Charlie Nicklaus, a fine all-around athlete, was playing volleyball in the spring of 1950 when he suffered a broken ankle. Three operations were required, and the ankle was fused. With Charlie slow to heal, his doctor recommended walking on soft ground for rehabilitation. In Charlie’s mind, that meant playing golf.

So he started playing several times a week—but he could only play one or two holes at a time before requiring rest. With so much downtime between holes, he decided to bring his son Jack to the course for companionship and to carry his bag. Eventually, Charlie encouraged Jack to hit a few shots with a cut-down set of clubs.