never forgot: “If that happens again, you’ll never see another golf course.” It was a clear line between talent and self-control. But Charlie wasn’t just enforcing discipline. He also recognized when to push and when to support.

At 13, when Jack had a chance to break 70 for the first time, he wanted to skip dinner to keep playing. Though Charlie refused, but promised they’d return if they ate quickly. They did, and in the fading light, Jack holed a 35-footer on 18 for a 69. Another quiet lesson? Stay committed, but keep your head steady. And the same way, the Golden Bear shaped his son’s career.

Jack Nicklaus Through His Son’s Eyes

Nicklaus passed those same lessons on to his own son, Jack Nicklaus II. Once, shortly after high school, Jack II accepted a golf scholarship and played a junior tournament. And when he called his father to report a disappointing round, “I described my entire round, hole by hole, shot by shot … whether I lifted my head during a swing, misread a putt …” he recalled. 

The Golden Bear listened patiently, asked thoughtful questions about his errors, and, when Jack II told him he had trouble with his chipping, promised, “We would work on it when we both got home.”

Then, after a long silence, came the pivot. Then, the Golden Bear asked Jr., “Jackie, would you like to know how your dad did today?” He replied, “Well, yes, how did you do today?” Only when Jr. finished did he say, almost casually, “Well, I just won the U.S. Open.”

Jack Nicklaus had just set a new scoring record at Baltusrol for his fourth U.S. Open title and still chose to talk about my round first. That was my dad. Jack Nicklaus’ first professional win came at the 1962 U.S. Open, where he famously beat Arnold Palmer in a playoff. He went on to win the championship three more times: 1967, 1972, and 1980.

In the end, the trophies tell only part of the story. The real foundation of Jack Nicklaus’s success was built long before the majors, in the lessons a father passed to his son, and that the son carried forward.

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi