Methods, systems and apparatus relating to golf games

Abstract

Golf game to practice putting and pitching. Pitching unit extends vertically from putting unit or can be separated. Multiple units represents multiple playing holes. Upper tier receives pitched ball and lower tier receives putted ball. Indoor or outdoor use.

Description

[0001] In one embodiment, the game apparatus comprises a device comprising at least two tiers to accept balls either pitched or putted. Golf balls, such as whiffle balls, are included and can come in a plurality, such as 4, of different colors. Participants use their own clubs, typically a putter and pitching wedge.

[0002] In some embodiments, the upper tier has a front, two sides, bottom and back. The back acts as a stop to catch the ball. The upper tier can either be attached to the lower tier or mounted separately to a wall, window or any other surface. The bottom tier has a beveled front to accept putted balls. Sides, bottom and back are to retain the putted ball. Balls that are pitched into a raised tier may either be retained by that tier or funneled down to the lower tier. The bottom tier may have an device, such as a mechanical or air driven, to send the balls back to the player. The tiers can be provided integrally with the substantially vertical support, in a kit with the substantially vertical support, or separately with the substantially vertical support provided separately by a user, for example where the substantially vertical support is a wall.

[0003] The substantially vertical support can comprise a wall or a panel that can be, if desired, connected to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure. The substantially vertical support can also comprise one, two or more vertical support legs each attached to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure. For example, the substantially vertical support can be a single leg attached substantially at the middle of the lower tier, or the substantially vertical support can be two legs attached substantially at opposed sides of the lower tier. The leg(s) can be attached at any other desired location on the various tiers, as well.

[0004] The substantially vertical support and the tiers can be made of wood, steel, glass, plastic or any other desired material.

[0005] The game can be played on carpet or grass or other desired surface.

[0006] In one embodiment, the game can be played with a three tiered device as follows:

[0007] 1) Each player starts with 0 points.

[0008] 2) Each player places his ball a distance, for example at least about 10 feet, from the target, which is the apparatus.

[0009] 3) Each player may either pitch or putt at his discretion for first two tries. After two tries the ball must be putted.

[0010] 4) A pitch in the upper tiers will score 3 or 4 depending on difficulty.

[0011] 5) A putt in the middle will score 2.

[0012] 6) A putt in the sides will score 1.

[0013] 7) Players may either play until they score or alternate strokes.

[0014] 8) First player to reach 10 points wins. play to 20 when you get better.

[0015] In another embodiment, the game can be played similar to the game above except that each player starts with 10 points. A miss will add one +1 point to the players score. A pitch in an upper tier will score −3 or −4. A putt in the middle of the lower tier will score −2. A putt in the sides of the lower tier will score −2. First player to reach 0 points wins.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the game can be played by selecting two, three or more separate spots around the device. Each player tries to pitch a ball into the top tier or other designated tier. Whoever makes the shots in the least tries wins.

[0017] Games can be played with multiple holes (devices) set in various locations around an office, play room, lawn or otherwise as desired.

[0018] Accordingly, the present invention provides a golf game comprising an upper box and a lower box each attached to a substantially vertical support. The lower box forms a lower tier and the upper box forms an upper tier. The boxes and support can be attached by any desirable mechanism, such as nails, screws, glue, clamps, velcro or formed integrally with each other. In some embodiments, the attachment devices can be permanent; in others they can be releasable. Also in some embodiments, for example where the substantially vertical support is a wall, the lower box may not be attached to the substantially vertical support but can abut it or be adjacent to it. The boxes can be of any desired shape, such as rectangular, square, circular, triangular, etc. The lower box preferably comprises an open front so the balls can be either putted or pitched into the box. Typically, the upper boxes comprise walls on all sides so that a golf ball striking the upper box is retained within the upper box. If desired, there can be a clear line of demarcation between the floor of the box and the walls, or there can be a continuous gradation between the floor and the walls (indeed, depending upon the desired shape, there may be no specific “floor” and “wall”). The game is suitably designed for use in an office, at home, or anywhere else that may be desired. The boxes can be small, medium or large in any of the tiers, as desired.

[0019] Accordingly, the game is suitably designed to be used with either real golf balls or with soft golf balls, such as golf balls made of nerf foam, solid plastic or hollow plastic such as whiffle balls or hollow dimpled plastic balls or any other desired material; the golf balls can all be of the same or different colors. The game can comprise one or more additional middle boxes, which can be substantially the same size as the lower box or larger or smaller than the lower box. The various boxes can be essentially stacked in a straight line, staggered with some boxes further to the right and others further to the left, or in series, for example each of the boxes disposed a bit further to the right relative to the box below it, or otherwise as desired. The game can be played in any of a variety of fashions. For example, the game can merely comprise pitching or putting balls at the various boxes either for practice or as part of an actual scoring game. In addition, the game can be played using a single golf game as described above, or a plurality of golf games located in different locations. In addition, the game can comprise either awarding players points for achieving a certain goal, or subtracting points from an initial total, with the first person to get to a particular low score, such as 0, being the winner. In addition, a certain number of strokes can be designated “par” and then points can be either subtracted or added depending upon whether or not the player achieves the given shot within the par number of strokes. The various boxes can, if desired, comprise a variety of indicia designating particular awards, such as points, or even specific dollar values or prizes. Various embodiments of the game are also described further above and in the claims below.

