Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TITLE O~ INVF TION
GOLF PUTrrING COURSE
FIELD OF Tf~E INVENTION
The invention relates to a portable golf putting course
having a fairway, a putting green and a receiving cup.
BACECGROUND OF ~EIE I~IVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a portable
golf putting course for indoor or outdoor use by any golfer. More
specifically, the invention relates to the use of at least one
movable bridge in conjunction with a plurality of removable
baffles to facilitate the creation of at least eighteen unique
configurations upon the same golf putting surface. These various
configurations will allow for varying degrees of difficulty and
variety of play.
Presently known devices relating to a golf putting
course do not provide a course, which upon playing, a golfer's
skill level is reflected in that golfer's score attained on that
course. In fact, in some of the prior art devices the golfer's
score would be indicative of that player's luck rather than his or
her skill. In addition, the prior art does not provide an 18-
hole course which resembles true fairway play on a standard golf
course.
Several prior patents use "roll-over" type obstructions
akin to a bridge, in order to improve the skill aspects oE a
portable golf putting course, as seen in U.S. Patent Nos.
4,429,881 (a valley-like depression), 4,098,507 (a rnound),
3,831,949 (fixed ramp sections) and 2,827,299 (a ramp with a hole
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in it). However, in these ca~ses the obstruction is fixed to a
specific position on the putting course and cannot be moved to
provide various unique putting courses. Further~ none o the
"roll-over" type obstructions incorporate passages through them
thus creating the equivalent to a penalty stroke should the golfer
fail to properly negotiate the obstacle.
SUM~ARY OF ~E INVE~TION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
putting golf course which would provide a challenge -to a golfer
commensurate with that golfer's skill on a standard golf course.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide in a portable golf putting course, at least one movable
bridge, in addition to a plurality of baffles, to increase the
challenge in playing the golf course.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide at least one passage through the movable bridge to allow
alternate putting routes for a given course configuration.
In its broadest aspect the invention consists o a golf
~0 putting course comprising: a fairway and a putting green abutting
the fairway to provide a continuous playing surface, a movable
golf ball receiving cup resting on the playing surface, side walls
de~ining a perimeter of the playing surface, a plurality of
movable baffles and at least one movable bridge all locatable on
~5 the playing surface, the side walls and movable baffles and
movable bridge collectively defining a plurality of preselectable
paths along the playing surface.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
An example embodiment of the invention is shown in the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure l is a perspective view of a putting course;
Figures 2a and 2b are perspective views of holding clips
which interconnect portions of the putting course of E'igure l;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the putting course of
Figure l showing various positions of the movable bridge and
baffles;
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the putting
course of Figure l when collapsed for storage or transport;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the putting course of
Figure l when collapsed;
Figure 6 is a perspective view oE a cube putter for
optional use with the putting course of Figure l; and
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the movable bridge in
the putting course of Figure l.
Figure 8 is a serles of schematic diagrams showing an
example series of arrangements of the elements of the putting
~0 course oE Figure 1 to simulate an eighteen-hole golf course.
DESCRIPTION OF PREPERRED EMBODIMENT
The example embodiment shown in the drawings consists of
a putting course 10 comprising a putting green 12 and a Eairway 14
~5 which provide a continuous playing surface 16 enclosed by a side
wall 18 which is open at one end to form a tee area 20.
Putting green 12 has a left segment 22 and a right
segment 24. Fairway 14 comprises four contiguous segments: a
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rear segment 26, a mid-rear segment 28, a mid-forward segment 30
and a ~orward segment 32.
Fairway segments 26 and 28, and segments 30 and 32, are
held in abutting relationship by C-shaped clips 34 as shown in
Figure 2 which fit into vertical slots 36 in side wall 18.
Putting green segments 22 and 24 are also held in
abutting relationship by a clip 34 and putting green 12 is held in
abutting relationship with fairway 14 by a pair of U-shaped clips
38 which are inserted into spaced vertical holes in side wall 18
where the side wall forms a right angle.
Fairway segments 28 and 30 are attached by a pair of
hinge pins 40 on side wall 18.
Permanently attached upright elongated guides 48, 50, 52
and 54 are located on fairway segments 26, 28, 30 and 32
respectively.
Guides 48 and 50 are permanently attached to fairway
segment 28, in a skewed manner such that the forward ends of
guides 48 and 50 are closer together than the rear ends of those
guides. Guides 48 and 50 are positioned to allow the placement of
rèmovable transverse baffles 56 in any two of three positions 56a,
56b or 56c, i.e., between guide 48 and side wall 18, between guide
50 and side wall 18 or between guides 45 and 50 respectively, as
seen in Figure 3.
