Jack Nicklaus And Jack Nicklaus II Want To Know: Are You Designing Everything You Do To Be Exceptional?

Jack Nicklaus and his son joined the Corporate Competitor Podcast to discuss Jack “Jackie” Nicklaus II’s new book, Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son (Thomas Nelson Publishing, released May 18, 2021). Their conversation about golf course design spoke volumes about the drive for perfection that has elevated their company, Nicklaus Design, to pre-eminence in the United States and the world.

If there’s one thing you can say about the Nicklaus family it is that they know how to deliver exceptional experiences on the golf course. The elder Jack delivered such experiences over a storied PGA Tour career that netted him 117 tournament wins and a still-record 18 major championships. Together with his son and business partner Jackie, he continues to provide exceptional experiences for customers who play the 425 courses they’ve built through their company, Nicklaus Design.

Jackie described the family business less in terms of what their team does—design golf courses—and more in terms of why they do it. “One of our bigger challenges is figuring out how to design courses that can challenge professionals who play on it once a year in a tournament, while accommodating higher handicap players who use it the rest of the year,” Jackie noted. Creating that balance is what separates the good from the great in their industry.

Taking care of the customer is a core value of Nicklaus Design and one Jackie’s dad traces back to one of his earliest golf course projects, the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Jack originally designed Muirfield with Pete Dye in 1974. Muirfield Village went on to serve golfers of all abilities, while hosting elite competition such as the Memorial Tournament since 1976. The course has also brought an international flair to the Buckeye State by hosting the 1987 Ryder Cup, the 1998 Solheim Cup matches and the 2013 Presidents Cup.

In 2020, Muirfield underwent a redesign. Determined to ensure that golfers in his hometown of Columbus would continue to enjoy a world-class venue, Nicklaus surveyed members asking them to name their favorite hole. Fourteen holes appeared in the feedback. Most would be happy with that evaluation, but Jack’s response teaches us a valuable business lesson, “Now we know the four we need to work on.” He set out to make those last four holes more remarkable.

The moment still tickles the Golden Bear. “Well, they asked me what I thought was the signature hole on the golf course,” Jack recalled. “I started to laugh and said, ‘You didn’t hire me to do a signature hole. You hired me to do 18 signature holes, so that’s what I tried to do.’”

The lesson for your business is clear: don’t ever be satisfied until everything you offer is the equivalent of your “signature hole.” Don’t let a 14-for-18 scorecard create comfort.

And 7,650 holes later—that’s the number of holes constructed in 45 countries and 40 U.S. states—Nicklaus Design stands in a familiar place at the top of the industry’s leaderboard.

Enjoy this intimate conversation with two members of golf’s first family.