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You are here: Home / Language / Why Do Golfers Shout “Fore” As a Warning, What Does it Mean, and Where Did the Term Come From?

Why Do Golfers Shout “Fore” As a Warning, What Does it Mean, and Where Did the Term Come From?

May 14, 2020 by Karen Hill

When early cannons fired a barrage into enemy lines, over the heads of their own charging infantry, the shots were often imprecise.

British artillery officers would shout, “Beware before” as a warning for their advancing troops to watch out for a misfired cannon ball.

Over time, and in the heat of battle, “beware before” was abbreviated to “before”.

It then eventually shortened to “fore,” which found its way into golf as a warning that a volley was on its way.

A British Golf Museum shows the term was in use as far back as 1881.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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