Claims

1. A multi-tiered golf game comprising:

a substantially vertical support,

a lower tier connected at ground level to the substantially vertical support, the lower tier comprising a lower box comprising a forward facing open side sized to receive a golf ball that has been putted or chipped; and

an upper tier connected to the substantially vertical support at a level high enough to permit the golf ball to be chipped into the upper tier, the upper tier comprising an upper box sized to receive and retain the golf ball that has been chipped and is on the fly.

2. The golf game of claim 1 wherein the lower box comprises a first zone that is centrally located in the lower box and comprises indicia indicating a first award value for the golf ball striking such area and at least two second areas comprising indicia indicating a second award value for the golf ball striking such areas.

3. The golf game of claim 1 wherein the upper box comprises a raised back and a pliant material able to retain the golf ball on the fly with a reduced opportunity that the golf ball will bounce out.

4. The golf game of claim 3 wherein the upper box comprises netting.

5. The golf game of claim 3 wherein the upper box comprises soft foam.

6. The golf game of any one of claims 1-5 wherein the lower box comprises a beveled front edge.

7. The golf game of any one of claims 1-6 wherein the substantially vertical support comprises a wall.

8. The golf game of any one of claims 1-6 wherein the substantially vertical support comprises a panel connected to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure.

9. The golf game of any one of claims 1-6 wherein the substantially vertical support comprises at least two vertical support legs each attached to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure.

10. The golf game of any one of claims 7-9 wherein the substantially vertical support comprises wood, steel or plastic.

11. The golf game of any one of claims 1-10 wherein the upper box comprises indicia indicating a third award value for the golf ball landing in the upper box.

12. The golf game of claim 11 wherein the third award value is greater than the first award value and the second award value.

13. The golf game of any one of claims 1-12 wherein the game further comprises a middle tier connected to the substantially vertical support at a level high enough to permit the golf ball to be chipped into the middle tier, the middle tier comprising a middle box sized to receive and retain the golf ball that has been chipped and is on the fly.

14. The golf game of claim 13 wherein the lower box, the middle box and the upper box are substantially the same size.

15. The golf game of claim 13 wherein the middle box and the upper box are about one-half the size of the lower box, and the middle box and the upper box are in staggered relation.

16. The golf game of any one of claims 1-15 wherein the middle box comprises indicia indicating a fourth award value for the golf ball landing in the middle box.

17. The golf game of any one of claims 1-16 wherein the golf game further comprises a funnel between the upper box and that lower box, the funnel sized to collect the golf ball from the upper box and transmit the golf ball to the lower box.

18. The golf game of any one of claims 1-17 wherein the lower box further comprises an automatic return mechanism that ejects the golf ball from the lower box.

19. The golf game of any one of claims 1-18 wherein the game further comprises the golf ball and a golf club.

20. The golf game of claim 19 wherein the golf ball is a soft, light golf ball comprising at least one of foam or perforated plastic.

21. A method of playing a golf game comprising chipping or putting a golf ball into any one of the boxes in the golf game of any one of claims 1-20.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises

providing each of a plurality of players with a set number of points;

having each player attempt to pitch or putt the golf ball into any one of the boxes;

adding at least one point to a player's score for each miss;

subtracting at least three points from the player's score for each pitch into the upper box;

subtracting a lesser number of points from the player's score for each pitch into the substantially vertical support; and,

subtracting a still lesser number of points from the player's score for each pitch or putt into the lower box.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises declaring a winner when a first of the player's scores reaches 0.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein the players alternate shots.

25. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein the players hit shots consecutively.

26. The method of any one of claims 21 to 26 wherein the method further comprises attempting pitches or putts at a plurality of different golf games of any one of claims 1-17.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises

selecting a plurality of locations around the golf game of any one of claims 1-17;

attempting chips or putts from each of the locations until each player makes the chip or putt; and,

designating as a winner the player that requires the least number of chips or putts to make a chip or putt from each of the locations.

28. A kit comprising a lower box comprising a forward facing open side sized to receive a golf ball that has been putted or chipped, an upper box sized to receive and retain the golf ball that has been chipped and is on the fly, and attachment devices suitable to attach the lower box and the upper box to the side of a wall, desk or table.

29. The golf game of claim 28 wherein the game further comprises a middle box sized to receive and retain the golf ball that has been chipped and is on the fly.