Comments on: Where did yelling out “Four!” on a golfcourse originate? http://www.p-u-t.co.uk/where-did-yelling-out-four-on-a-golfcourse-originate/ Put your Game in ORder Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:39:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ace Matthewman http://www.p-u-t.co.uk/where-did-yelling-out-four-on-a-golfcourse-originate/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Ace Matthewman Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:12:06 +0000 http://www.p-u-t.co.uk/where-did-yelling-out-four-on-a-golfcourse-originate/#comment-100 A forecaddie is a person who accompanies a group around the golf course, often going forward to be in a position to pinpoint the locations of the groups' shots. If a member of the group hit an errant shot, the thinking goes, they may have alerted the forecaddie by yelling out the term. It was eventually shorted to just "fore." A popular theory is that the term has a military origin. In warfare of the 17th and 18th century (a time period when golf was really taking hold in Britain), infantry advanced in formation while artillery batteries fired from behind, over their heads. An artilleryman about to fire would yell "beware before," alerting nearby infantrymen to drop to the ground to avoid the shells screaming overhead. So when golfers misfired and send their missiles - golf balls - screaming off target, "beware before" became shortened to "fore." This is another term, however, whose exact origin can't be stated. It does originate, however, in the fact that "fore" means "ahead" and, used by a golfer, is a warning to those ahead. A forecaddie is a person who accompanies a group around the golf course, often going forward to be in a position to pinpoint the locations of the groups’ shots. If a member of the group hit an errant shot, the thinking goes, they may have alerted the forecaddie by yelling out the term.

It was eventually shorted to just “fore.”
A popular theory is that the term has a military origin. In warfare of the 17th and 18th century (a time period when golf was really taking hold in Britain), infantry advanced in formation while artillery batteries fired from behind, over their heads. An artilleryman about to fire would yell “beware before,” alerting nearby infantrymen to drop to the ground to avoid the shells screaming overhead.

So when golfers misfired and send their missiles – golf balls – screaming off target, “beware before” became shortened to “fore.”

This is another term, however, whose exact origin can’t be stated. It does originate, however, in the fact that “fore” means “ahead” and, used by a golfer, is a warning to those ahead.

]]> By: Lyric Atkins http://www.p-u-t.co.uk/where-did-yelling-out-four-on-a-golfcourse-originate/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Lyric Atkins Sat, 25 Nov 2006 19:36:36 +0000 http://www.p-u-t.co.uk/where-did-yelling-out-four-on-a-golfcourse-originate/#comment-99 "Fore!" is shouted as a warning during a golf game when it appears possible that a golf ball may hit other players or spectators. The mention of the term in an 1881 British Golf Museum indicates that the term was in use at least as early as that period. [1] The term means "ahead", and it is believed to come from the military "beware before", which was shouted when a battery fired behind friendly troops.[2][3][4] Other possible origins include the term being derived from the term "fore-caddy", a caddy waiting down range from the golfer to find where the ball lands. These caddies were often warned about oncoming golf balls by a shout "fore!".[5][6] The Colonel Bogey March is based on the descending minor third which the original Colonel Bogey whistled instead of yelling Fore around 1914.[7] “Fore!” is shouted as a warning during a golf game when it appears possible that a golf ball may hit other players or spectators. The mention of the term in an 1881 British Golf Museum indicates that the term was in use at least as early as that period. [1] The term means “ahead”, and it is believed to come from the military “beware before”, which was shouted when a battery fired behind friendly troops.[2][3][4]

Other possible origins include the term being derived from the term “fore-caddy”, a caddy waiting down range from the golfer to find where the ball lands. These caddies were often warned about oncoming golf balls by a shout “fore!”.[5][6] The Colonel Bogey March is based on the descending minor third which the original Colonel Bogey whistled instead of yelling Fore around 1914.[7]

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