Golf ball putting game

Abstract

A putting game playing course adapted for playing a putting game thereon using an egg-shaped playing ball and a golf putter and comprising a plurality of putting holes positioned adjacent one another and arranged in a series for being successively played. Each putting hole is in the form of an elongate slab of lightweight construction and has a contoured playing surface on the upper side thereof, with a teeing area being provided adjacent one end of the putting hole and a cup being provided adjacent the opposite end of the putting hole adapted for receiving the playing ball therein. A line is provided on the playing surface extending longitudinally of the putting hole for substantially the entire length thereof separating the playing surface into a plurality of visually distinguishable scoring zones of different values.

Description

The present invention relates to a novel putting game and to a playing course of improved construction for playing the putting game thereon.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a putting game adapted for being played by persons of practically any age and wherein no particular degree of skill is required for enjoying playing the game.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a putting game adapted for being played on a playing course using a playing ball and a golf putter and wherein the game has a unique scoring arrangement which adds particular interest to the play of the game.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a putting game playing course adapted for playing a putting game thereon using a playing ball and a golf putter and wherein the playing course comprises a plurality of putting holes positioned adjacent one another and arranged in a series for being successively played, with each putting hole being in the form of an elongate slab and having a contoured playing surface on the upper side thereof, with means defining a teeing area being provided adjacent one end of each of the putting holes and with cup means being provided adjacent the opposite end of each of the putting holes adapted for receiving the playing ball therein, and wherein means are provided on the playing surface extending longitudinally of the putting hole for substantially the entire length thereof and separating the playing surface into a plurality of visually distinguishable scoring zones of different values.

It is a further more specific object of the present invention to provide a putting game of the type described which is played on a playing course using a putter and a tapered playing ball adapted to travel an erratic curved path when stroked with the putter, the tapered ball being adapted to make the game more interesting to those persons less skilled in putting as well as to provide a challenge to those persons having some degree of skill in putting.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, others will appear when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a putting game playing course in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a tapered playing ball adapted for use in playing the putting game of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the tapered playing ball of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of one of the putting holes of the playing course;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the putting hole substantially along line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken transversely of the putting hole substantially along line 6--6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 7--7 of FIG. 4 and showing a removable plug in the body of the putting hole adapted for permitting repositioning the cup means to a different location on the playing surface;

FIG. 8 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view showing the recessed cup liner in the body of the putting hole adapted for receiving a playing ball therein;

FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view showing the removable plug used in repositioning the cup to a different location on the playing surface;

FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view showing the cup liner; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 11--11 of FIG. 4 and showing the synthetic turf pile material comprising the playing surface and the longer pile length of the synthetic turf pile material around the perimeter of the playing surface.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a putting game playing course is generally indicated in FIG. 1 by the reference character 10 and comprises a plurality of individual putting holes 20 positioned adjacent one another in a series and adapted for being successively played. Nine putting holes 20 are illustrated in FIG. 1, but it is to be understood that any number may be provided in the playing course, the conventional number being either nine or eighteen putting holes. The holes are laid out in a series with the last hole preferably terminating near the first hole. A building 11 is provided adjacent the first and last holes of the playing course from which players may receive a playing ball and golf putter for playing the course and through which the players must pass upon leaving the course for returning the putter and the playing ball. As illustrated, a parking lot 12 is located adjacent the playing course and a fence 13 is provided surrounding the playing course.

As illustrated, each putting hole 20 is provided with means defining a teeing area 21 adjacent one end of the putting hole and cup means 22 adjacent the opposite end of the putting hole. As illustrated, means defining a line 23 is provided on the playing surface extending longitudinally of the putting hole for substantially the entire length thereof. Each putting hole preferably has a length of approximately 30 to 40 feet and a width of about 10 to 15 feet.

Referring more particularly to one of the putting holes 20 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the putting hole comprises an elongate slab 24 of rigid foam material, such as rigid urethane foam, which is lightweight but sufficiently strong to permit players to walk thereover without damaging the upper surface thereof. Each slab 24 may be of unitary construction but is preferably formed in several sections (24a, 24b, 24c in FIG. 5) to facilitate construction and transportation thereof. The sections are adapted for being easily positioned and secured in abutting relation for defining the putting hole.

