Golf club holder

Abstract

A golf club support includes a support member comprising a first arm, a second arm, and a shaft. Second arm is oriented at an angle to first arm and intersects it to form a vertex and define an opening there between in which a golf club can be supported. A shaft extends downwardly from the vertex and can be inserted into the ground. Golf club support may also include a resilient band that at least partially extends over the first arm and the second arm.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/643,824 filed Jan. 14, 2005, entitled "Golf Club Holder" the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a golf accessory which can be utilized as a golf club holder for use during a round of golf or at the practice range.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The game of golf has become a multi-billion dollar industry. There are a number of accessory items used with golfing equipment. Such accessories include devices for cleaning the cleats of golf shoes. Other devices are provided for tightening the cleats of golf shoes. Other types of accessories are provided for repairing divots on the putting greens. For example:

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,731 (Kitay) discloses a multi-purpose golfer's tool. The tool provides a distance estimating facility, a divot tool and a dry-club grip support in addition to a cleat wrench, cleat cleaner and groove cleaner. The device also includes a tee-height gauge and a cigarette holder.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,285 (Petrone) discloses a golf tee having a substantially V-shaped groove for receiving and holding cigarettes, cigars or the handle of a golf club. The tee is inserted into the ground in the normal way and is used for supporting cigarettes, cigars or the handle of a golf club a distance above the ground so that such objects do not come in contact with dangerous chemicals which may be used on the grass of golf courses.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,621 (Tate) discloses a golf accessory which serves both as a divot tool and as a money clip. The clip can be used as a means of attachment of the accessory to the belt, cap, shoe or golf bag of a golfer in addition to being useful as a money clip. The accessory also includes a looped return beyond a disk-shaped body which defines a saddle facing upwardly. The saddle serves as a stand or prop for supporting the grip of a golf club above the grass in order to prevent the grip from becoming wet with moisture which may be on the turf.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,999 (Tate) also discloses a golf accessory which includes a projection in the top of which a transverse groove is defined. The transverse groove is of a size suitable for cradling a cigarette. The projection may be formed as a return bent back in a loop in order to form a clip for money, bills, or other papers. The backing plate may also be provided with recessed regions in which magnets may be mounted to receive disk-shaped ball markers. The device also includes a structure which may be used to clean the grooves in the face of a golf club.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,019 (Wissman) discloses a golf tool having a variety of uses. The tool includes a circular hole for checking the roundness of a golf ball which can also be used in the form of a ball retriever by fastening the tool to the end of a golf club. The tool includes two fingers for cleaning the grooves on the face of golf club heads or to repair ball-marks on golf greens. The tool can also be struck into the ground in an upright position such that a flattened portion on the top of the tool can be used to keep the handgrip of a golf club off wet grass. A slot in the tool may be used to hold a cigarette when the tool is struck in the ground in such an upright position.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,832 (Gold) shows a device which can handle any size cigar and can be secured to a golf car or golf bag but cannot be moved to an area around the tee boxes or greens on the golf course.

[0010] U.S. Design Pat. No. 300,160 (Johnson) discloses an ornamental design for a combined golfers green repairer, shoehorn, cleat tightner and cleaner, and golf club and cigarette rest. U.S. Design Pat. No. 405,224 (Falconio) shows a device that clips to a golf bag with a golf ball mounted on top.

[0011] While all of these golf accessories are useful for one purpose or another, there is still a need for other types of golf accessories.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] When golf courses experience wet conditions, golfers must leave their golf carts on the cart path and walk to their ball. In this situation, most golfers use the technique of taking their desired club, along with two others to ensure they will not have to walk back to the cart. In this case, the golfer then has to place the other two clubs on the ground. The invention can be inserted into the ground to elevate the golf club grips so they remain dry. Also, when a player is near the green, they will often be carrying their sand/pitching wedge and a putter. During this process, it is necessary twice to lay a club down. Greens are also often wet in the mornings, and the invention gives the player the opportunity to lay their club down without getting the grips wet. By using a diagonal feature, the invention is capable of holding even an entire bag of golf clubs.

[0013] Pursuant to the invention, a golf club holder comprises a generally Y-shaped support member and a band. In operation, a tip of the support is inserted into turf. Next, a golf club handle rests on a first arm and a second arm, adjacent to a vertex. Next, the golf club handle is secured in place with a band including a first ring, a second ring, and a span between the first ring and the second ring. A first arm of the support is disposed through the first ring. A second arm of the support is disposed through the second ring. In this configuration, span secures the golf club handle between the support and the band. In this position, a golf club handle may be positioned away from damp grass of a golf course or practice range.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the golf club rest pursuant to the invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the "Y" support pursuant to the invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a top view of "Y" support pursuant to the invention.

[0018] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the "Y" support pursuant to the invention.

[0019] While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] With reference to FIG. 1, a golf club rest 10 is shown. Rest 10 includes support 12 and band 14. Support 12 includes a tip 16 and a vertex 18. A vertical shaft 40 is disposed between the tip 16 and the vertex 18. Support 12 also includes a first tip 24 and a second tip 26. Arm 20 is disposed between vertex 18 and first tip 24. Arm 22 is disposed between vertex 18 and second tip 26. Arms 20 extend away from vertex 18 in an opposite direction from arm 22. Similarly arm 22 extends away from vertex 18 in an opposite direction from arm 20. Arms 20 and 22 are preferably between about 0.5 inches and about 2 inches.

