If you step foot on any golf course, odds are you’ll hear someone yelling “fore” at some point during your round of play. It might even come from your own playing group from one of the guys yelling “fore” after his tee shot.
Below we will talk about the meaning of the word “fore” and why golfers use it as well as how you should react when you hear someone yelling “fore” on the golf course.
What Fore Means in Golf?
Usage of the golf term “fore” can be traced back to 1878 and is short for the term “before”. The dictionary has “fore” as a synonym to the word Ahead, and can be understood to mean “look out ahead.”
In the event a golfer hits a bad shot and it’s headed in the direction of people, it’s golf decency to alert those people to look out by yelling the term “fore.”
Yelling the Term “Fore” in Golf
If you do happen to hit a bad shot like on a tee shot, make sure to yell the word “fore” loudly and clearly so that golfers ahead have no confusion about what they just heard.
This will give them time to quickly react and take cover if the ball is headed in their direction.
Alternatively, if you hear it being yelled from groups nearby you should also take caution of a flying golf ball in your direction. Getting hit will not be fun!
What Happens Next?
After yelling fore, continue to watch your golf ball’s flight so you can see approximately where it lands. If the ball lands close to people, a few things can happen next.
When you get up to your golf ball, try apologizing if you feel it can make the situation less awkward. The people who were up ahead that had the ball come flying at them may not be in great spirits and have some choice words to say to you.
But hopefully they remain calm and respectful on the golf course and understand that it’s part of the game. So don’t be fearful if you do end up in a situation where you had to yell fore after hitting the ball towards people ahead.
The worse outcome is not yelling “fore” and alerting people you hit at them. This is usually what can trigger a group of people to get upset with you when you get up the ball. Prevent it by clearly and loudly yelling “fore” and things should go smoothly!