Golf simulator

Abstract

Golf practice apparatus comprises a structure having a back wall (16) representing at least part of a golf course, including a green and a hole (11), said structure having at least one upper shelf (12) including means to represent the hole on a real golf course, means (24) removably attachable to said structure to represent hazards, and a location in front of the structure from which a player may hit a golf ball towards the structure.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a device for simulating chipping into a hole on a golf course. It may be used as an aid to practising skills and technique and/or as a game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Golf practice nets are known which give the user the opportunity to practise, for example driving and perhaps chipping, with normal clubs and balls. There are other devices which enable golfers to drive off from an artificial tee and there are electronic and/or electromechanical devices attached which monitor the effect of the golfer's action to predict the likely position of the ball, thereby giving feedback to the player. There are also sophisticated computer-based simulators which attempt to mimic real golfing situations and project the flight of the ball and/or its likely resting place onto a screen. There are also, of course, so-called golf games which can be played on personal computers or dedicated games machines.

[0003] However, none of these prior devices or apparatus gives the golfer the impression that he is physically playing a game of golf and none really gives the player the instant gratification of achieving a successful chip or ultimately sinking the ball in the hole.

[0004] Various types of apparatus have been proposed to try to give a more realistic simulation of golf playing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,972 discloses an apparatus having a series of targets in the form of buckets attached to a vertical wall. U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,042 discloses a stepped apparatus having back walls with holes through which the player seeks to drive the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,335 discloses a pitching target with a single receptacle at which to aim, and GB-A-2 248 189 discloses apparatus having a back-drop with a number of pockets hanging on it. None of these proposals provides a realistic-feeling simulation of the game of golf. Each “hole”, where more than one target is provided, is essentially the same as each other in appearance, and does not provide a realistic representation of the variability of a real golf course.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, the invention provides apparatus by which a player may practise chipping and/or pitching shots and/or may play a simulated game of golf.

[0006] The invention comprises golf practice apparatus comprising a structure having a back wall representing at least part of a golf course, including a green and a hole, said structure having at least one upper shelf including means to represent the hole on a real golf course, means removably attachable to said structure to represent hazards, and a location in front of the structure from which a player may hit a golf ball towards the structure.

[0007] The structure may consist of a back wall representing the view that a golfer would have when looking along a fairway towards the hole on a real golf course. The structure may also have at least one side representing the side view that a golfer would have when looking along a fairway towards the hole on a real golf course. The structure preferably has two such sides, one to each side of the back wall.

[0008] The structure may also have one or more further shelves, each representing the area before the hole in a real golf course. The shelves preferably extend further forward towards the player the lower down the back wall they are positioned.

[0009] The attachable means representing hazards may be in the form of trees, lakes, bunkers, rivers or streams, areas of rough and the like.

[0010] The structure is preferably made of wood, plastics, fibreglass, polystyrene or any other suitable material.

[0011] The structure may be either free-standing, in which case support means will be provided for keeping the structure upright, or fixed to an end wall of a marine vessel, a building or other fixed structure.

[0012] Players may use real golf clubs but it is not recommended that they use real golf balls. Instead, where the structure is provided as a complete kit, the apparatus preferably includes at least one ball designed specially for the apparatus so as to cause minimal damage to the structure when it hits it. The kit may also include one or more golf clubs and a mat for driving off. In this case, the mat is preferably marked off as having a centre, a left and a right section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the front face of the structure;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the structure as it would be used; and

[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of one version of the upper shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] As shown in the drawings, the structure comprises a back wall 16 on which is painted or otherwise attached a visual representation of at least part of the fairway leading to a hole. The back wall is provided with at least an upper shelf 12 representing the green. In the top of this shelf is a depression 11 representing the hole. When the player strikes the ball and it lands on the upper shelf the player will be regarded as having struck the ball onto the green, into a bunker or other hazard or possibly into the hole. A method of using the equipment according to a set of rules is described later.

[0018] The “gimmie” area around the hole may be formed slightly lower than the rest of the top surface of the upper shelf. Instead of the “hole” being formed by a depression, the shelf may have a real hole which could be connected through tubing, channels or some other suitable return system to a retrieving position (not shown) or the like for the player to retrieve the ball. The retrieving position would indicate to the player the position where the ball had originally landed, for example by different tubes for different areas.

