Concentrated Golf Game

Abstract

A golf course including an enclosed area at one end of an elongated fairway. The enclosed area includes driving tees, ball dispensers, turf for chipping shots, sand traps, putting greens and bleachers for spectators. The fairway is generally dish-shaped and includes a plurality of target greens. Balls are returned to the dispensers at the tees by a pneumatic system connected to the cups in the putting greens, the cups in the target greens and an opening at a low point of the dished fairway. Electrical indicators are provided to indicate when a hole-in-one is scored.

Description

The present invention relates to an all-weather concentrated golf game which uses conventional golf clubs and golf balls and presents all of the normal hazards to be overcome by the golfer while simultaneously eliminating most of the walking normally required in a game of golf.

The protected area in which the game is played has thermostatically controlled heat for player comfort The fairway is illuminated so that the game may be played at night. This combination facilitates year-round day or night play, rather than being limited to daytime fair-weather play, as is the case in normal golf courses.

Prior art golf games have failed to provide all of the hazards of the normal game and have not been so arranged as to virtually eliminate the walking normally associated with a round of golf.

In general, the present invention consists of a course having three spaced apart greens arranged at varying distances from the tee and has a plurality of tee positions to drive toward the greens. A ball-return system is provided for returning the balls from the course to the tees without the necessity of individual retrieval of the balls. A series of putting greens in the protected area are related to the tees for putting out each of the holes played. A series of sandtraps are also provided along with a series of roughs so that all types of hazards may be encountered and overcome in the playing of the game.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a concentrated golf game which is usable year-round, day and night, which requires all of the skill required to play a normal golf course and has all of the hazards normally encountered in the game.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf game of the class described above which is partially indoors and is so arranged to eliminate most of the walking associated with ordinary games of golf.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf game of the class described above which is substantially less expensive to build and play than a normal golf course and which can be located in more congested areas than a normal golf course.

A still further object of the invention is to accelerate play and accommodate more players at one time.

Another object is to increase the safety of the players by eliminating the necessity of players being on the fairways where they could be hit with a driven ball and protection between the tees, turf, sandtraps, and putting green in the sheltered area so that stray chipped balls cannot strike players in other areas.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the golf course with the shelter roof removed for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the golf course shown partially in section for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the sandtraps on the course;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the hole-in-one indicator;

FIG. 6 is a semidiagrammatic view of the ball-return system from the playing area;

FIG. 7 is a semidiagrammatic view of the ball-return system from the putting greens;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the golf ball feed mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with a group of balls positioned for delivery; and

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the structures illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 20 indicates generally a concentrated golf game constructed in accordance with the invention.

The golf game 20 is positioned partly in a building 21 provided with a plurality of roof-supported lights 22 to illuminate the game for night play. A bleacher 23 is positioned at one end of the building to permit observation of the game by spectators. A loose netting 24 is suspended from the roof 25 of the building 21 and protects the spectators in the bleachers 23 from being struck by golf balls. The golf course, generally indicated at 26, includes at one end a plurality of tees 27 arranged in side-by-side relation and separated by a metal screen 28 from adjacent tees to prevent one player from injuring a player at an adjacent tee with a stray ball. A walkway 29 extends along the rear of the tees 27 for easy access to the tee position. A plurality of playing areas 30 are positioned rearwardly of the tees 27 and walkway 29 and include a turf area 31 covered with heavy synthetic simulated grass material having central mats of thick long-bristled nylon having its upper surface flush with the simulated grass material so iron and wood clubs will not meet with resistance when striking the ball. The playing area 30 also includes a sandtrap 32 filled with regular river-run sand. A plurality of greens 33 are positioned rearwardly of the playing areas 30 and each is provided with a cup 34 to permit the putting out at any hole in the course.

