The Bear's arrival has locals waiting with bated breath

Having carded a final round of 68 in the British Open at Royal Lytham on Monday, July 18th 1988, Jack Nicklaus joined the ABC commentary team for the remainder of the afternoon and then flew in his private jet to Waterford, with his wife Barbara.

It was almost two years since he had first set foot in Ireland, but this visit would mark the beginning of a lasting relationship.

"I am not at liberty to disclose details of my Irish trip," he had said guardedly before taking to the skies. "That would be a matter for my client. All I can say at this stage is that I am flying into Waterford Airport."

Had we been newshounds worthy of the name, we would have made a link with the so-called Toyota Challenge of Champions at Royal Dublin in 1986 when, as the reigning US Masters champion, Nicklaus had played an exhibition against Seve Ballesteros.

Instead, it was a further 24 hours before news emerged that the Bear was heading for Mount Juliet, which had been bought in 1987 by Tim Mahony, chairman of Toyota Ireland.

The Mount Juliet assignment prompted the hope, even the conviction, that the great man would be seen in competitive action in this country when the Irish Open went to the Thomastown venue in 1993. That was his way at courses he designed. But it never happened.

Now, in the autumn of a breathtaking golfing career, the void is to be filled. And it seems highly appropriate that it should happen on the incomparable terrain of Royal Co Down, which might have been crafted by Old Tom Morris with the Bear's majestic skills in mind.

Looking back to Royal Dublin and that fateful Monday 25 years ago, I can still sense the tingling excitement at what was about to unfold. Familiar though the blond head, solid frame and warm smile may have been, it was still difficult to comprehend that the great man was about to hit golf shots on Irish soil.

But actor Niall Toibin, who filled the role of MC as a member of the host club, assured us of Nicklaus's imminent arrival. And though it had been a long time in the making, the occasion allowed the great man to make the memorable comment: "I never imagined having lunch in Dublin, Ireland and dinner in Dublin, Ohio, on the same day." But he did.

It mattered not a whit that Ballesteros won the match with a two-under-par 70 to a 71 from the Bear. By entering into the spirit of things with obvious enthusiasm, both players made it a thoroughly memorable occasion.

Meanwhile, in the context of some rather useful achievements by Tiger Woods over the last few years, it is interesting to recall Nicklaus being asked later in the afternoon, if it were possible for a player to equal his record of 18 major championship triumphs. "When I was Seve's age (Ballesteros was 29 at the time), I had seven major professional titles. Seve has four. That's not such a big difference. If any player is to do it, I think Seve is the one."

Nor would he have won any awards as a soothsayer for claiming, on another visit a few years later: "The profession is tougher, the golfers are better and no small group can battle it out among themselves. The winner can come from anywhere. That's good for the profession."

We would later discover that the Royal Dublin experience planted the seed of great things to follow at Thomastown, 80 miles to the south. And after the initial visit to Mount Juliet in the wake of Lytham 1988, a design agreement for $1.25 million was finalised in fascinating circumstances.

As it happened, that particular Open would be the Spaniard's last major triumph.

"It was done in the car park at Portmarnock," Mahony recalled. "I was speaking on my car phone to Jack, who was in Helsinki at the time, and we tied everything up." From that point, Mahony came into regular contact with Nicklaus, especially on the Bear's 13 visits to Mount Juliet.

"I would like to think that we have become friends, but you never really know with Jack," the businessman admitted later. "I found him to be an unusually intelligent man, absolutely straight in all our dealings. He is essentially a very serious person, thoroughly dedicated and with marvellous powers of concentration."

Mahony went on: "In his presence, you're never conscious of being with a major sporting celebrity, but there is an innate strength about him. He is not a man I would wish to cross."

During those visits to Mount Juliet, Nicklaus was invariably open and courteous to the scribes who kept tabs on his progress. He was made aware of some decidedly caustic comments about his design work elsewhere in Europe, notably at St Mellion, where David Feherty famously exclaimed: "We've been diddled. This one was designed by Barbara (Nicklaus)."

By way of response, Nicklaus said: "There has been a lot of jealousy and it drives me crazy. People haven't been able to criticise my golf too much over the years, so they choose to pick at my courses. I don't like to say it, but I'm afraid it's true."

Then he added: "If you don't want to be criticised, you should say nothing, do nothing and be nothing."

It represented a rather unhappy commentary on life in the limelight. Yet he didn't dwell on such matters and we were given the wonderful admission: "Golf is still what I dream about at night. Playing golf, that is. But it is good after all these years not to feel the game grinding you down mentally. Because it can do that.

"I don't feel a strain when I play, but in between times, the level of performance and attainment is always a worry." Then there was the assertion: "I haven't abused myself. I've lived good and clean and kept my discipline. I love the outdoors and I love golf best of the things I do outdoors. The way I live and the way I keep my mind strong are the key things in keeping competitive in golf.

"Yeah, I am a very competitive person. If you knock me back I'll come at you twice as hard and twice as fast. That's my nature. It's not easy to change it. People haven't always liked it and haven't always liked me, but the character you have is what makes you the golf player you are. You can't separate one from the other. I can go away and work on courses, but if my mind is strong, I can pick up my golf to a satisfying level when I come back to it."

As Mahony discovered, he's not an easy man to know, but some stories about him are quite revealing. Like the one about himself and a caddie named Pappy, from his halcyon days. On receiving his percentage of yet another tournament win, Pappy settled into a long game of craps in Las Vegas and enjoyed sufficient early fortune to have amassed in excess of $22,000. Just when Pappy's talk began to take on the extravagance of the committed loser, however, Nicklaus arrived on the scene and gently prised all but $2,000 of the winning's from the caddie's hungry grasp. The Bear later invested it in an Arnold Palmer car franchise company, so making ample provision for Pappy's needs for many years afterwards.

The official opening of Mount Juliet on Sunday, July 14th 1991, was captured by a Kilkennyman with a perception worthy of the county's great hurling tradition. On hearing that there was to be an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Christy O'Connor Snr, which would be refereed by Joe Carr, the local remarked: "Be God! That's like having Christy Ring, Mick Mackey and Jimmy Langton in the same half-forward line."

There were many other elements which made it a hugely enjoyable occasion. Like the concern expressed by Nicklaus at the idea of O'Connor, then 66, playing off the back tees. "I wouldn't worry about Christy," said Carr. "He's still well capable of taking care of himself."

The truth of that observation gained rich emphasis later in the day when, in the official score for the match, O'Connor won by 72 to 74. In fairness to Nicklaus, however, it was noted that "Himself" was permitted a Mulligan at the first hole where the ball from his opening drive went badly right, never to be seen again.

It hardly seems credible that 10 years have slipped past since then, and we had a British Open at Royal Lytham last weekend without the Bear.

A wonderful journey came to an end in the appropriate setting of St Andrews 12 months ago. The crowds around the 18th green rose to honour a great champion, just as an earlier generation had cheered him to the echo in his Open triumphs of 1970 and 1978 on the Old Course. Yet Nicklaus wasn't quite ready to depart. It was Friday and champions don't quit on Fridays.

Not for the first time in recent years, however, the Bear's golf game didn't match his ambition. But the galleries at Royal Co Down this week won't be looking for flaws. They will simply be grateful for a long-awaited competitive appearance here by a man who has enriched our lives in more ways than he could ever imagine.