PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL. — Tonight, in a dinner ceremony to be held at The PGA National Resort & Conference Center, local residents, professional sportsmen and golf industry professionals will honor Mr. & Mrs. Jack Nicklaus, as the "2006 Distinguished Citizens" of the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Jack Nicklaus, 66, has been named "Golfer of the Century" or "Golfer of the Millennium" by almost every major golf publication in the world. He was also named Individual Male Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated, and one of the 10 Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN. Jack’s competitive career has spanned five decades, and his legend has been built with 105 professional tournament victories worldwide and a record 18 professional major-championship titles. He is the only player in history to have won each of the game’s majors at least three times (six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens, and three British Opens), and is the only player to have completed the career "Grand Slam" on both the regular and senior tours.
The legacy Jack has left as a player can be rivaled only by the legacy he is leaving as a golf-course designer. Jack, a former winner of GolfWorld’s Architect of the Year who has been involved in 250 golf courses open for play worldwide, was named recently by Golf Inc. magazine as the Most Powerful Person in Golf for the third straight year.
Barbara Nicklaus’ unwavering support of the man competing inside the ropes, has earned her the moniker, "The First Lady of Golf." More important, her tireless charitable efforts here in Palm Beach County in and through a variety of charitable children’s organizations have earned her the love and respect of her community. Through her commitment to children, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation was born. The mission of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation is to provide charitable support for activities that advance and enhance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood diseases and disorders. The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation also supports
not-for-profit programs and projects aimed at pediatric health care and health-related services, with The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital located at St. Mary’s Medical Center as a major focal point.
"I think you would be hard-pressed to find an organization that has guided and influenced positively the youth of our country more than the Boy Scouts of America," Jack Nicklaus said. "For Barbara and me to be recognized by a group that has served young people so well and for so long is wonderfully meaningful. Think for a moment about the Scouts’ roll call: You have past U.S. presidents, prime ministers of countries, and countless politicians and captains of industry. You have close to 150 astronauts and numerous pioneers in the fields of medicine and science. You have Hall-of-Fame athletes, Gold Medal-winning Olympians, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, and Academy Award-winning actors and directors. It is not by coincidence that some of history’s most prominent leaders and most successful individuals have ties to the Boy Scouts, and it is because of their emphasis on character development and values-based leadership training.
"The young lives we are able to touch in a positive way today will become tomorrow’s leaders, tomorrow’s success stories, and tomorrow’s good citizens. That is why being a role model and finding ways to influence young minds has been a priority to Barbara and me. Our efforts are born out of love for children and their well-being. We are not trying to be distinguished citizens, just good citizens."
This, the 4th Annual Distinguished Citizen Award, is presented to Jack & Barbara Nicklaus as representative of individuals who, through a lifetime of achievement and service, have demonstrated a commitment to the values espoused by the Boy Scouts of America … and as such, are role models for American youth. Contact the Gulf Stream Council Boy Scouts at (561) 694-8585 for more information.
For more than 35 years, the mission of the Nicklaus Companies has been to enhance the golf experience, and to bring to the national and international consumer golf-related businesses and services that mirror the high standards established in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus. These services include golf-course design, the development of golf and real estate communities, and the marketing and licensing of golf products and services. Nicklaus Design, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has been involved with 305 courses open for play in 29 countries and 38 states. Of those, Jack Nicklaus has designed, co-designed or re-designed 250 courses around the globe, 48 of which have been ranked in various national or international Top-100 lists. Nicklaus Design currently has more than 50 courses under construction and courses under development in 35 different countries.
For this press release and additional information on Nicklaus or Nicklaus Design, please visit www.nicklaus.com.
Contact:
Scott Tolley
Director of Communications
11780 U.S. Highway #1, Suite 500
North Palm Beach, FL. 33408
Tel: 561-227-0300
Fax: 561-227-0351
scott.tolley@nicklaus.com