Guide 52 is permanently attached centrally along fairway
segment 30. A removable transverse baffle 58 is posi-tioned in
either of two~positions 58a or 58b between guide 52 and side walls
18, as seen in Figure 3.
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Guide 54 is permanently attached centrally along fairway
segment 32, and a removable transverse baffle 60 is positioned in
either of two positions 60a or 60b between guide 54 and side wall
18, as seen in Figure 3.
Baffle 56, 58 and 60 are held in position between wall
18 and their associated guide 50, 52 or 54 in a tongue-and-groove
relationship.
An L-shaped baffle 62 is placed in either oE two
positions along abutment line 64 between putting segments 22 and
24 of putting green 12 and along abu-tment line 66 between the
putting green and fairway segment 32, being held in either
position 62a or 62b by a clip 68 which attaches the baffle to side
wall 18.
A plurality of removable obstruction posts 70 are
positioned on fairway 14 between guide 52 and side wall 18, and
between guide 54 and side wall 18.
Playing surEace 16 is covered with an artificial turf
covering 72, suitable for putting.
A movable receiving cup 74 is located in any position on
putting green 12.
A movable bridge 76 is located in any desired position
on airway 14 as seen for example in Figure 3. Referring more
particularly to Figure 7, movable bridge 76 comprises a rigid
arcuate sheet 78 covered with an artificial turf covering 80. Two
~5 openings 82 are created under the bridge through three bridge
supports 84. The approaches to bridge 76, when the bridge is
placed upon the fairway, are -taped with tape 86 to smooth the
transition from playing surEace 16 to the bridge surface.
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Figure 3 shows the various selectable positions of
baffles 56, 58, 60 and 62, and bridge 76 -to provide course
configurations t.o simulate an 18-hole golf course. Table I shows
an example series of arrangements which are also shown graphically
in Figure 8 wherein each of the eighteen holes is numbered as in
the Table.
TABLE I
HOLE POS I T I ON PAR
Pl P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7
C - LBR R R L 4
2 RBL L - R L L 5
3 LBR R - R R L 4
4 C - L - R L R 4
R - L - L L R 4
6 L - L - L R L 3
7 C BR R - R L L 4
8 L - R - L L L 4
9 R - L - R R R 4
FIRST 9-HOLE SCORE 36
10C - R BL L R L 4
11R -- L - L R L 4
12L - R -- R L R 5
13 C BL L - L L L 4
14 L - R - L R R 4
C - L - R L L 4
16 R -- R BL L L R 4
17 C - R - R R R 3
18 L -- L BR R L L 4
SECOND 9-HOLE SCORE 36
18--EIOLE SCORE 72
Positions Pl through P6 correspond to the various
positions of bridge 76 and baffles 56, 58, 60 and 62
on fairway 14, as seen in Figure 3. Position P7
corresponds to cup 74. The abbreviations used in the
Table represent the following:
BL bridge pointing to the left;
BR bridge pointing to the right;
C baffle removed from centre position;
L baffle removed from left position;
R baffle removed from right position; and
- no brld~e used.
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In this eY~ample, for hole 13, centre baffle 56b is
removed at position Pl, while left and right baffles 56a and
56c respectively, remain in place. Left baffle 58a is removed
at position P3 while baffle 58b remains in place. At position
P2, bridge 76 is oriented so that its approach faces removed
centre baffle 56b at position Pl and the other end is oriented
so that it Eaces removed left baffle 58a at position P3.
There is no bridge at position P~. Left baffle 60a is removed
at position P5, while right baffle 60b remains in place. At
position P6 L-shaped baffle 62 is placed in position 62a.
Finally, at position P7 cup 74 is placed on the left side of
putting green 12.
As seen in Figures 4 and 5 segments 22, 24, 26, 28,
30 and 32 are combinable to form a convenient carrying case 86
for storage or transport, using a handle 88 attached with a
rope 90. A bracket 92 may be added to storage case 86 for
support and to help contain the contents of the case.
Figure 6 shows a putter 94 having a cubical head 96
attached to a shaft 98 carrying a grip 100. Putter 94 is
useful in situations where a golf ball rests against wall 18.
In all cases ordinary golf clubs may be used, putter 94 being
an optional additional club.
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