Rafa Really Loving His Golf

Bill Van Smith talks to tennis great Rafael Nadal for the Miami Herald about the Spaniard's increasing affection for the game.

“Golf is great, because you are always in beautiful places when you are playing,” he said.

Nadal, 25, has made a nice living playing tennis, somewhere above the $55 million mark. That’s just tournament winnings, and not endorsements. In golf, he hasn’t made quite as much. Maybe a few bucks from a $2 Nassau, and no endorsements that we know of.

Money doesn’t make happiness, however. And Nadal is plenty happy on the golf course.

“Most important,” he said, “is you can spend three, four, 4½ hours with good company, with friends, with family. Spending time with friends, family, that’s great. That makes the round good.”

Another advantage for Nadal and his golf-playing tennis friends is that you chase down the ball in a motorized cart rather than having to run after it.

And, finally, Nadal pointed out one other reason he loves golf.

“The risk for injury, as you know, is very small,” he said.