Golf Course
Pre-Listening
Have you ever played golf? What are some things that you like or dislike about the sport?
Listen and Read
Listen to the recording about golf, answer the questions, and read along with the audio recording.
Listening Quiz
Select the best answer for each question, then press Check Answers.
Use arrow keys to choose between options within each question.
1. The man decided to take up golf after ______.
2. He can hit the ball about ________ yards. (1 meter = .91 meters)
3. The man has a difficult time getting the ball onto the green because of ______.
I’ve decided to take up the game of golf after playing with a friend recently. However, the sport isn’t as easy as it appears. To improve my game, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the driving range hitting balls with my clubs. I’m starting to hit the ball straighter off the tee, and I’m not slicing the ball as much. I’m able to drive the ball about 275 yards*.
About twice a week, I reserve a tee time at 6:00 a.m., and I usually play with a colleague from work. I enjoy carrying my own clubs around the golf course rather than renting and riding in a golf cart. It just gives me more exercise. My tee shot is usually pretty straight down the fairway, but I have the tendency to hit the ball in the rough on my second or third shot.
I can usually hit the ball to the green on my third or fourth shot, but the ball sometimes lands in a bunker or sand trap. That’s when I have a problem because I have a difficult time getting the ball out of the bunker and on to the green. If all goes well, I can put the ball into the hole on the fifth or sixth shot. As you can see, I almost always golf over par, but my game is getting better.
*251.46 meters
Vocabulary and Expressions From the Audio
- take up (phrasal verb): to start doing a new hobby or activity
- He decided to take up golf after retiring so he could spend more time outdoors.
- improve (verb): to get better at something through practice or effort
- She took lessons twice a week to improve her swing.
- driving range (noun): an area where golfers can practice hitting the ball without playing a full round
- He went to the driving range after work to practice his drives.
- tee (noun): a small peg placed in the ground to hold the golf ball before the first shot on each hole
- She placed the ball on the tee and adjusted her stance before swinging.
- slice (verb): in the context of golf, to hit the ball in a way that causes it to curve sharply to the right for a right-handed golfer
- He tended to slice the ball when he swung too fast.
- drive (noun): in the context of golf, a long powerful shot hit from the tee at the start of a hole
- Her drive on the first hole landed perfectly in the middle of the fairway.
- tee time (noun): a reserved time for a group to begin playing a round of golf
- They booked a tee time for early Saturday morning before the course got busy.
- tee shot (noun): the first shot hit on each hole, taken from the tee area
- His tee shot sailed straight down the fairway for over 200 yards.
- fairway (noun): the well-maintained strip of short grass between the tee and the green where golfers aim to land their shots
- Keeping the ball on the fairway makes the next shot much easier.
- tendency (noun): a habit or pattern of behaving or doing something in a particular way
- He had a tendency to rush his swing when he was nervous.
- rough (noun): in the context of golf, the area of longer, thicker grass on either side of the fairway where shots are harder to play
- Her ball ended up in the rough, making her next shot much more difficult.
- green (noun): in the context of golf, the area of very short, smooth grass surrounding the hole where players putt
- He chipped the ball onto the green and then sank the putt to finish the hole.
- lands (verb): comes down and settles in a particular place after being hit or thrown
- The ball lands in the sand trap when the shot goes too far to the right.
- bunker (noun): in the context of golf, a hollow area filled with sand that serves as an obstacle on the course
- His approach shot fell short and rolled into the bunker beside the green.
- sand trap (noun): in the context of golf, another term for a bunker; a sandy hollow that acts as a hazard on the course
- She practiced hitting out of the sand trap because it was the weakest part of her game.
- par (noun): the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take to complete a hole or the entire course
- He finished the hole in three strokes, which was one under par.
Discussion
Like any sport, the game of golf doesn’t interest everyone but what seems to be the attraction for some people to play and/or watch the game? How much does a round of golf cost at a golf course near you?
Online Investigation
A friend from overseas is coming to your city for a week, and she is interested in playing a round of golf while she is there. She is looking for a course that is friendly to new golfers and that doesn’t have a lot of long, difficult holes. Search the internet for a golf course that fits the bill (i.e., is exactly what you want).