Gareth Bale can’t wait for coronavirus crisis to be over so he can complete his golf course bucket list

GARETH BALE has revealed he has a bucket list to play all the best golf courses in the world with his friends.

The Real Madrid star, 30, has made no secret of his love of playing 18 holes and that’s why team-mate Thibaut Courtois labelled him "The Golfer" in the Bernabeu dressing room.

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Any criticism from Spain that Bale enjoys his hobby away from football too much does not worry the Welshman.

And, once the world returns to normality following the pandemic, he says his close pals back in Cardiff have set the goal of testing themselves on golf's finest courses.

Bale said: "I play a lot of golf. Every year me and my friends go and play a golf tournament somewhere in America or in Europe.

"We have a bucket list at home where we try to tick off all the great courses. We have played Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Torrey Pines, Riviera.

"I've played Pebble a couple of times. I played Cypress Point which is a private members' club which is next to Pebble Beach - that was probably the best course I've ever played so far."

Bale has shown his generosity to help out during Covid-19, donating an incredible £1million to hospitals in Cardiff and Madrid.

WALES. GOLF. MADRID.

The 30-year-old told the Hat-Trick podcast: "Everyone knows what a difficult time the whole world is going through at the moment.

“We took time to do a little bit of research to look around and we decided we wanted to help. We wanted to give back. It was making sure they had everything possible to fight the coronavirus."

Prior to the coronavirus crisis, Bale had one eye on the Euro 2020 finals, which have now been delayed for 12 months, and trying to replicate Wales' semi-final success four years ago.

Yet when Wales qualified for the finals with a 2-0 win over Hungary last November, golf nut Bale could not escape more controversy with links to his second sport.

Welsh fans had produced a song and banner for their talisman with the words, "Wales, Golf, Madrid" and, after qualification was secured, Bale celebrated next to the banner which fuelled more criticism but he insisted it was just fun.

The forward, who recently declared he would be keen on a move to the MLS despite being expected to stay in Madrid with two years left on his £650,000-a-week deal, also had the time of his life when Chris Coleman’s side reached the last four in France and now he’s keen for a repeat.

Bale added: "It will help us as a team because we've got a lot of youngsters. The manager, Ryan Giggs, hasn't been with us for too long.

"Hopefully it gives us a few more games to keep practising prior to the Euros next year now.

"We're all looking forward to it like we were last time and we're looking to do just as well if not better."