A fore is a word that is yelled right before a golf shot. It is used to alert players and spectators of an oncoming golf ball. Fore reminds people of the golf term drive. If a golfer hears fore for the first time he or she is being told to get ready for a drive.
How Did Fore Come into Golf?
A golfer can go through life with no knowledge of this phrase, just as they might not know that they can get a free dinner if they wear a red shirt on St. Patrick’s Day, or that they can eat as many pretzels as they want in the middle of the game. Some people spend an entire lifetime never realizing that they can wear a green shirt on St. Patrick’s Day.
Another theory is that the phrase is simply to be used to alert a soldier to duck and cover before a shelling or other military attack. It is quite effective in letting a soldier know that danger is near, and in some cases, in a timely manner if needed.
Why is Fore Shouted in Golf?
  “Fore” is commonly used after a shot and alerting others to be on the lookout for a traveling golf ball. This should be a polite warning, so that no one is needlessly hurt. In some cases, you may hit your shot so far that you don’t expect it to travel as far as it actually does. In this case, it is polite to alert others that a ball might be approaching them. Even if the ball will land on the fairway, it is good etiquette to signal ahead that someone might be in the path of a traveling golf ball.
Who Shouts out Fore in Golf?
It is during the golf tournaments that you are going to find the golf spotters sitting in the sides of the green looking for players who are about to hit the golf ball. It is their duty to save the balls that go out of bounds and signal the fans that a golfer is about to take a shot.
You have to call out fore to the player who is in the best position to control the shot. For example, there is one player who is in trouble and you want to get in his way. If he is in trouble, you should call out fore to discourage him from playing that shot again.
What Should You Do if You Hear Fore in Golf?
If you look up to find the ball, you are a sitting duck. If you cover your face, you are not visible to the ball.
Now, you may be thinking, “wait, so are we just talking about blind spots?” Actually, yes. A blind spot is a term that refers to a general area of vision loss.
You cannot detect anything or see something that is in a blind spot.
Your blind spots occur when your brain is not receiving information it needs to be able to detect or see.
Why Do Golfers Yell Fore When They Hit a Shot?
You can never predict what someone will yell at the top of their lungs when they are about to hit a ball. It might even be you! So, when that ball is approaching, yell out “Fore!” and the other players will know to look at that ball and take note.
Also, yelling our fore on shots that have a chance to be a hole-in-one helps other golfers know to watch where we are putting instead of watching and interfering to see if the ball is going to stick. Simply alerting others of our birdie putt can alert them to watch and not to interfere while our ball is still in the air.
When we are putting with others, we should play the same way we do in the practice green. We should play the same way and act the same. We cannot putt for different strokes. We should play the same way so that other golfers are ready for our putts.
Now, let’s take a look at our stance.
What Happens if You Don’t Yell Fore on a Shot?
If you do not yell out “fore” on a golf shot, there is no penalty on your scorecard, but you and others are at risk of injury. In his career, Rory Mcllroy has had to be rushed to the hospital when hitting into oncoming cars.
The golf etiquette rule is to not hit the ball towards others. If you do hit the ball towards others, you might receive a warning. If you continue to do this dangerous behavior, you might end up losing your golf club membership.
What if You Yell out Fore and Still Hit Someone?
The golf course at Augusta National has a rule that says that a player may not be penalized for hitting a spectator. There is no penalty for hitting a ball into the crowd, a penalty is a suspension or penalty stroke, and hitting a ball out of bounds is a penalty.
Many golf courses have signs and messages reminding players and spectators to be on the lookout for golf balls. I’m sure you have seen this message at baseball games.
Do You Need to Yell Fore on Every Shot?
If you are putting in a wet or muddy area such as a pond, lake or river you should keep your eyes and ears open for any water activity. If you find any activity, you should call this out to other players so that they can avoid the possible hazards.
How Fast are Professional Golf Shots?
During the 2019 Ryder Cup, there was a moment when the ball was in the cup, but just outside the cup. There was some confusion. Many players and fans thought that the ball was just on the edge of the cup. But in reality, it was very near to the edge of the cup, so the official had to stop the play and call for a review. This is why you need to watch out for players who are on the edge of the cup. They could be attempting something similar to a last minute birdie.
Conclusion: What Does Fore Mean in Golf?
The rule is simple: you yell out “fore” before the ball comes towards you. This alerts everyone that a ball may be travelling near them. It is common courtesy that at the very least, you make sure everyone else around you knows the ball is coming. When you do this, you are being polite.
If you hear a golfer yelling “fore” and running as soon as there’s silence, there’s a good chance he’s about to hit a golf ball at close to two hundred miles per hour. And by the time that ball reaches you, you’ll be lying on the ground.
