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Gareth Bale, golf and the life he envisioned after retirement from football

  /  HMLandeliniV

The players' path on the Shore Course of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, which is separated from the Pacific Ocean only by the famed U.S. Highway 1, periodically puts them alongside spectators. 

When that happened, Gareth Bale's generosity overflowed.

At every stop, he fulfilled every request, smiling for the entirety. Signed autographs. Took photos. Listened to praise. Engaged in small talk. He offered a signed glove to a seven-year-old girl wearing a Tottenham Hotspur jersey, there with her dad in the Wales home shirt. The adoring fans got everything they requested from Wales' G.O.A.T. footballer. Everyone except Danny Ordaz.

A young Spurs fan holds up her signed Gareth Bale golf glove at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament (Photo: The Athletic)

A 27-year-old resident of the nearby-city Salinas, Ordaz followed Bale's quartet for the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament. His persistence earned him a selfie with Bale. But Ordaz desperately wanted an autograph. His problem: he had nothing to be signed. His hat was black, as was his shirt, so the Sharpie markings wouldn't show. He came to the tournament planning to buy a hat or shirt but the course didn't include the pop-up stores he expected. So he was stuck with nothing for Bale to autograph.

Well, he did have one thing. But it was risky.

“I wanted him to sign it,” Ordaz said, “but I wasn't sure if he would.”

He was pretty sure Bale would reject him. It was a grey hat with a red bill and the emblem of Liverpool. Ordaz understood Bale's Premier League allegiance was to Tottenham. But Bale was being so accommodating. And he did score two goals in Real Madrid's win over Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final. Maybe, Ordaz thought, Bale might see signing the cap as another jab at the Merseyside foe. Maybe.

Ordaz handed over the hat and Sharpie. It took Bale a second at most to recognise the hat and hand it back.

“I'm not signing that, mate,” Bale said as he walked away with both hands up, gesturing that he wanted no part of that cap. His rejection included a warm grin. Ordaz laughed.

“I figured he wouldn't, but I was hoping,” he said. “But he was so cool though. Really nice.”

Liverpool fan Danny Ordaz poses for a selfie with Bale (Photo: The Athletic)

Even while rebuffing a fan, Bale's vibe was unmistakable. He was having a good time. And how could he not be?

This is the life the 33-year-old must have envisioned when he retired from football. Not even a month after hanging up his boots, roughly nine weeks since his penalty kick in the World Cup made Welsh football history, Bale was in another slice of heaven on the western edge of California. At, it's been said, the greatest meeting of land and sea. A place such as this is where most would expect Bale to resurface. On a golf course, playing a passion of his he can fully lean into now that he is done with his national team and is well-established as a legendary UK sports figure who delivered titles in two other countries. This is almost too perfect.

Here, at this famous tournament PGA professionals with celebrity golfers, Bale might be the most world-famous in the whole tournament. But he isn't the most popular here. The larger crowds on this Friday afternoon are following the likes of Tour star Jordan Spieth and actor Jason Bateman. Bale's contingency is much less frenzied than he would get at most pitches. It not only allows him to spread his munificence rather evenly, but it appears to help him preserve his obvious tranquillity.

During Wednesday's celebrity-centred Hole-in-One Challenge at The Hay, a short course at Pebble Beach, Bale almost never stopped smiling. In the secluded area for participants, he blended in with the collection of famous people almost to the point of obscurity. His 6ft 1in and wiry-strong frame did not exactly pop in a crowd featuring basketball Hall of Famer Pau Gasol and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Bale has impressed some of the world's best golfers with his ability (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

And Bale's subtle attire of forest green Adidas crewneck sweatshirt and blue joggers stood no chance at grabbing attention as chef Thomas Keller, of the renowned restaurant The French Laundry, walked around in uniform with a toque blanche.

But his trademark man bun gave him away, as diehards in the crowd trained their video cameras on the legend who in his prime was one of the best footballers in the world. The entire time, he smiled. Almost as if he couldn't stop.