[0019] Further shelves 17, 18 may either be formed integrally with the back wall 16 or may be attachable to the back wall by any suitable fastening means (not shown). As shown, for the purposes of illustration only, the middle shelf 17 is marked out or formed with a central area 14 defining a fairway and side areas 15 defining the rough, as would normally be encountered on a real golf course. Of course, the player may use the apparatus without any of the additional hazards, in its basic form consisting of the green, the hole, the fairway and the rough.

[0020] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the shelves, if provided, extend further out from the back wall the nearer they are to the ground. This is intended to represent the situation facing golfers on a real course.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the upper shelf may include hazards consisting, in the example indicated, of trees 24 and bunkers 15, as well as the hole 11 and its surrounding gimmie area 11a.

[0022] Where the apparatus is used in conditions of instability, for example on board ship, the surface where the ball lands may need to be specially adapted so that the ball is retained in a respective recess depending on the section of the course in which the ball lands, i.e. the hole, the gimmie area, the remaining green area, the hazards, the fairway and the rough. This would allow the player to assess his shot, knowing whether or not the movement of the ship has had any effect.

[0023] The player would normally drive off from a mat 29 using a special ball 28. The mat may be marked off into three zones, comprising a central zone and two side zones, one left and one right. The intention is that a player who hits the ball so that it lands in the centre of a shelf may then continue his simulated approach to the green by taking his next shot from the centre zone of the mat. Similarly, if his shot lands to one or other side of the shelf, he will play his next shot from the corresponding side zone of the mat, ie left or right Alternatively, three separate mats are provided, representing the centre, left and right zones.

[0024] The ball 28 should have flight characteristics appropriate to the fact that the apparatus will obviously not be as large as a real fairway and should be of a material which will not damage the apparatus when it hits it in the course of playing the game.

[0025] The hazard 24 in FIG. 2 is shown as a tree made of any suitable material. However, other hazards, such as trees, lakes, bunkers, rivers or streams, areas of rough and the like, may additionally or alternatively be attached to the back wall and/or the side walls and/or the shelf or shelves as desired. The choice is up to the player, depending on the degree of difficulty which the player wishes to simulate with the apparatus. Suitable attachment means may consist of clips, sliding rails or rotating fasteners. The hole itself may have a fixed position in the appropriate shelf or it may be movable, for example by placing it in a turntable whose position can be adjusted as required.

[0026] The apparatus may be of any convenient size but, for commercial purposes, it is envisaged that the structure will be between about 1.5 and 4 meters high and between about 2 and 4 meters wide.

[0027] A typical example of how the apparatus may be used to play a game will now be described.

[0028] The game can be played by any number of players but must be played in sets not exceeding four. i.e. a hole must be completed by the first four before the next set (or group) plays.

[0029] The purpose of the game is to emulate a real game of golf. As with real golf, local rules may apply which may determine such things as distance from the golf aid to the mat or the time of duration allowed per game and/or the number of holes per game. The space available is a likely factor for local rules to apply.

[0030] There is no reason why more than one of the golf aids cannot be used during the game, they must however be identical if using the same hole i.e. Hole no 1 etc. An alternative is to use aid one as hole 1, aid two as hole 2 etc. Once completed, aid one will then become hole 3 and aid two will become hole 4 and repeated until the course has been played. Of course, this will alter if more than two aids are used, and there is nothing to stop 18 aids being used with different characteristics for each hole.

[0031] To enable the game to be enjoyed to its full potential and to be played as near as possible to a real game of golf it is recommended that dedicated course plan and score cards are used. These have been designed for stroke index and handicap realistic purposes.

[0032] All types of competitions can be played, match play, stroke play, Stableford etc. Using the dedicated course plan and score cards allows all types of inter competitions to be played. i.e. pubs v pubs, schools v schools etc, area competitions, national competitions and so on.

[0033] Players can use their own clubs providing they conform to R&A rules, or the rules relevant to the country in which the game is played. The order of play will be as defined by the rules of the R&A rules book (Page 10) or, in the absence of such knowledge, by prior agreement by the competitors or the official organisers.

[0034] For an easier understanding of the rules it is assumed that a dedicated golf course plan is being used. It is also assumed that three mats are used. Note: the first shot is always played from the centre mat and all holes defined as par 3 are played from the centre mat.

[0035] The first player shall place his/her ball on the centre mat. He/she will then proceed to “chip” the ball on to the defined fairway in the case of a par 4 or par 5 hole, and on to the green in the case of a par 3 hole.

