Saturday, January 4, 2014

Fore!

Fore!

When golfers hear that word, their head naturally duck down and their arms go up to cover themselves.  The word is usually yelled to warn golfers, caddies, and anyone else who might be on the golf course that an errant ball is coming their way.


The use of the term "fore" in golf dates back to 1881 when it was mentioned at the British Golf Museum.  Literally, it means "look ahead," which stems from the military term, "beware before."  Artillery men used it to warn infantry to get down on the ground to avoid shells.

Some people believe that the term really came from the word "forecaddy" which is used for the caddy-type person who used to be sent out ahead to find balls for golfers.  If a golfer were to hit an errant ball, they would yell "forecaddy" to warn that person.  The word was shortened to "fore."

So far, nobody has been able to prove either story false over the other.  Do you have any idea which story is the right one?