Jack's Grandson: "Just he played golf for a living."

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The best college football writer in the land--Chris Dufresne of the LA Times--filed a note and a nice line about Jack Nicklaus grandson Nick O'Leary of Florida State.

O'Leary is the star tight end for the Seminoles, who are competing for the national title Monday night.

In case you've been living on Mars and hadn't heard: Florida State junior tight end Nick O'Leary is the grandson of golf great Jack Nicklaus.

"I mean, it's just like anything else," O'Leary said Friday. "Just he played golf for a living."

Yes, the same way Picasso just painted for a living.

Golf.com's Mike Walker caught a radio interview Jack gave in advance of the big game to talk FSU football. Considering Grandpa has only missed one game of his grandson's three-year career, it's not a shock to learn that the Golden Bear and Grandma Barbara will be in Pasadena for the game Monday.

Oh, and that's a forecasted high of 76 Monday. Bring a sweater Jack, it might get chilly in the second half.

Ribbon-Cutting Day At Trump Ferry Point!

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Stephanie Wei files a WSJ preview for Wednesday's sure-to-be lively ribbon-cutting at Ferry Point Park, New York City's pricey public course pushed through by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, designed by Jack Nicklaus and to be managed by Donald Trump.

The three will be on hand to commemorate the completion of construction.

Priceless quote from Nicklaus:

"We had half a golf course out there before Mr. Trump got involved," said Nicklaus in an interview at the Presidents Cup earlier this month. "The problem was finishing it. They kept working at it. We spent this ridiculous amount of money for environmental issues—on a dump!"

The course is not actually opening for a while...

That finish line won't officially arrive until the spring of 2015, when the course is slated to open to the public. (Ferry Point will be used for some public programming, primarily junior golf, in conjunction with the city's Parks Department starting next summer.) Only 14 months ago, the site contained little more than dirt—millions of tons of it.

Pasadera Becomes Nicklaus Club-Monterey

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Jerry Stewart reports on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pasadera Country Club becoming Nicklaus Club-Monterey.

It's part of a re-branding and China's to blame.

The re-branding is part of a recent deal that saw Nicklaus-China, an entity of the Nicklaus Companies, signing a formal partnership with Hainan Airlines (HNA), who owns the private club. Under the agreement, Nicklaus-China will use Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design to offer turnkey development services and support to the 13 golf courses currently owned by HNA. Along with 11 courses in China, the airline company also owns Somers Pointe GC in New York and Nicklaus Club-Monterey.

"Nicklaus-China will manage the course, reporting directly to Jack Nicklaus," said Nicklaus Club-Monterey sales director Robin Shelton. "Our main focus is on operations and service delivery."

As opposed to service...

Bring Back The PGA Championship Long Drive Contest!

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While we wait for the onslaught of remembrances celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Shaun Micheel's unforgettable win over Chad Campbell in the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill--goosebumps just typing that--Jason Sobel posts a super piece on Jack Nicklaus's memories of winning 1963 PGA at Oak Hill.

He reminds us that Nicklaus won the pre-event long drive contest that the PGA of America held until some time into the 1980s. And wouldn't that be a fun way to liven up Tuesday of PGA week again? Of course today's Hogan's and Snead's would never do it, but it might still be fun to see some lesser known players and maybe a few club pros have some fun.

There was also this:

He won with a mammoth drive of 341 yards and received a money clip that was engraved, “DRIVING DISTANCE WINNER.”

He remembers this because the money clip has stayed in his pocket every day for the past 50 years.

Think about that for a minute: For all of the accolades and treasures heaped upon Nicklaus during his career, the one which has remained closest to him, joining him on journeys around the world, along for the ride on experiences fit for a king, is a money clip for winning a long-drive contest.

“That drive was 341 yards, 17 inches. I do remember that, too,” he says proudly. “That was an 11‑degree wood driver, 32 ¾‑inch Dynamic Edge shaft. Everybody used the same golf ball, so nobody had a preference on what golf ball was hit.”

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea And Its Mounds Land '15 Prez Cup

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Look at those mounds! And that width!

The description from the press release announcing the 2015 Presidents Cup venue selected by the PGA Tour:

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea features a par-72, 7,413-yard Signature Golf Course designed by the Golden Bear, and offers world-class amenities, including an award-winning, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. For The Presidents Cup 2015, the course has undergone some minor renovations and the holes rerouted to accommodate hospitality and the match-play format. Songdo IBD is a joint undertaking by Gale International, POSCO E&C, and Incheon City and a model of international collaboration. Songdo IBD is globally recognized as the world’s foremost smart, sustainable city-scale development. In 2012, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) selected a site in Songdo as the home for the GCF Secretariat.  It is believed that many of the sustainable infrastructure and technological innovations being pioneered in Songdo will be applied to GCF-funded projects in developing nations.