As illustrated, slab 24 is less than a foot in thickness, preferably on the order of about 6 to 12 inches, with the lower surface thereof being generally planar and with the upper surface being formed with irregular undulations thereon to provide contours on the upper surface of the slab. The undulations include crests and valleys and are preferably oriented so that the crests of at least the majority of the undulations extend primarily transversely of the slab and are higher on one side of the slab than on the other so as to define a side hill slope, such as is illustrated in FIG. 6. Preferably, at least some of the putting holes of the playing course have a differently contoured surface than other holes of the course.

Putting hole 20 also comprises a pile sheet material 25, of well-known type which simulates grass or turf, and which is fastened by an adhesive or other suitable means in conforming relation to the contoured upper surface of slab 24 so as to define a contoured playing surface on the putting hole for stroking the playing ball thereon. Pile material 25 is formed with pile yarns of a synthetic material such as nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene which is suitably colored, preferably to simulate turf.

As illustrated, line 23 is provided on the playing surface extending longitudinally of the putting hole 20 along a serpentine path for substantially the entire length of the putting hole from the teeing area 21 and divides the playing surface into two visually distinguishable scoring zones. Preferably, line 23 passes through or intersects cup 22. As illustrated, the two visually distinguishable scoring zones are defined on the playing surface by providing the pile material 25 in different colors or different shades of the same color, and line 23 comprises the interface between the two differently colored zones. However, line 23 may alternatively be provided by painting or the like, or may comprise a tape of a distinctive color adhered or otherwise suitably secured to the pile material 25.

Teeing area 21 is located on the playing surface adjacent one end of the playing hole 20 and preferably comprises an area of generally rectangular shape wherein the pile material is of similar pile length and density to the surrounding areas but is of a distinctive color therefrom.

In order to provide a variety of different playing holes while employing similarly contoured playing surfaces, means are provided in the body of the putting hole for locating cup 22 at any of several different positions adjacent one end of the putting hole. In this regard, several spaced apart openings are provided adjacent the end of the putting hole with a recessed cup liner 22a being positioned in one of the openings and with a removable plug 28 being provided in all of the remaining openings. The cup liner 22a may easily be removed and positioned in any of the other openings, when desired to thereby vary appearance and play of the putting hole. Removable plug 28 is preferably formed in rigid foam material, the same as the slab 24, and has a synthetic pile sheet material 29 secured by adhesive or other suitable means to the upper surface thereof.

To make the game more interesting to those less skilled in putting, as well as to provide an additional challenge to those who have acquired some degree of skill with conventional putting, the playing ball may be of an oval, egg-shaped or tapered configuration as illustrated in FIG. 2 so as to thereby be adapted to roll along an erratic curved path when stroked with a putter. The playing ball 30 illustrated is of similar composition to a regulation golf ball and is provided with a dimpled surface thereon. As preferred, the minor diameter of the tapered playing ball 30 corresponds to the diameter of a regulation golf ball, about 1.68 inches, while the major diameter of the tapered ball is on the order of about 2.0 to 2.75 inches. If desired, the narrowed or tapered end of ball 30 may also be weighted so as to further cause the ball to travel an erratic curved path when stroked with a putter. Although erratic, ball 30 will normally have a tendency to curve generally toward the tapered or smaller end thereof when stroked. Those skilled in the game will find that by positioning the tapered end of the ball in a predetermined direction relative to the contour of the playing course, prior to stroking the same, the natural tendency of the tapered ball to curve may be advantageously used to offset the break or curvature of the ball during its path of travel across the contoured playing surface.

In the play of the game, the two visually distinguishable scoring zones are assigned different point values corresponding to the relative difficulty of successively stroking the playing ball into the cup from the respective area. In a preferred form of the invention, the two visually distinguishable scoring zones are so related to the contours of the playing surface that one zone defines areas on the playing surface having a downhill approach to the cup and the other zone defines areas on the playing surface having an uphill approach to the cup. Since a downhill putt is generally recognized as being more difficult than an uphill putt, the zone defining a downhill approach to the cup represents a lower point value than the zone defining an uphill approach to the cup.

