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Night golf becomes a thing in South Korea
The rise of the popularity of golf in South Korea shows no sign of abating. The country is now the world's third largest market for golf, and Korean golfers spend more per capita on golf equipment and apparel than people in any other country. A new phenomenon is taking off in Korea to reflect the ever-increasing popularity of the game. Golf clubs are opening after dark to allow more people to play the game. The concept has been dubbed "white night" golf. It allows Korea's avid golfers more opportunities to get their clubs out. It can be difficult to secure a round of golf in Korea. There is a scarcity of courses in metropolitan areas. The capital city of Seoul has just one course and is limited to use by military personnel.
There are as many as 117 golf courses of 18 holes or more that currently offer night games. White night golf may result in South Korea's golfers achieving more success on the international stage, especially in the women's game. The SeoulSisters website states that: "As of last week, 32 of the top 100 players in the women's world rankings, including 4 of the top 10, were from South Korea." A Korean woman has won at least one golf major every season since 2010. Korea's legendary Pak Se-ri won the 1998 US Open aged 20 in her rookie season. She may have been a white night trailblazer. It is reported her father made her practice her swing near cemeteries at night to toughen her up.
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
popularity / market / golf / equipment / apparel / popularity / club / metropolitan / golf courses / holes / international / world rankings / major / season / swing / cemeteries
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True / False
1) The popularity of golf in South Korea is falling. T / F
2) South Korea is the second largest global market for golf. T / F
3) Korean golfers spend more on golf clothing than other golfers. T / F
4) There are only three gold courses in Seoul. T / F
5) There are over 110 golf courses in South Korea offering night golf. T / F
6) Four of the world's top ten women golfers are South Korean. T / F
7) A South Korean woman has won a major every year for the past 10 years. T / F
8) South Korea's legendary Pak Se-ri won her first major at the age of 19. T / F
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Discussion
1) What do you think of golf?
2) Why is golf so popular?
3) What are the benefits of playing golf?
4) What do you think of the idea of night golf?
5) What other sports can be played at night?
6) What equipment and apparel do you need to play golf?
7) What are golf courses like in your country?
8) What else could golf clubs do to increase playing opportunities?
