Jack Nicklaus pays tribute to President Ford

"President Ford was one of seven Presidents I have been fortunate enough to meet, and one of three I have played golf with..." - Jack Nicklaus

On meeting President Ford:

"Barbara and I first met President Ford, while he was in office, one year at Inverrary near Fort Lauderdale, when I went down there to play in the pro-am. We had dinner, and we began to talk about dogs. Barbara and I had always had small dogs--ankle-biters--and Barbara had never really wanted a big dog. Then, the President offered us a puppy from his Golden Retriever, Liberty, who was pregnant. Barbara said she would love one. When we got in the car, Barbara just knew she was going to hear it from me. She said, 'If he had given me a snake, I would have taken it.' Ever since then, we have had Golden Retrievers. We have had three from the same lineage, and the one we have now, Cali, is from the same kennel as Liberty."

On golf with President Ford:

"President Ford was one of seven Presidents I have been fortunate enough to meet, and one of three I have played golf with--George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton being the others. In fact, it was President Ford who invited me to play two rounds of golf with Clinton. I would guess that President Ford and I played between 20 and 30 rounds of golf together--from the five Bing Crosby Pro-Ams we partnered in, to Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, to his own Jerry Ford Invitational in Vail. Gerald Ford might have been the best player among the presidents I have met. The former president was a big hitter off the tee and played to about a 13- or 14-handicap. And when I say he was a 13- or 14-handicap, I mean he was a real 13 or 14. He would regularly shoot 85. I think President Ford's ability to play golf was an extension of him being an overall good athlete. We played golf together; we skied together; and it is well known that he was a very good football player. I am certain President Ford was one of the best athletes to have ever served in the White House."

"President Ford simply loved to be connected with the game of golf. I remember when I won the U.S. Senior Open in 1993 at Cherry Hills in Denver, it was the President's 80th birthday and I called to wish him a happy birthday. He loved the game and agreed to serve as one of the original members of the Captains Club for the Memorial Tournament. In fact, he was the last living member of the original group. So, President Ford was among those individuals who supported and helped serve as a guiding light in the formative years of the Memorial Tournament."

Relationship with President Ford

"For many years, whether it was through golf tournaments or family ski vacations to Vail, the President and I would try to see each other. Barbara and I corresponded with the President a few times a year, and we always received hand-written notes--up until last year, but even then, he would personally sign them. And every year we look forward to he and Betty's annual Christmas present of almond toffee. When we were out in Colorado this summer, we tried to see him but we were unable to, and we regret not having a chance to see him again. He meant a great deal to both of us."

General quotes on President Ford

"President Ford was a decent and honorable man. He was never anything but absolutely straight and honest with you. He told it exactly as it was. President Ford was a great American and a great friend. I do not know if I have ever met a nicer man in my life. It is actually hard to believe that someone could be that nice, yet so genuine."

"I think one of the things that struck me about President Ford, and something that will underline all the memories I have of him, is how devoted he was to family. I think back to the years when the President and I partnered in the Crosby at Pebble Beach. After a few years, I sensed the President wasn't enjoying himself as much as he had in past years, and I was confident it had to do with an increasingly bothersome knee condition he had and the wear-and-tear suffered from walking and playing golf. So I wrote the President and said that if he wanted to continue playing that would be great; however, if he did not want to continue playing, he would not be letting me down in the least. I added that someday I hoped to partner with my oldest son Jackie, but that Jackie had many years of golf ahead of him to play, so that partnership was not in any hurry. A few days later, the President called me. Immediately, he said that I should play with Jackie, and he explained why. He said, 'When I was in Congress, I went years and years without being able to do things with my sons, and I deeply regret that. The demands of public life stopped me from enjoying and helping my boys grow up, and that was a mistake. So there is no way in the world I'm going to contribute to you making the same mistake.' He told me to play with Jackie, and don't give it another thought. The President understood and shared my passion for family, and that is just one of the many endearing qualities I will never forget about him, and one of the many reasons Barbara and I will miss him greatly."