Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Projectile addressing surface and target – or distance marker
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-31
2003-09-23
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Projectile addressing surface and target, or distance marker
C473S171000, C473S185000, C473S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06623370
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a golf training facility and more particularly to a golf chipping and putting training facility.
There are currently about 26 million golfers in the United States. Of these 26 million, a large percentage seek to improve his or her game. Accordingly, an increasing amount of time and money is spent on training and recreational activities. Up to now, most training activities are directed toward ball striking ability at conventional driving ranges. Although commercial putting facilities are available, they have been limited to recreational interests, such as miniature golf. There remains a need to provide a serious, structured training facility directed to the improvement of chipping and putting skills.
A high percentage of the strokes taken in the average golfer's game are putts. For example, putting may account for up to 50 percent of the actual strokes taken during each round of golf. Chipping onto the putting green also accounts for a significant number of strokes. For these reasons, teaching professionals recommend that a greater percentage of the practice time be directed to activities on or around the putting green.
It remains that the training facilities directed to golf's short game are inadequate. Typical practice greens, found at driving ranges, are normally not well maintained. Further, they provide no systematic, progressive training method and means of progress measurement. Similarly, practice greens located at golf courses incorporate no systematic training method or means for measuring progress and often prohibit chipping golf balls onto the green.
While facilities dedicated to putting exist, these miniature golf facilities are more directed toward recreation than training in real golf. Miniature golf facilities typically utilize carpeted putting surfaces that do not produce a realistic speed and roll of the golf ball. Additionally, these facilities often include artificial obstacles such as windmills and clowns that are rarely seen on an actual golf courses. Miniature golf facilities cater to the novice or non-golfer. They provide recreational competition but are generally avoided by the serious golfer.
Traditional golf courses also have limitations. Many 30 to 50 year old serious golfers do not always have the 4 to 5 hours required for a round of traditional golf.
This invention provides an alternative for serious golfers who desire real golf competition and training in chipping and putting within a shortened period of time.
Prior inventions in this field do not address the limitations noted. U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,136 teaches a golf course laid out in strips but is directed toward approach shots to the green, rather than focusing on chipping and putting. Further, it suggests no systematic training pattern in its design. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,522,947, 3,867,760 and 5,390,926 disclose individual practice golf greens but are not directed to the concept of a training facility and further teach no systematic training pattern. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,824 discloses a golf training facility that emphasizes approach shots and traditional putting greens but again does not address a systematic training method for chipping and putting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A golf training facility for practice in chipping and putting, education, competition, and recreational use. The golf training facility comprises a plurality of strip greens specifically designed and arranged in order to provide a systematic training method. Each strip green of the plurality exposes the golf trainee to a unique putting circumstance naturally encountered on a golf course. Each strip green is essentially planar and has an uphill or downhill longitudinal inclination and a left to right or right to left transverse downhill inclination. The preferred embodiment utilizes a combination of small, medium, and large inclinations along both axes. The preferred embodiment also includes two strip greens with level upper and lower tiers and an inclined planar surface separating the two tiers. In the preferred embodiment, each putting surface is unique within the training facility.
A first alternate embodiment of the invention focuses on uphill putts of two inclinations before focusing on downhill putts of two inclinations while alternating left to right and right to left transverse downhill inclinations. A second alternate embodiment of the invention focuses on left to right and right to left breaking putts while adding little in the way of longitudinal inclination. A third alternate embodiment adds chance to the difficulty of each strip green by locating the tee area within a grid defined on each strip green, wherein the tee location is determined by a random position generation means and is called “Luck of the Roll”. The third alternate embodiment also combines the planar strip greens of the initial embodiments with a plurality of chipping or pitching aprons disposed about the periphery of the strip greens. Either the strip greens and grid or the plurality of chipping aprons may be utilized separately with the “Luck of the Roll” chance placement means.
The invention resides not in any one of these strip greens, per se, but rather in a combination of them as herein disclosed and claimed. The golf training facility is distinguished from the prior art in that this combination of strip greens provides a structured training method rather than random practice. Such chipping and putting when learned will result in more pars and birdies and thus result in lower golf scores.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility for structured, systematic training of golf chipping and putting skills.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility for recreation and competition.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility for systematic, structured enhancement of chipping and putting skills.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility wherein the difficulty of each strip green and chipping apron is determined by chance.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility for allowing
18
holes of the major part of golf (i.e. chipping and putting) to be played in a greatly reduced period of time.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility with natural turf such that it replicates the actual conditions on a golf course green.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility with an artificial turf putting surface that may be installed within a structure as well as outdoors.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf training facility wherein the putting surface of each strip green is essentially planar; the putts “break” is easily predictable and the trainee's practice time is well spent.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of the preferred embodiment, the alternate embodiments, and the appended drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to the same component, element or feature.
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Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Graham Mark S.
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