North Palm Beach resident and golf legend Jack Nicklaus is campaigning in his native Ohio today with Mitt Romney.

“This campaign is not what is best for me, it is what is best for my children and my grandchildren,” Nicklaus said, according to The Washington Times.

Romney called Nicklaus “the greatest athlete of the 20th century” after The Golden Bear’s introduction.

Sports Illustrated named Nicklaus the best individual male athlete of the 20th century in 1999.

ESPN ranked Nicklaus the ninth greatest athlete of the 20th Century — behind Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe and Willie Mays.

Palm Beach Gardens Rep. Pat Rooney said Friday he’s dropping his House sponsorship of legislation that would have required at least five state parks to have Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses.

Florida already has more than 1,000 golf courses –tops in the nation. And Rooney, a Republican, acknowledged he’s seeking a do-over after drawing heat from critics of the legislation.

Many say the proposal would prove a waste of dwindling state cash. Environmentalists filled websites and chatboards saying golf courses don’t belong in state parks.

“Floridians spoke very clearly over the past several days on this proposal and they are the reason I’m in office,” Rooney said. “I appreciate their concerns and hope this decision allays some of their fears.”

Rooney had insisted the bill was designed to promote tourism. It emerged from discussions between Rooney, Nicklaus, a longtime Palm Beach County resident, and Gov. Rick Scott.

 The only park specified in the bill to receive a Nicklaus golf course was Jonathan Dickinson State Park, not far from the golfer’s North Palm Beach home.

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus met with Gov. Rick Scott to discuss how the Golden Bear can help the new governor turn the state’s economy around.

Nicklaus, the golfer-turned-businessman and philanthropist who lives in North Palm Beach, and Scott stepped outside the governor’s office to answer a few questions from The Palm Beach Post but remained tight-lipped about any potential economic development plan, other than it would involve…golf.

The links superstar is the head of an exclusive golf course design company that’s launched more than 350 courses throughout the U.S. and in nearly three dozen other countries.

Scott and Nicklaus, whose flight arrival was delayed more than an hour because of fog, met for about 30 minutes before stepping into the governor’s waiting room to answer a few questions from a reporter.

“I invited Mr. Nicklaus , the greatest golfer ever, to come and give me his ideas on economic development in the state. He’s lived here since 1962 and clearly cares about the state,” Scott told The Palm Beach Post.

Nicklaus said they had “basically a general conversation about how we can help and how golf can be involved.”

Scott said the talks were preliminary.

“We’re the number one golf state, the number one tourist destination in the world. So we started the conversation to see if there’s any ideas,” he said.

“It’s obvious golf can help the economic growth of the state,” Nicklaus added. He said he and Scott discussed how “somebody with my age and experience…with all the years of playing golf, how that can apply to what’s going on here.”

Scott’s staffers, clearly impressed by Nicklaus, took turns posing for photos with “The Golden Bear” inside the governor’s office before Nicklaus and his entourage left the Capitol.

Scott said he plays golf but “not well,” prompting Nicklaus to downplay his current prowess on the greens.

“Everybody’s wanted to play golf like I did. Now they can,” he joked, pausing before helping out a reporter clearly baffled by his meaning. “I’m 71 years old. I don’t play like I did when I was 45.”

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