The golf course 26 has a fairway including a downwardly and outwardly sloping fairway section 35 bounded on opposite sides by downwardly and inwardly sloping sections 36, 37. A generally rectangular section 38 extends longitudinally from the section 35 and slopes upwardly from the junction line 39 therewith. A pair of downwardly and inwardly sloping sections 40, 41 join the fairway section 38 on opposite sides thereof, and a pair of triangular sections 43 complete the golf course 26 and slope upwardly and outwardly from the section 38 and the sections 40, 41. The sections are delineated by lines 44 which are formed of plastic or fiberglass material and are golden yellow in color for easy and clear visibility. The lines 44 and the line 39 are convex in shape to lay flush with the simulated grass covering each of the sections, so as not to impede the roll of the ball. A generally circular green 45 is formed centrally of the section 38 and has a central circular area delineated by a line 46. The numeral 1 is formed of plastic material golden yellow in color and is on the circular green within the line 46. A concentric circle 47 surrounds the line 46 spaced outwardly therefrom and a second concentric circle 48 surrounds the circle 47 and is spaced outwardly therefrom. The space between the line 46 and the line 47 has the numeral 2 therein formed of plastic and golden yellow in color. The space between the line 47 and the line 48 has the plastic numeral 3 positioned therein, also golden yellow in color. The lines 46, 47 and 48 are formed of plastic or fiberglass with a convex upper surface so as to lie flush with the grass so as not to impede the roll of the ball. The lines 46, 47 and 48 are each golden yellow in color for contrast. A generally circular green 49 is positioned generally midway of the golf course 26 and is intersected by the juncture line 39. The green 49 has a central circular area delineated by a line 50 and has a plastic numeral 2 formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color embedded therein. A line 51 concentric with the line 50 surrounds the line 50 in outwardly spaced relation thereto. A line 52 concentric to the line 51 surrounds the line 51 in outwardly spaced relation thereto. The space between the line 50 and line 51 has a numeral 4 therein formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color. The space between the line 51 and the line 52 has the numeral 5 therein also formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color. The lines 50, 51, and 52 are each convex in cross section formed of plastic or fiberglass and are golden yellow in color for contrast with the simulated grass. The circular green 53 is positioned generally centrally of the section 35 and has a circular central green portion delineated by a line 54. A line 55 concentric to the line 54 is arranged in outwardly spaced relation with respect thereto and a line 56 is concentric with the line 55 and arranged in outwardly spaced relation thereto. The space between the lines 54 and 55 has a numeral 4 mounted therein formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color for contrast. The space between the lines 55 and 56 has the numeral 5 mounted therein formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color for contrast. Each of the greens 45, 49, and 53 are provided with cups 57 generally centrally thereof. The central portion of the green 49 has the numeral 2 mounted therein formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color, and the green 53 has the numeral 3 mounted therein formed of plastic or fiberglass and golden yellow in color. A plurality of simulated sandtraps 58 are distributed throughout the course 26 and are lined with fiberglass 59 in order that the action of a sandtrap can thus be simulated. Each of the sandtraps 58 have a hole 60 opening through the low point thereof and connected by a conduit 61 to an outlet 62 on the course 26.

The low points of the course 26 are provided with outlet holes 63 and the greens have their cups connected so as to feed the ball downwardly to the lowermost outlets 63 and into a pneumatic conveyor system generally indicated at 64. The pneumatic conveyor system includes a blower 65, a conduit 66, and a ball tank 67 where the golf balls are collected and distributed through a manifold pipe 68 to a plurality of individual dispensers generally indicated at 69.