Biologically, it was the same smile he flashed on the bench of Real Madrid, the one that drew the ire of some Madridistas, many of whom believed he cared more about golf than about returning the Spanish club to the glory he once delivered. Figuratively, this smile was much different. The smile of a man who found another great joy. For this one, his commitment is no longer questioned. For this one, his former greatness is no longer the bar relentlessly hovering over him. Bale looks like he's found the happiness that seemed to fade with his football dominance.

Now, happiness happens on a different green. The power still comes from his feet, but the speed that made him special now happens while he stands still, in his swing. The strength that often surprised his foes now manifests with a steel stick in his hand. The agility that gave defenders so much trouble on the pitch now gets him out of trouble on the course.

Even while grinding through 18 holes — with constant helpful tips from pairing partner Joseph Bramlett, who finished the second round at eight-under-par and one stroke off the lead among the pros — Bale's disposition never seemed to sway.

The drizzling rain of the weekend could not dampen the mood. The hovering charcoal-coloured clouds could not dim the brightness of the occasion. The trying and wholly frustrating venture golf can be could not erase the pleasure painted on his face. Bale's retirement is off to a blissful start.

Bale has been one of the surprise talents at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Not nearly as well known in these parts, his game is refined in a way that gives validity to the “WALES. GOLF. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER” slogan. He is really good. You do not get to be a near-scratch golfer without an incredible dedication to the craft. He is at about a two handicap, meaning he averages about two over par. Spaniard Jon Rahm, ranked No 3 in the PGA Tour's World Rankings, said that felt like too high of a handicap for Bale after the two played nine holes last weekend at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

His dedication to the sport shines through in his game. So does his athleticism.

Bale's swing is pretty efficient. He gets good pace through the ball and has good hands for a man who made millions with his feet. His combination of quickness and strength, the torque he can generate in his hips, the agility of his movement, make him a diverse player. He can hit an array of shots.

He's comfortable with irons in his hand, no matter where he is on — or off — a course. Golf is, in many ways, perfect for Bale's package of tools. Especially mentally. It requires both an insane competitive streak and a capacity for calmness. Bale has a maniacal streak while being known for his poise in the biggest moments, such as in the 128th minute of the MLS Cup Final, when his header rescued LAFC from crushing defeat and set up their win on penalties for the championship.

The ingredients are in him, including a good eye. Just ask Danny Ordaz.

He took another pass at getting Bale's autograph. Still, he only had the Liverpool hat. This time, he covered the logo with his hand and pressed the top of the cap down. His hope was that when he handed it to be autographed, all Bale would see is the red bill. Perhaps he would just sign it without examination, assuming the red evokes thoughts of his beloved Wales.

Nope. Bale not only recognised the hat, but the man wearing it.

“That guy,” Bale said, laughing as he walks away. “He keeps trying. I'm not signing Liverpool.”

Ordaz was busted. But he was getting something better than a signature: moments with Bale. He got the star to laugh. And something about his persistent smile, his willingness to be jovial, made the exchanges delightful. Along with his wand of a left foot, Bale's superpower is bringing himself down a level, slathering his glamorous name with a commoner's aura. The fans at Pebble Beach walked away from interactions with him feeling like the appreciation was reciprocal. Even after rejection.

“It was so funny,” Ordaz said, still bubbling after his second attempt. “I tried to hide the Liverpool but he remembered. But he was so cool about it. He's great. Such a nice guy.”

Bale's first shot at No 14 on Friday, a 187-yard Par-3 on the Shore Course, was so close to plopping on the green. It landed just short. Bale grinned as he walked alongside Bramlett, playfully shoulder-bumping his pro partner as they made their way towards the flag.

Bale, this round wearing a white TaylorMade cap with an Adidas heather-grey henley shirt and a black long-sleeve undershirt to match his black trousers, soaked up tons of advice from Bramlett. Even the other pro in their foursome, Swedish golfer David Lingmerth, offered up advice. He was paired with the billionaire founder of Yahoo!, Jerry Yang.

Bale's second landed close enough to the hole for a short putt. He was pleased with the effort, evident in the smile and high-five with his caddy. But Yang's caddy reminded Bale that he needed to spot his ball so he could get it out of the way. Oops. Bale, with widened eyes, gingerly jogged over to his ball, awkwardly avoiding trampling on any potential putting lines, and placed his ball marker before creeping off the edge of the green. He stood next to Lingmerth and the two laughed.

