Jack Nicklaus recognized for Charitable Work

Jack Nicklaus will receive the Charlie Bartlett Award, given by the Golf Writers Association of American.

In addition to winning 18 major championships and designing 271 courses worldwide that are currently open for play, Jack Nicklaus is being honored for four decades of charitable work. The Charlie Bartlett Award is given to a professional golfer for his or her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.

Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, started Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, which provides pediatric health care services in a five-country area of South Florida.

Nicklaus has been doing charitable works since the beginning of his professional career in 1962. In addition to the Health Care Foundation, he is also responsible for The Memorial Tournament, founded in 1976, which supports the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, along with other charitable organizations in his native state.
He also supports such diverse causes as

• The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis
• The Barbara and Jack Nicklaus Junior Golf Endowment Fund
• The Everglades Foundation
• The American Cancer Society
• The American Heart Association
• The Robert T. Jones, Jr., Memorial Scholarship Fund.

As a national chair of The First Tee, Nicklaus has twice spoken before Congress on the character-building virtues of golf, and, in conjunction with the PGA of America, he created a program which has provided close to $2 million in grants to support instruction at over 160 First Tee facilities.

Former Bartlett winners include Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, the Louisiana trio of Hal Sutton, David Toms and Kelly Gibson, Val Skinner, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman, Arnold Palmer, Kenny Perry, Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade, Patty Berg and Andy North.

Have to say, way to go Jack - thanks for all you do!