The Welshman has replicas of some of the world’s most famous and challenging golf holes
Associate Editor
2 MIN READ
Gareth Bale is an avid golfer
Gareth Bale is an avid golfer
AFP
Former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale recently attempted to make a hole-in-one on TPC Sawgrass’s world-famous 17th hole, but there was a slight twist to his challenge…
Instead of flying to Florida, the Welsh football legend took on the famous island green from the comfort of his back garden. Yes, you read that right - his back garden.
Bale, who is as passionate about golf as he is about football, has a luxury that few can match: his very own three-hole golf course at his property in Glamorgan, South Wales. And these aren’t just any three holes.
The five-time Champions League winner has built replicas of some of the world’s most famous and challenging golf holes: the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, the iconic ‘Postage Stamp’ eighth at Royal Troon, and the picturesque yet perilous 12th at Augusta National.
“As I moved here, I had a lovely bit of land and I decided that I would love to make a dream come true and build a mini golf course in my house,” said Bale, who played in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Pro-Am last year.
“From a plain piece of land to build what we now have, it was a lot of hard work and a lot of craftsmanship. It’s a lot better than I ever thought it could be, and I’m just so happy I’ve got it here now and so happy that I chose Southwest Greens. I’m obsessed with golf.”
Bale’s obsession with the sport is well-documented and even earned him the nickname The Golfer during his time at Real Madrid. His love of the game, however, wasn’t always embraced in Spain.
The Welshman famously sparked controversy when he posed with a flag bearing the words: “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.” The slogan was inspired by former Real Madrid player and sporting director Predrag Mijatović, who once claimed that Bale’s priorities seemed to be just that - Wales, golf, and Madrid, in that order.
Check out his hole-in-one attempt below