Jack Nicklaus always was concerned with making history, not preserving it.
He would routinely give away mementos and other items associated with his successes in golf. Fortunately for fans, his late mother, Helen, and his wife, Barbara, were "pack-rats," storing many of the ingredients that added up to his legacy.
Starting with his birth certificate and baby booties, items from almost every significant event in Nicklaus' life will be on permanent display when the Jack Nicklaus Museum opens this week at Ohio State University in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. There's a ceremonial opening Monday night, with the official opening Wednesday.
"I'm not sure it's really hit Jack yet," Barbara said. "He knows how hard everyone has worked and what we've been doing. But I have a feeling Monday will be very emotional, because he really doesn't have an idea of what we've dug out of closets and basements."
Museum Director Gerald Goodson said more than 7,000 pieces of Nicklaus' mementos and artifacts have been cataloged and stored to be on display, although not all at once. Trying to pick out a favorite item is like deciding which golf shot was the most important in the Golden Bear's career.
One item that's sure to get plenty of attention is one of the six green jackets Nicklaus won at the Masters. In a rare move, Augusta National Golf Club has loaned the museum the jacket, which it gives to Masters champions and club members.
"Some of my favorites are the first trophies he won in junior golf and the handwritten notes he would leave for his mom," Goodson said Friday night. "We have just about every trophy from every tournament he's ever won, including all of the majors."
But the museum deals with more than Nicklaus' athletic successes. There are galleries that deal with the history of the game, his businesses and his family.
"I am extremely flattered and humbled to have seen how the Jack Nicklaus Museum has evolved -- from an idea a few friends and colleagues knocked around many years ago, to a stunning facility that captures every chapter of my life and career," Nicklaus said. "I like to think, however, that the museum is much more than a tribute to me. I think the museum transcends my story, and instead reflects my passion for the game and my appreciation for its history and tradition."
The museum was almost 10 years in the making. Originally it was going to be at Muirfield Village, where Nicklaus will oversee his Memorial Tournament this week. But residents said they didn't want more traffic in their development.
Ohio State officials stepped in and allowed the museum to be built for the ex-Buckeye near its basketball arena and baseball field. Nicklaus seemed pleased with its final spot.
"I can't think of any place which better encompasses my life," he said. "Within a few minutes in any direction are many of the touchstones of my life."
The museum cost $12 million, with all of the money coming from private donations.
"I never had a doubt it would be completed," Goodson said. "It needed to happen, and it's happened for all the right reasons. We wanted to preserve the legacy of one of our great sports heroes."
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