The first is simply that it was named after someone called Mulligan who took a ‘correction shot’, and had the do-over named after him.

A more interesting theory is that the term is actually an ethnic slur against Irish-Americans (Mulligan being a common Irish name) trying to join top class golf clubs, as they were often regarded as poor golfers.

A final suggestion is that the term is derived from old saloons who would keep a free bottle of drink at the bar for customers to take shots from. Allegedly this bottle was called a ‘mulligan’, and it’s possible that this term took on a similar meaning as a ‘freebie’ in golf.

Fore

The only thing that can be said with any certainty about the origin of this golf word is that it does derive from the fact that ‘fore’ means ‘ahead’ (like a ship’s fore and aft) – and it remains to this day a warning to those ahead of you on the course.

There are two popular theories as to the specifics of the term’s usage on the golf course: The first is that the term has military routes. At the time golf was properly taking off in Britain, infantry troops would advance in formation while artillery was fired from behind. When the artillery fired, there would be a shout of "beware before", which would tell infantrymen to drop to the floor to avoid the shells above. It’s entirely possible that this advice applied to the golf course – with shells being replaced by the less dangerous golf ball!

The second is that it came from the term "forecaddie" – a person who accompanied groups around golf courses. The idea behind this is that an errant ball would be accompanied by shouting out "forecaddie" which would later be abbreviated to ‘fore’, just like the other half has been shortened to ‘caddie’.

So, the next time the topic of strange words comes up on a luxury golf holiday, you can explain with confidence that there is (some) method to the etymological madness!

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