The individual dispensers 69 each include a conduit 70 extending from the manifold 68 into a box 71 as can best be seen in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. The conduit 70 has a lower extension 72 projecting below the box 71 terminating in an upwardly open delivery segment 73, as seen in FIG. 9. A bar 74 is arranged to slide into and out of the conduit 70 within the box 71 to retard the passage of golf balls 75 through the conduit 70. A second bar 76 is arranged to also slide into and out of the conduit 70 to retard the passage of golf balls 75 therethrough at a point spaced well above the bar 74. A link 77 is connected to each of the bars 74, 76 and is arranged to swing on a shaft 78 to withdraw one of the bars 74, 76 while moving the other of the bars 74, 76 into golf ball obstructing position within the conduit 70. The shaft 78 is journaled in the box 71 from journals 79, 80, and is rigidly connected to a hand lever 81 which can be actuated to move the link 77 in the desired direction to dispense golf balls 75 as desired. A conventional coin-operated mechanism generally indicated at 81A can be used to control the use of the dispenser 69. A coil spring 82 normally urges the link into a position wherein the bar 74 is in golf-ball-obstructing position and bar 76 is in retracted position As can be readily seen in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the movement of the hand lever 81 in a direction to move the bar 76 into the conduit 70 will also retract the bar 74 from the conduit 70 and permit six golf balls to drop into position for delivery while the bar 76 prevents the remaining golf balls 75 from dropping to the dispensing area. As soon as the lever 81 is returned to its regular position, the bar 76 is retracted and the bar 74 is projected into the conduit 70 and the golf balls are permitted to drop down into engagement with the bar 74 ready for the next dispensing action.

A second pneumatic conveyor system 64A is identical in every respect to the pneumatic conveyor 64 except that it is fed from the putting greens through conduits 83 leading to manifolds 84 wherein the balls are moved by air from a blower 65 through a conduit 66 to a ball tank 67 leading to a plurality of individual dispensers 69 fed by a manifold 68 as described for the pneumatic conveyor system 64. The pneumatic conveyor 64 retrieves balls driven to the main portion of the course while the pneumatic conveyor 64A retrieves balls that are holed out in the putting greens.

In FIG. 5, a hole-in-one circuit system is illustrated which signals the player that he has made a hole-in-one. A contact switch 85 is positioned in hole 1 to be contacted by the ball as it rolls into the hole closing a circuit which includes a signal bulb 86, a pair of signal bulbs 87, 88, and a bell 89. The signal bulb 86 is behind a panel which, when illuminated, indicates the numeral "1" and the signal bulbs 87, 88 are behind panels which indicate, when illuminated, "hole-in-one". A contact switch 89' is arranged in green 2 to cooperate with a bulb 90 as well as signal bulbs 87, 88, and bell 89. The bulb 90 is arranged behind a panel which, when illuminated, indicates numeral "2". A contact switch 91 is arranged in the hole of green 3 and cooperates with a signal bulb 92, signal bulbs 87, 88, and bell 89. The signal bulb 92 is behind a panel which, when illuminated indicates "3". As can be seen whenever the ball rolls into the cup, there is on the control panel an indication of which cup the ball has rolled into and with the other lights and bell, the hole-in-one is fully indicated to all golfers.

It can be clearly seen from the above description that we have provided a novel golf course for playing a game of golf which requires very little walking on the art of the participants as compared to the conventional game of golf when played on a regular course. With this golf course, it is possible for players to form teams and organize into various leagues depending on their playing ability with the game being played more speedily, eliminating the waste prevalent on regular golf courses. With this present golf course, an instructor from a centrally located position can, by a sound system, easily instruct and direct large groups of beginners in all phases of golf. Another feature of the game is that it can be played from tees that are arranged so that a player can experience, each time that they start a new game, different distances and different angles from which to drive a ball to the fairway greens. The angle tee positions will somewhat simulate a dogleg shot.

In the use and operation of the invention, a player chooses one of the tee positions 27 and starts his first round of golf by driving the ball to the number 1 or far green. If the ball lands on this green and rolls into the cup, the player scores a hole-in-one and starts the second round of golf by driving the ball to the number 2 or middle green. If the ball goes into the cup on this shot, the player again marks a hole-in-one on his score card and starts the third round of golf by driving the ball to a ball to a number 3 or near green. Again, if a hole-in-one is made, the player starts a fourth round of golf by driving the ball to the number 1 or far green again. The play is alternated between the greens in this fashion until the complete round of golf to the desired number of holes is played.