[0021] In one embodiment, arm 20 and arm 22 define an angle of from about 80 degrees to about 179 degrees. In another embodiment, arm 20 and arm 22 define an angle of from about 100 degrees to about 140 degrees. In operation, tip 16 is inserted into turf (not shown) such that shaft 40 is approximately perpendicular to the turf. For this reason, the thickness of the invention is between about 0.05 inches and about 0.5 inches thick. A golf club handle can then rest on arms 20 and 22 adjacent to vertex 18. The length of shaft 40 determines, in part, the distance a golf club handle is located away from turf. If rest 10 is used on the short grass commonly found in a tee box or on a green, shaft 40 may be between about 0.5 and about 3.5 inches. On the medium length grass commonly found in the fairway, a longer shaft 40 of between about 2.0 and 4.5 inches may be desirable. Similarly, in the longer grass found in the rough, an even longer shaft 40 of between about 3.5 and 12 inches may be desirable.

[0022] The structure of band 14 will now be discussed. Band 14 includes a first ring 32 and a second ring 34. Span 42 is disposed between first ring 32 and second ring 34. Span 42 is fastened to first ring 32 at union 28. Span 42 is fastened to second ring 34 at union 30. Ring 32 defines an interior 36. Ring 34 defines an interior 38. Interiors 36 and 38 comprise a generally circular or oval shape. In alternative embodiments, interiors 36 and 38 may comprise a variety of polygons.

[0023] In operation, a golf club handle may rest between arm 20 and arm 22, adjacent to vertex 18. Band 14 is then used to hold the handle between vertex 18 and span 42. To secure band 14 in this position, ring 32 may be disposed over first tip 24 so that arm 20 is disposed in interior 36. Similarly, ring 34 may be disposed over second tip 26 so that arm 22 is disposed in interior 38. In a preferred embodiment, the distance of span 42 is less than the linear distance between first tip 24 and second tip 26. In an alternative embodiment, the distance of span 42 is equal to or greater than the linear distance between first tip 24 and second tip 26.

[0024] Support 12 can be fabricated of material of sufficient rigidity to support the weight of a golf club. In one embodiment, support 12 may be a thermoplastic material. In another embodiment, support 12 may be a metal material. In yet another embodiment, support 12 may be a wood material.

[0025] Band 14 may be fabricated from a unitary material, such as an elastomer. The elastomeric material may comprise any thermosetting elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, polymer alloy, blend or hybrid material. Suitable examples of the elastomeric material include, but are not limited to, silicone materials, flurosilicone material, fluorocarbon material or any copolymer, terpolymer, or blend of the fore mentioned materials.

[0026] In another embodiment, span 42 may be fabricated of the elastomer set forth above while rings 32 and 34 may be fabricated of an alternative material. Examples of alternative materials include thermoplastics, wood, metal, or glass.

[0027] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers of ordinary skill will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A golf club support comprising: a support member comprising: a first arm; a second arm oriented at an angle to and intersecting with the first arm to form a vertex and define an opening there between; and a shaft extending downwardly from the vertex; and a resilient band that is positionable over the first arm and the second arm.

2. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the resilient band has a first ring and a second ring proximate opposite ends thereof, and wherein the first ring and the second ring are adapted to receive the first arm and the second arm, respectively.

3. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the resilient band is comprised of an elastomeric material.

4. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the shaft is provided with a tip to penetrate the ground.

5. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the angle between the first arm and the second arm is between 80 and 179 degrees.

6. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the angle between the first arm and the second arm is between 100 and 140 degrees.

7. The golf club support of claim 1, wherein the support member is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic material, metal, wood and combinations thereof.

8. A method of supporting a golf club, the method comprising the steps of: providing a support member, the support member comprising: a first arm; a second arm oriented at an angle to and intersecting with the first arm to form a vertex and define an opening there between: and a shaft extend downwardly from the vertex; inserting the shaft into the ground; placing the grip of a golf club into the opening of the support member such that it rests on the arms; and placing a resilient band at least partially over the first arm and the second arm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resilient band has a first ring and a second ring, wherein the first ring is positioned on the first arm and the second ring is positioned on the second arm such that the grip of the golf club is held securely between the support member and the elastic band.

10. The method of supporting a golf club of claim 8, and further comprising the step of providing the shaft with a tip for penetrating the ground.

11. A golf club support comprising: a first linear arm; a second linear arm oriented at an angle to and intersecting with the first linear arm to form a vertex and define an opening there between; and a shaft extending downwardly from the vertex at an angle that is not parallel with either of the arms.

12. The golf club support of claim 11, and further comprising a resilient band that is positionable at least partially over the first linear arm and the second linear arm.

13. The golf club support of claim 12, wherein the resilient band is comprised of an elastomeric material.

14. The golf club support of claim 11, wherein the shaft is provided with a tip to penetrate the ground.

15. The golf club support of claim 11, wherein the angle between the first linear arm and the second linear arm is between 80 and 179 degrees.

16. The golf club support of claim 11, wherein the angle between the first linear arm and the second linear arm is between 100 and 140 degrees.

17. The golf club support of claim 11, wherein the support member is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic material, metal, wood and combinations thereof.