Byron Nelson had 11 straight wins in 1945. John Biever/SI

The coolest man in golf is still Byron Nelson. At 92, he's also the nicest, humblest, sincerest, friendliest and ... well, basically a dominant force in terms of positive adjectives because no matter how many good things you say about him, you still won't capture his wonderful spirit.

Nelson stopped off at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla., for a Monday night sneak preview of the Hall's spiffy new exhibit detailing his life in golf. Along with last year's terrific Ben Hogan display, which is still in place, the Nelson showing reaffirms that the Hall is moving in a Cooperstown-like direction and celebrating its players (which is what people want).

And Nelson, of course, was simply pleased to be there. He's as lucid and warm and good-natured as he was back in the '70s when he and Chris Schenkel broadcasted golf on ABC.

"I never dreamed of anything like this," Nelson said after touring the exhibit, which includes numerous rare old photographs, artifacts and even a few clubs. "I never dreamed I'd do so many things or that there would be so much stuff about it. I guess it shows that I've been busy for 92 years. I love it and I'm extremely honored. It's hard for me not to get to nostalgic looking at all of this.

"I've been fortunate all my life. I was born into a Christian family and able to stay out of jail. I've been more blessed than anybody I know in golf."

One exhibit item is a large photo of a young Nelson with the pertinent facts and figures from his fabulous 1945 season, the year by which all other great years in golf are inevitably measured. He had 11 straight wins, 18 overall, had a then-record scoring average of 69.67 and a final-round scoring average of 68.33.

"One of the things I'm most proud of looking back in my little black book is that my career had a lot of consistency," Nelson said.

The key to his 1945 run, he said, was a New Year's resolution to improve the only areas he felt were lacking in his game the previous season -- occasional poor chipping and the odd careless shot. He was determined to do better and the results were astonishing.

"It shows you how important one stroke really is in golf," Nelson said. "One shot doesn't sound like much, but I won eight times in 1944, improved one-third of a shot in '45 and won 18 times."

Nelson still likes to discuss many aspects of golf.

He thinks the modern pro tour probably isn't quite as much fun as it was in his day when players usually drove themselves from tournament to tournament.

"Now these guys have jets and it's boom, go, boom, go," he said. "We were able to slow down when we drove. Today, the fine players go all over the world."

He also looks back fondly on how he got started in the sport.

"My father was a farmer, a sharecropper, and he and my mom moved me and my sister to Fort Worth when I was 10. When I was 13, one of my friends actually had a nickel and a dime in his pocket. I asked him, 'how come you have money?' He said he'd been caddying over at Glen Gardens Country Club. So I headed for Glen Gardens. I loved golf from the very first time I stepped onto Glen Gardens. I loved the swings and the people. That turned into a great day for me."

It turned into a great career and a great life, as well. You can get a taste of Nelson's legacy at the World Golf Hall of Fame for the rest of this year.

As for what kind of a guy Byron is, here's all you need to know: He told those gathered at the exhibit preview that his biggest accomplishment over the years has been his work with the Dallas Salesmanship Club, which runs the Byron Nelson Classic golf tournament that has raised millions to help troubled youths.

Here are the top 11 things (in honor of his 11 straight wins) you'll find out about Nelson at the World Golf Hall of Fame:

11. Byron was the first professional golfer who turned television broadcaster and sat in the booth. He was also part of the ABC golf broadcast team that won an Emmy for its coverage.

10. Another first: As the head professional at Inverness Country Club in Toledo in 1940 (Tour pros also held club jobs during the offseason to supplement their meager incomes), Nelson was the first to stock different sizes of golf shoes in his shop. Before then, pros carried only a sample to show customers, then had to order the shoe in the proper size. Nelson had shoes for members to try on.

9. Byron was the captain of the 1965 Ryder Cup team that played in England. A photo in the exhibit captures the team getting off the plane. Most of the members are wearing suits and fedoras. Arnold Palmer and Gene Littler look like hit men or, with sunglasses, as if they were ready to try out for Blues Brothers 3.

8. A key shot in Nelson's 1939 U.S. Open victory came in a playoff with Craig Wood. Nelson holed a 1-iron shot from 220 yards en route to beating Wood by three strokes, 73-70. The club and the ball he used for that shot are in a display case, courtesy of the USGA.

7. After his amazing 1945 season, Byron made it onto the back of a Wheaties box. A replica from General Mills shows Nelson's face along with two other "Champs of the U.S.A." They were Joe Cronin, Boston Red Sox shortstop, and Cecil Isbell of the Green Bay Packers. Nelson received $200 and a case of Wheaties every month for a year for the endorsement. "We couldn't eat a case a month," Nelson said, "so we gave a lot of it away."

6. A photo of Nelson holding golf umbrellas was part of his lore of improving golf equipment. He went to an American golf manufacturer and prodded the company into producing a better golf umbrella, and gave his input on how to do so. Until then, all the golf umbrellas were being imported from Europe.

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5. Nelson and his golfing pal, Harold (Jug) McSpaden complained to shoe manufacturers about golf footwear, then worked with shoemakers to make changes that improved the shoes' gripping power and, more important, greatly increased the cushioning and comfort level.

4. A replica of the plaque from the bridge between the 12th and 13th greens at Augusta National is on display. That bridge was dedicated in Nelson's honor on April 2, 1958, because he'd scored 2-3 (birdie-eagle) on the 12th and 13th holes, respectively, in the 1937 Masters to pick up six shots on leader Ralph Guldahl, before winning the tournament.

3. Phil Mickelson was not the first golfer to try out with the Toledo Mud Hens. A photo in the exhibit shows Nelson dressed up in catcher's gear (a publicity pose -- he actually played in the outfield) and Mud Hens' uniform. It was 1940 and Nelson was working at Inverness as a club pro when he suited up to play an exhibition game against the St. Louis Browns.

2. Tournaments were much more informal years ago. A photograph of a young Byron between rounds at the 1936 Metropolitan Open, his first big victory, shows him sitting on the ground, holding a hot dog and drinking from a six-ounce glass bottle of Coke.

1. You can see the first model of the Iron Byron machine that the USGA used to test golf balls and clubs. It's a device that hits golf balls and was built by the True Temper company, which used films of various golfers, but especially Nelson, who was considered to have the perfect swing. Nelson actually consulted and gave advice on the machine's operation over the years, and it was nicknamed after him.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle writes for the magazine's Golf Plus section and is a regular contributor to SI.com.