Gareth Bale pays for replica of 17th at TPC Sawgrass to be built in his back garden

Gareth Bale. Photo / AP.

Most footballers tend to seek a career in coaching or punditry when hanging up their boots, but Gareth Bale appears to be preparing for himself for life in the PGA Tour.

The Real Madrid star is renowned for his rapid speed, a penchant for goals and an obsession with the golf course, and he has now taken the last of those to a new level with the addition of three iconic holes... in his back garden!

Back in 2015, Bale set on a mission to have the famous island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass, the stunning Postage Stamp at Royal Troon and the tricky 11th at Augusta National reproduced at his home in south Wales.

Now, a picture of the finished article has appeared online, showing an eerily similar presentation of that 17th at TPC Sawgrass in all its glory, albeit, admittedly, with a smaller lake.

The actual hole is a simple 132-yard par-3 but is made to be one of the trickiest on the Tour due to the fact that the green is completely surrounded by water apart from the narrow grass bridge that allows players to walk onto it.

With an estimated 100,000 golf balls being plucked from the lake every year, Bale would be wise to invest in some kind of ball retriever himself.

Similarly, the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon is renowned for it's narrow green and surrounding thick-cut rough, making it a make-it-or-break-it for anyone stepping up to the tee.

With 505 yards separating the championship tee and the green, the 11th at Augusta - White Dogwood - may have proved the trickiest for those tasked with building the replicas.

It also has an iconic lake located on the left side of the green, which has been many a pro's undoing during the Masters.

Playing off of a handicap of six, it is no surprise that Bale has decided to challenge himself with some of the trickiest holes in golf, and will surely take him closer to playing off scratch just in time for retirement.

"I love playing golf," the Real Madrid superstar told the Express in 2015. "I love the sport, I love the fact that you can just get away from everything, be with your friends, and no-one can come over to you on a golf course. Etiquette!

"It's nice to get out and, I suppose, switch your mind off from football. Just have a laugh.

"Yeah, at the moment, I am obsessed with golf."