Decoding Fore Please Now Driving: Masters Tournament Lingo

Alright, let’s talk about this “fore please, now driving” thing. I heard folks sayin’ it, and I was like, “What in the tarnation are they jabberin’ about?” So, I did some pokin’ around, you know, askin’ this and that, and here’s what I figured out.

First off, it’s got somethin’ to do with them golf folks. You know, the ones whacking little balls with them fancy sticks. Seems like at this special golf place, Augusta, they say “fore please” before someone hits the ball. It’s like a heads-up, you know? Like yellin’ “timber!” before a tree falls, so nobody gets bonked on the head.

Now, why they gotta say “fore please” and all that fancy stuff, I don’t rightly know. Seems a bit much, if you ask me. Why not just yell “watch out!” like normal folks? But I guess them golfers, they like to do things their own way.

And then there’s the “now driving” part. Well, that’s just plain English, even I can understand that. It means the fella’s gonna hit the ball, gonna drive it down the fairway, or wherever they aim it. So, put it all together, “fore please, now driving,” and it’s just a fancy way of sayin’, “Hey, watch out, this guy’s about to smack the ball!”

I heard tell this “fore please” thing has been going on since way back when, like in the 1930s. Can you believe that? Folks been yellin’ “fore please” for almost a hundred years! Must be important to them golfers, I reckon.

They say it at a big golf tournament called the Masters.
It’s a tradition, like grandma’s apple pie recipe.
It’s a way to warn folks to get out of the way of the ball.

Now, some folks say “fore” comes from an old word, “fore-caddie.” See, back in the day, they had these caddies standin’ down the field, watchin’ where the ball landed. And they’d yell “fore-caddie” to warn ’em. Then, they just shortened it to “fore.” Makes sense, I guess. Folks always tryin’ to shorten things up, save a bit of breath.

But let me tell ya, this golf business is somethin’ else. Millions of dollars in prize money! Can you imagine? Just for hittin’ a little ball around a field. Makes my head spin, it does. And they treat these golfers like royalty, announcin’ their names and all. “Fore please, Mr. So-and-So now driving.” It’s a whole different world, I tell ya.

And even though no regular Joe like you or me has ever won that Masters thing, and they can’t take too much money if they ain’t pros, they still get the fancy treatment at that Augusta place. Bobby Jones, the best non-pro golfer ever, he started that place, so I guess that’s why. They get the “fore please, now driving” and everything.

So, there you have it. That’s the lowdown on “fore please, now driving.” It’s a golf thing, a tradition, a warning, and a way to make things sound all fancy-pants. Me? I’ll stick to yellin’ “watch out!” It gets the job done just fine, and it don’t require no fancy talkin’. But hey, to each their own, right? If them golfers wanna say “fore please, now driving,” that’s their business. Just as long as they don’t hit me with that little ball, I’m good.

And that Harrison fella, he used to do the announcing, plain and simple, “fore please” then the name, no fuss. He did it till he passed away in 2008. Guess things changed a bit after that, maybe got a bit fancier.

Anyway, that’s what I make of it. It’s a lot of fuss for hittin’ a ball, if you ask me, but that’s the world for ya.