In this, Bale is the amateur.

On No 15, he had about a 10-foot putt to save par. Bramlett, who had just dropped in a putt from near the same spot, coached his celebrity partner on which line to take. But Bale's putt did not break left as planned and rolled past the hole.

As good as Bale is, the pros are on another level. He can hang on a course with them. But he has a way to go to be their peer. However, he is only 33, which might be antique for football but is closer to adolescence for golf, and he has got this good as a hobby. It is seductive to wonder what his ceiling would be if he went after it full-time.

Off the tee and on the green is where, next to the professionals, his part-time status as a golfer shows up. Bale hit from the white tee box, closer than the blue tee box for the professionals. On the green, their exquisite expertise in reading the situation and the sophistication of touch separates them from people who do not spend countless hours on countless greens. Bale has solid technique and a good feel. But more experience figures to work wonders on his putting.

In 2020, Bale hired a company called Southwest Greens to install a three-hole course on his Glamorgan property. All three holes are Par-3s modelled after holes on famous courses: “Golden Bell”, hole No 12 at Augusta National; “Postage Stamp”, No 8 at Scotland's Royal Troon; and “Island Green”, No 17 at Sawgrass in Florida. A year ago, he became a global ambassador for The R&A with a mission to help get more people to play golf. He has been living in Los Angeles, where he has access to numerous popular golf courses in California and the weather that allows him to play all year.

“You can tell he loves this sport,” Sheffield's Matt Fitzpatrick, the US Open champion and ranked No 10 in the world, told reporters after a nine-hole session with Bale on Wednesday at Pebble Beach. “He loves golf and he really wants to get to play a little bit more.”

Bale blasted a shot off the tee of No 2, dropping it at least 250 yards up the fairway. His approach shot veered off the path, falling short and landing in roughage to the right of the green and behind a tree. But pure skill brought him back.

Scrambling in golf — the art of keeping par and birdie chances alive even after wayward tee shots — demands marrying improvisation with execution. Players have to see unique angles, be flexible physically and strategically, take shots through tiny and complicated windows, make the ball move defiantly, and apply proper measurements of audacity and patience based on the predicament. So it makes sense a master of free kicks is also a good scrambler.

In the first round, dressed in enough white to evoke his days as a Merengue, Bale masterfully worked himself out of a jam. From a cement cart path, banked the shot off the side of the hill, making the ball pop up and onto the green and roll a few feet from the hole.

So when he found himself needing to stick another tricky shot the next day, it felt more in his wheelhouse than one might expect. This time, he lofted the shot, up and over a Monterey Pine covered in lace lichen, and onto the green. It rolled close enough for a sinkable par putt.

When he dropped it, a roar erupted from the modest gallery of fans. They yelled his name while applauding. His smile stretched even wider as Bramlett approved with a fist pump and some dap. It was not anywhere near the level of the roars he induced in his football career. But it did not have to be. That is the beauty of his new life. It is a relative joy, not measured by the championships he wins or the trophies he claims — or the earnings he could accrue. He has amassed enough of all that for multiple lifetimes. The measurement now, the one that matters, is the happiness he can find. The happiness worthy of a legend.

Amid the celebration of his clutch save, Bale did another round of photos and autographs with the fans. It proved to be one last chance for Ordaz to get that autograph.

This time, he scrapped the Liverpool hat. All he had left was his Hydro Flask. Fortunately, it had a silicon boot — bright orange, too, so the black signature would be visible. Tempting fate, he went to Bale for a third time, risking the superstar would no longer find it funny.

But Bale humoured Ordaz and stopped long enough to take hold of the canteen. He spun it his hands, like he would before placing the ball for a corner kick, scanning its circumference.

“He was making sure it didn't have anything Liverpool all over it,” Ordaz said. “It was hilarious.”

In the end, Ordaz left Pebble Beach with everything he wanted from Bale. A selfie and an autograph. Assuredly, it is the smile he will remember most.

(Design: Sam Richardson for The Athletic. Photos: Getty Images)