WHAT is the meaning of the word "fore"? The answer is on the last sentence of this article. Find out the answer quick and you get a prize.
For those who do not play golf, the term "fore" is yelled to warn the players and spectators ahead that they may get hit by an errand golf shot. So, when you hear the word "fore", run for cover or, cover your head and duck!
Come to think of it, you won't even have time to run for cover since the ball travels so fast-too fast you won't have time to think which direction you will run too. This is when the umbrella comes in handy. Not only will it protect you from the rain or the sun, it will also serve as your shield. The umbrella can actually serve as a fan as well. If you hold it straight up and pump it up and down, you can feel a little bit of breeze on your upper body. (Another silly but effective tip from me!)
The term "fore" is another word for "ahead." Yelling "fore" is simply saying, "watch out ahead." Some believe it originated from the military "beware before", which was shouted when shooting battery behind the troops. So when golfers misfired and send their missiles - golf balls - screaming off target, "beware before" became shortened to "fore."
We know for a fact that golfers do not hit the ball straight and long all the time. We slice, we hook, we duck hook. If you do not make any of these shots, you are not human.
Many of our fellow golfers are not as patient as they should be. There is an average of 4 players in a group. Each one taking turns at the tee mound. The proper thing to do is to wait for everyone to tee off before you move towards your ball for your next shot. After the drives, the farthest from the green hits first.
When you hit farther than the rest, you will probably be the last one to hit the second shot. It is a good practice to always look behind to check where the other players are. If you are more of less in between the player and the green, move away first and seek shelter. It's better to be safe than sorry.
There are times when the marshal tells your group to speed up play. This is one reason why the players walk right away after hitting their shot. If you have to do this, look back at the tee mound while you walk... just to make sure you are not in the way, and you can quickly react if the ball does travel towards you.
There are also times when a player from another fairway makes an errand shot and his ball slices or hooks towards your fairway and hits you. You hear the word "fore' but you don't know where the ball is coming from. If in case it hits you, there's nothing we can do. You are simply unlucky. Once again, if you hear the word "fore," cover your head and duck. Hopefully it will hit a fatty part of your body so that it won't hurt as much. Lucky for those golfers who are fat--they get extra protection from those errand shots. (haha!)
So if you see your playing partner hide behind a tree when you are about to hit your ball, don't get offended. He is only protecting his life.
Answer: Fooled you. Please go back and read from the top again. The prize? Free eye exercise looking up and down and up again. Smile!
