why do people yell fore in golf

Why Do Golfers Yell Fore?

• Meaning. Use of the term "fore" dates back to 1878, according to the Oxford Dictionary. ...
• Yelling. When you hit a shot off the tee, fairway or even from the rough and the ball flies toward an adjacent fairway, shout "fore" loudly and clearly.
• Reaction. During play, you might hear fore being yelled near you. ...
• Considerations. ...

Full Answer

Why do golfers Shout "fore" when teeing off?

Jan 29, 2018 · The most plausible theory about the evolution of "fore" as a golf term is that it is a shortening of "forecaddie." A golfer who hit an errant shot, the theory goes, yelled to the forecaddie to make sure they were watching and tracking. Perhaps they originally yelled out "forecaddie," but, ultimately, the shortened version "fore" is what caught on.

Why do golfers yell Fore as a warning?

Dec 02, 2021 · As soon as the ball arrived, the golfers would yell “fore” at the fore-caddies so they could see it coming and be ready to take action. Military usage may also be responsible for the sound of soldiers and higher-ups yelling at those below “fore,” warning them to …

Why do they say four in golf?

Dec 29, 2021 · As soon as the ball arrived, the golfers would yell “fore” at the fore-caddies so they could see it coming and be ready to take action. Military usage may also be responsible for the sound of soldiers and higher-ups yelling at those below “fore,” warning them to …

Why do people yell 4 in golf?

Mar 31, 2022 · Why do golfers yell fore? The caddie is allowed to mark and lift the player’s ball any time he or she so chooses, without needing authorization. The only exception for when replacing a lost golf club would be if it was done by him/herself in order to replace that specific individual item rather than just grabbing another one off of tee shelves at your local store!

Why do golfers yell "fore"?

For professional golfers, they also yell "Fore!". to indicate if they've hit a ball that's going to potentially hit someone in the gallery watching them play.

What does "caddie" mean in golf?

The term caddie is a shortening of the term forecaddie, which meant the person that went ahead of the golfer to hunt for their ball once struck. Another theory contends yelling "Fore!". was designed to warn the forecaddie that the ball was going in a particularly bad direction.

Other Theories On The Origin Of The Term

Not everyone agrees with this theory. Some claim that the term is derived from a military background. According to this theory, artillery forces had to fire over the heads of the infantry soldiers and would shout out “beware before” to warn them of the incoming artillery fire. This was in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Modern Use

While initially, the alert was only used for tee shots it is now used to warn anyone ahead that they are at risk of an errant ball. Despite being small and light, no one wants to be hit by a golf ball. Even a relatively soft shot can cause a lot of damage. It is dangerous to the person being stuck and also distressing to the player.

What does it mean to yell fore in golf?

Golf is a game steeped in proud tradition and one of those traditions is to yell fore when you hit a bad shot towards anyone else on the course. It is good etiquette and you would expect another player on the course to do the same if they hit the ball towards you.

Where did the word "fore" come from?

The word fore may have it’s origins from the military when artillery men would yell ‘Warning Be ’Fore’ so any infantry could protect themselves and not be exposed to dangerous shell explosions.

What does it mean to yell "fore"?

Golf etiquette dictates that golfers should always yell "fore" upon hitting a shot that carries the risk of hitting another golfer. As long as you yelled "fore," you did all you could to warn the other golfers. Convey this message to them in as polite a manner as possible.

What does "fore" mean?

The term is a short form of the word "before," which is a synonym to "ahead.". Thus, fore literally means, "look out ahead.".

Who is William McCoy?

Writer Bio. Toronto-based journalist William McCoy has been writing since 1997, specializing in topics such as sports, nutrition and health. He serves as the Studio's sports and recreation section expert. McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University.