As illustrated, means are also provided on the playing surface of each of the putting holes adjacent the perimeter thereof defining a third visually distinguishable scoring zone which surrounds or substantially surrounds the other two scoring zones. This third scoring zone is of a different point value from either of the other two scoring zones. Preferably the synthetic pile material 25a in the third scoring zone is of a different characteristic than the synthetic pile in the other scoring zones of the playing surface. For example, the pile material in the third scoring zone may be of lower density than the pile material in the other scoring zones, or may be of greater pile length, as illustrated, so as to more quickly stop the playing ball and prevent the same from leaving the playing surface. This third scoring zone is a penalty zone and is assigned a point value greater than that of either of the other two scoring zones.

The score on each hole is computed by totaling the points accumulated by a player in stroking the playing ball into the cup from the teeing area. The player having the lowest number of points after playing all of the holes of the course wins the game.

The following example illustrates the method of scoring in accordance with the present invention:

EXAMPLE

The point values assigned for each scoring zone are as follows:

A playing ball stroked into the cup from the teeing area 1 point A playing ball stroked from the scoring zone defining a downhill approach to the cup 2 points A playing ball stroked from the scoring zone defining an uphill approach to the cup 3 points A playing ball stroked from the penalty zone 5 points

The scoring on a hole is illustrated as follows: Four players A, B, C and D each play a ball from the teeing area to the cup.

a. player A makes a "hole-in-one." He receives 1 point.

b. Player B, on his first shot strikes his ball into the 2-point zone. On his second shot, he successfully strikes the ball into the cup. He receives 2 points.

c. On his first shot, player C strikes his ball into the 3-point zone. On his second shot, the ball misses the cup and comes to rest in the 2-point zone. He successfully places the ball in the cup on his third shot. He receives 5 points.

d. Player D strokes the ball into the penalty zone on his first shot. His second shot places the ball in the 2-point zone. His third shot puts the ball in the cup. He receives 7 points.

Player A wins the hole.

From the foregoing Example it will be seen that this method of scoring places emphasis not only upon the total number of strokes taken in a given hole, as in conventional golf scoring, but also upon the accuracy of each shot. The emphasis upon accuracy as well as strokes adds considerable interest to the play of the game.

In the drawing and specifications, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1. A putting game characterized by providing a challenging and interesting test of skill both to experienced and unexperienced players, and wherein the playing ball is adapted to travel a difficult to predict generally serpentine path upon being stroked, said game comprising a golf putter, a playing ball of oval, generally egg-shaped configuration adapted to travel an erratic path curving generally in the direction of the smaller end when stroked with the putter, and a playing course along which the oval playing ball is to be stroked during the play of the putting game, the playing course comprising a plurality of putting holes positioned adjacent one another and arranged in a series for being successively played, each putting hole comprising an elongate slab of a length and width sufficiently large to permit a person playing the putting game to walk thereon and having an undulating contoured upper playing surface over which the oval playing ball may travel during play of the game, each putting hole having means defining a teeing area adjacent one end thereof from which the oval playing ball may be initially stroked, cup means located adjacent the opposite end thereof at a distance from the teeing area and adapted for receiving the oval playing ball therein, and means extending along said undulating upper playing surface for substantially the entire length thereof and serving to delineate on said playing surface a pair of side-by-side visually distinguishable longitudinally extending scoring zones of different values, with such different valued scoring zones coupled with the erratic path of travel of the oval playing ball serving to enhance the challenge and test of skill of the game.

2. A putting game according to claim 1 wherein said means extending along said upper playing surface follows a serpentine path to further enhance the challenge and test of skill of the game.

3. A putting game according to claim 1 additionally including means on said upper playing surface adjacent the perimeter thereof defining a third visually distinguishable scoring zone substantially surrounding said pair of side-by-side scoring zones, said third scoring zone being of a value different from either of the pair of scoring zones.