Gareth Bale won the Champions League five times with Real Madrid during a trophy-laden playing career that was the stuff of fairy-tales.
Wales’ all-time leading scorer was among the most decorated British footballers ever, before hanging up his boots aged 33 to spend more time with his golf clubs.
So might we expect to see more of him in Courier country in his retirement?
Bale has his very own three-hole golf course in the back garden of his £4 million mansion in Glamorgan.
It features replicas of three of the world’s most iconic par 3s: the 17th at Sawgrass, the Postage Stamp 8th at Royal Troon and the 12th at Augusta.
The 33-year-old recently agreed to become a global ambassador for The R&A, having previously shared his love of the Old Course to his 50m Instagram followers.
He played 18 holes at St Andrews after embarking on a summer golf tour of Scotland following Euro 2016 to celebrate his engagement to childhood sweetheart Emma.
Bale posted a picture of himself on the iconic Swilcan Bridge.
The Courier reported at the time: “He may be the world’s most expensive footballer but Gareth Bale was displaying his golf skills when he teed it up in St Andrews.
“The Real Madrid maestro took to the historic Old Course with a group of friends, enjoying the afternoon sun following a morning of downpours.
“The 27-year-old drew little attention to himself as he arrived for his tee time, booked under an alias, dressed in a salmon pink top and white snapback.
“A keen golfer, Bale is understood to have a handicap of just six and has recently starred in a commercial demonstrating his ball juggling skills.
“The Welsh star is currently on downtime having helped his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 a fortnight ago.
“However, he was showing no signs of fatigue as he took to the links, demonstrating his athleticism by leaping across the Swilcan Burn as he made his way to the first green.
“The winger seemed in jovial mood, taking photos on the tee and even posing with a couple for a quick selfie on Granny Clark’s Wynd.”
Bale’s love of golf played a huge role in his life outside of football.
He was nicknamed ‘The Golfer’ by Thibaut Courtois during his time at Real Madrid and holding the infamous ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In That Order.’ banner after helping his nation qualify for Euro 2020 – a reference to Bale’s so-called priority list during his time in Spain – caused outrage among Real Madrid fans and the Spanish media.
But it probably wasn’t far from the truth.
Bale laughed and danced with his Wales team-mates behind the flag message, which was linked to comments made by former Real Madrid player Predrag Mijatović.
He was accused of spending too much time on the treatment table or enjoying hobbies away from the field after falling out of favour with manager Zinedine Zidane.
Bale was pictured playing golf during the team’s 1-0 Audi Cup defeat to Tottenham in July 2019, after he missed the pre-season trip to Germany through illness.
“I’ve been available for quite a lot of the games in Spain but sometimes you don’t get picked, so people assume you are injured,” said Bale.
“It’s that perception that people think I play a lot of golf, when I actually don’t.
“People think I’m injured a lot, but I’m actually not.
“The problem is that people believe what they read and it creates that narrative or image that it’s always happening.”
From the Bernabeu to the Old Course
Bale was still playing with Real Madrid when he became a global ambassador for The R&A in 2022 in support of its activities to inspire new audiences around the world.
Bale joined Niall Horan and Modest! Golf in backing a drive to encourage more people to playing golf, including women and young people, by using the power of influencers from the sports and entertainment world to broaden its appeal and boost its image.
Phil Anderton, chief development officer at The R&A, said: “Gareth’s passion for golf is clear for everyone to see and he will play an influential role in supporting the new golfer initiatives we are working on with Modest! Golf and plan to introduce this year.
“We want to reach new audiences who are not yet aware of golf’s many great benefits, including health and wellbeing, and believe that role models like Gareth can help inspire more women and young people into the sport and enhance golf’s reputation with millions of followers worldwide.”
Bale said: “Golf is an amazing sport and it has always been an ambition of mine to encourage more people to take it up.
“This is a really exciting move by The R&A and I’m honoured to be able to play my part in their efforts to inspire people of all ages to give golf a try.”
Bale, who plays off two, didn’t get a chance to improve his handicap at the Qatar World Cup in December after manager Rob Page banned his squad from teeing off.
I love golf. You can play with and against anybody, off different handicaps or playing levels.”
Gareth Bale
“We had a round of golf planned,” explained Page.
“I went to the Doha club – it’s run by a British lad. He said, ‘I’ll book you a time.’ But it gets dark at four o’clock.
“We looked at it, but there are other functions we might have to do, so we will probably not get the chance to do it. Yeah (I’ve told Bale). There’s no golf.
“We’re out there to do a job.”
Bale had to make do instead with a golf simulator at the squad’s base.
He’s a big fan of the PGA Tour
He spoke about his love for the game and watching the PGA Tour on Sky Sports until late at night in an interview with Today’s Golfer before the tournament.
He said: “I love golf. You can play with and against anybody, off different handicaps or playing levels.
“You can just get out on the course with your friends and get away from everything. I have the bug and every time I tee it up, I want to improve.
“Golf is a hobby like anyone else would have a hobby. There is nothing wrong with having a round.
“People make a lot of it, but a lot of footballers play and it’s one thing I really enjoy.
“It keeps me calmer off the pitch and gives me time away from football, which is nice.”
He added: “Whenever I have 20 or 30 minutes to spare, I’ll pop down the range or even swing, without a ball, in the mirror at my house to work on little things to ensure I’ve got the club in the right place. All those things add up.”
There have been rumours that the Welshman plans to turn his attention to becoming a professional golfer after announcing his retirement from the game this week.
Hanging up his boots also means he would be available to compete this year in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which attracts many of the world’s top golfers together with celebrity amateurs and is played annually over the Old Course at St Andrews, alongside the Championship Course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Might we soon see him back on the Swilcan Bridge?
Haste ye back, Gareth!
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