If, when starting the first round of golf, the ball stops on the green, the player will go back to the putting surface 33 and drop his next ball at the approximate distance from the cup that the ball stopped from the cup on the fairway green, then putt out. After totaling the number of strokes it took to hole out the ball, the player returns to his assigned tee and starts the second round of golf by playing the ball to the number 2 or middle green.

If, in the first round of golf, the ball stops in a circled area surrounding the number 1 green, the player will drop his next ball onto the heavy turf 31 and chip to the cup on the adjacent putting surface, then putt out as before.

If, at anytime, a ball lands in a simulated sandtrap 58, the player will drop his next ball into the sandtrap 32 and chip or blast out to the adjacent putting surface, then putt out as before.

If, in the first round of golf, the ball hooks or slices into areas 40, 41, the next ball is played from the tee to the number 2 or middle green. If first ball is over or short of the green and stops in area 35 the next ball is played from the tee to the number 3 green. When playing ball to the number 1 hole, ball must stop beyond horizontal line 39 and beyond the circled areas of the number 2 green or player must take a one-stroke penalty and play next ball with the number 1 green.

After player holes out on the first round of golf and scores his strokes, he returns to the tee and starts second round of golf playing ball with the number 2 or middle green. This ball must stop beyond the number 3 or near green and the circle surrounding same or player takes a one-stroke penalty and plays the next ball to the number 2 green. When playing the second round of golf same rules on following strokes applies on the first round of golf as well as penalties.

After ball is putted out on the second round player returns to tee and starts third round of golf playing ball to number 3 or near green. Again same rules apply until ball is putted out after which player returns to tee and starts fourth round of golf playing ball to the number 1 or far green. All subsequent rounds of golf are played in the same sequence, whether it be nine, eighteen, or more rounds of golf.

Par for the number 1 green is 5; for the number 2 green is 4; for the number 3 green, is 3; so that par for nine holes of golf is 36, and 18 holes is 72.

Penalty stokes are assessed when ball stops outside of the course in areas 36, 37, 42 and 43; when ball fails to go beyond horizontal line 39 that adjoins the middle green or beyond the circle area of this green when ball is being played to the number 1 or far green; when ball, being played to the number 2 or center green, stops upon the number 3 or near green or within the circle areas of the same green; when ball hits the protective hanging net above the putting surface, no hole-in-one is scored unless ball goes into cup of green to which player is playing a first ball to.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. A golf game comprising:

a building having a plurality of side-by-side golf tee areas at one end thereof and bleacher seats at an opposed end, said tee areas and said bleacher seats being spaced from one another;

a turf area and a putting green area for each tee area, said turf areas being adjacent to, respectively, its associated tee area, each of said putting green areas being adjacent said bleacher seats and spaced from its associated turf area;

a first golf ball cup for each putting green area;

roofing means extending across said tee areas, turf areas, putting green areas and said bleacher seats;

said golf game further including an elongated golf course fairway extending longitudinally away from said one end of said building and being formed of a plurality of sections of which one section slopes downwardly away from said one end of said building to join one end of a second section sloping upwardly and away from said one end of said building, third and fourth sections sloping downwardly and inwardly towards said first and second sections from the remotely disposed sides thereof, and downwardly and inwardly sloping fifth and sixth sections connecting with the remotely disposed end of said second section;

golf green areas on said fist and second sections;

second golf ball cups for each, respectively, golf green area;

golf-ball-dispensing means at each tee area; and

means including pneumatic means connected with all of said cups and an opening at the low point defined by the intersection of said first and second sections for collecting and delivering golf balls entering in said cups and said low point to said dispensing means.

2. A golf game as defined in claim 1 and:

a walkway extending between said tee and turf areas to provide access to selected ones of said tee areas.

3. A golf game as defined in claim 2 and:

a sand trap area extending between said turf and putting green areas.

4. A golf game as defined in claim 3 and:

spectator protective screen means depending from said roof means and being positioned between said bleachers and said putting areas.

5. A golf game as defined in claim 4 and:

electrical means connected with each of said second cups to indicate a hole-in-one.