[0036] Par 4 holes: the object is to play a par 4 hole using 2 strokes. For the first stroke, the player will attempt to land the ball on the designated fairway on the lower ledge of the structure. If successful he/she may then play the second stroke from the centre mat and attempt to land the ball either in the hole or as near to it as possible, on the upper level. If on the first stroke the ball lands in the designated rough the player must play the second shot from the appropriate left or right mat i.e. if the ball finishes on the left side rough, the second shot is played from the left mat, in this instance as with the player who has landed on the fairway, the second shot is played attempting to land the ball in the hole or as near to it as possible. The hole has around it a designated “gimmie” area (easily recognisable by distinguishable markings).

[0037] Scoring on a par 4 hole: If the player has successfully landed the first stroke on the lower fairway or rough he counts 1 shot. If the second shot lands in the hole the player has done exceptionally well and counts the total as 2 shots (a gross eagle!). If the second shot lands in the “gimmie” area an extra shot is added for the “gimmie”. The player has still done well to score a total of 3 shots (a gross birdie). To land anywhere else on the green a further shot is added and the player finishes with a total of 4 shots (a gross par). Finishing in any hazard adds 1 further shot!

[0038] If at any time the player's ball finishes off the intended area it is counted as out of bounds and must be played again from the relevant mat under the penalty of one shot i.e. the next stroke will be 3 off the mat, and so on until the hole is completed. If the first stroke successfully lands on the fairway or rough but the second stroke to the green lands out of bounds then the same counting applies i.e. the second stroke to the green after landing out of bounds will become the player's 4th shot.

[0039] Note: if the ball intended for the fairway or rough lands on the top level or the ball intended for the top level green area lands on the lower level then it will be deemed out of bounds and must be replayed accordingly, adding a penalty shot as described earlier.

[0040] Par 5 holes: These holes will be played as a par 4 hole but with the difference that 2 strokes off the centre mat must be played before the player is allowed to go for the green shot If the player succeeds in landing on the fairway area on both occasions the player shall play his/her 3rd stroke to the green. If, however, one of the strokes lands on the fairway and one on the rough the player shall play his next stroke from the relevant side mat. The stroke to the green will be the 3rd stroke. Should the player miss the fairway and land in the rough on both occasions then an extra shot is added to the score. In other words the stroke to the green will be the 4th. Irrespective of where the first and second shot finishes the fourth shot will be played from the left mat. The remaining playing of the hole will be as described in the par 4 hole section.

[0041] Par 3 holes: As already mentioned all par 3 holes will be played off the centre mat. The player shall attempt to land the ball in the hole, or as near as possible to it. If the ball finishes in the hole then a hole-in-one has been achieved and congratulations all round (a gross eagle one to be added to the score). If the ball lands in the designated gimmie area the score is counted as a gross birdie two. If the ball finishes anywhere else on the green the score is counted as a gross par three. If the ball finishes on any other part of the upper level (can be a hazard of any kind, or fairway, or rough, depending on the model), then an extra shot is added. The score is counted as a gross bogey 4. In any of these cases, the shot is regarded as an “end result” and the ball is placed on the appropriate mat for the next stroke.

[0042] Failure to land anywhere on the upper level deems the ball to be out of bounds and it must be replayed in accordance with the out-of-bounds rule as described in the par 4 hole section.

[0043] Note 1. Where the word land or lands are used this should be taken as where the ball finishes i.e. has come to rest and has stopped moving.

[0044] Note 2. Only special balls must be used since using real golf balls or others not recommended can be dangerous.

Claims

1. Golf practice apparatus, comprising a structure having a back wall representing at least part of a golf course, including a green and a hole, said structure having at least one upper shelf including means to represent the hole on a real golf course, means removably attachable to said structure to represent hazards, and a location in front of the structure from which a player may hit a golf ball towards the structure.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising one or more further shelves, each representing the area before the hole in a real golf course.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shelves extend further forward towards the player the lower down the back wall they are positioned.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the location comprises a plurality of driving surfaces, each driving surface representing a different type of surface within the golf course, for example fairway and rough.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving surfaces are in the form of a mat having a central region thereof representing the fairway and side regions representing the rough.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a central mat representing the fairway and further mats placed at opposed lateral sides of the central mat and spaced therefrom, the further mats each representing the rough.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the surface texture of the side regions or further mats is different from the surface texture of the central region or mat.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the back wall is decorated to represent the view that a golfer would see when looking towards the hole on a real golf course.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the structure includes side members extending forwardly of the rear wall and decorated to extend the view represented on the back wall.