Extendible golf tool

Abstract

An extendible golf tool includes a handle portion with front and rear portions, an extendible portion with a rear portion operably connected to the front portion of the handle portion, and a generally pointed tool operably connected to the front portion of the extendible portion. A ball retriever attachment may optionally be provided at the rear portion of the handle portion.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to golf accessories, and more particularly to an extendible golf tool which can be used to repair a divot or to retrieve or pick-up a golf ball.

During play, numerous golf balls land on typically all eighteen greens of a golf course. Invariably, when a golf ball contacts the soft surface of a putting green, it will create a concave impression on the surface of the green. This concave impression is known in golf as a “divot”. The divots not only ruin the aesthetic appearance of the green, they also change the playing surface and interfere with the players' ability to putt properly. In other words, a putting stroke on a green involves stroking the ball with a putter with just sufficient force so that the ball will roll down on the soft surface towards the hole with the aim that it will end up in the cup. Even a slight deformation or imperfection of the green surface could change the intended path of the ball thereby changing its course away from the cup. Since golf is a game where every stroke counts, the rules obligate every golfer to repair all divots they see or create on the putting surface.

However, to the dismay of many groundskeepers, many golfers either overlook or do not repair the divots as the process requires a golfer to bend down to the surface of the putting green in order to use a standard divot tool, which is about 2½-3 inches long. Bending down and then getting back to an upright position presents an insurmountable challenge to many golfers, particularly the senior golfers.

In addition, sometimes it becomes necessary for the golfer to bend down to retrieve the ball from the cup.

In my co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/418,028, filed May 5, 2006, entitled “Golf Ball Retriever Attachment”, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, I disclose an attachment that can be mounted on a golf club to retrieve or pick-up a golf ball. Various other devices are disclosed in FIGS. 1-2 of the '028 application and U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,723,091, 5,328,174, and 6,638,177.

As noted above, the conventional divot tool requires golfers to bend down to repair a divot making the task rather cumbersome and undesirable. Likewise, the conventional devices disclosed in FIGS. 1-2 of the aforementioned '028 application, and in the patents referred to above, offer various solutions to retrieve a ball, they are complex and difficult to use, and require carrying of an entirely separate device adding to the overall number of accessories to be carried by a golfer. Additionally, the prior art golf ball retrieving devices cannot be simply attached to a support or removed therefrom without causing some damage.

Therefore, there is a need in the industry for an extendible golf tool that eliminates the need for a golfer to bend down to the ground to fix a divot, or to retrieve a golf ball, when the ball is in the cup.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a golf tool which overcomes the drawbacks associated with conventional devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf tool which is simple in design and construction, and can be easily used to fix a divot or to retrieve a golf ball, when in the cup.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf tool which is extendible and prevents the need for a golfer to bend down to fix a divot or to retrieve a golf ball, from the cup.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendible golf tool which can be conveniently clipped onto a belt or a pocket for easy portability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendible golf tool which functions as a dual purpose golf tool.

In summary, the main object of the present invention is to provide a golf tool, which is simple in design and construction, easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is extendible thereby preventing the need for a golfer to bend down to fix a divot or to retrieve a golf ball, when the ball is in the cup.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, an extendible golf tool includes a handle portion with first and second end portions, an extendible portion with a first end portion operably connected to one of the first and second end portions of the handle portion, and a generally pointed tool operably connected to a second end portion of the extendible portion.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, an extendible golf tool includes a handle portion with front and rear portions, a telescopic extendible portion with a rear portion connected to the front portion of the handle portion, and a pointed tool removably connected to a front portion of the extendible portion. The pointed tool includes an angled fork section and a base section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One of the above and other objects, novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) invention, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an extendible golf tool in accordance with the present invention, shown partially extended;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the golf tool assembled and fully extended;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the golf tool showing FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the golf tool shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the golf tool in use to fix a divot; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the golf tool in use to pick-up a golf ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

As best shown in FIGS. 1-2, the golf tool GT of the present invention includes a handle portion 10 with front and rear portions 12 and 14, respectively, and an extendible portion 16 with front and rear portions 18 and 20, respectively. Although, both the handle and extendible portions 10 and 16 are preferably generally cylindrical, other configurations may be used. A pointed tool 22 is removably attached to the front portion 18 of the extendible portion 16. An optional ball retriever attachment 24 is removably connected to the rear portion 14 of the handle portion 10. (The ball retriever attachment is similar to that disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/418,028, filed May 5, 2006, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.)

The extendible portion 16 includes preferably four telescopic sections 26A, 26B, 26C and 26D, which together span a length of about 472-482 mm. Preferably, the length of the handle portion 10 is about 132-137 mm.

The rear portion 14 of the handle portion 10 includes female threads 28 for receiving a screw 30 for connecting the ball retriever attachment 24 to the handle portion 10 (FIG. 1). The ball retriever attachment 24 preferably includes four claws 25 that are flexible to grasp a golf ball GB (FIG. 6).

As best shown in FIGS. 3-4, the pointed tool 22 includes a fork section 32 extending at an angle α to the base section 34. Preferably, the angle α is about 10-15°, and more preferably about 12°. Although the number and configuration may be varied, the fork section 32 includes preferably three pointed prongs 36. A male screw-threaded portion 38 of the pointed tool 22 corresponds to a female screw-threaded portion 40 in the front section 18 of the extendible portion 16 (FIG. 1). Preferably, the total length of the fork and base sections 32 and 34 is about 23-33 mm.

A clip C is mounted on the handle portion 10 for securing the golf tool GT onto a belt or a pocket.

When fully extended, the total length of the golf tool GT (without the optional ball retriever attachment 24) runs about 633-643 mm, and preferably about 638 mm. In a fully retracted or contracted position, the length runs about 18-23 mm for easy portability in a pocket or the like.

Referring to FIG. 5, in order to repair a divot D, a golfer simply extends the golf tool GT to a desired length of the extendible portion 16. The fork section 32 is then simply slipped under the divot D to repair it by elevating the divot to the level of the surrounding grass G. The golfer then aerates the soil by puncturing the surface of the newly repaired divot with the prongs 36.

Referring to FIG. 6, the extended golf tool GT of the invention can be used to pick-up or retrieve a golf ball GB by using the ball retriever attachment 24.

From the above, it can be observed that the golf tool GT of the present invention can be easily used to fix a divot or to retrieve a golf ball, without having the need to bend down to the ground.

While this invention has been described as having preferred sequences, ranges, steps, materials, structures, features, components, or designs, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/or adaptations of the invention following in general the principle of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as those come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention and of the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An extendible golf tool, comprising:

a) a handle portion including first and second end portions;

b) an extendible portion including a first end portion operably connected to one of said first and second end portions of said handle portion; and

c) a generally pointed tool operably connected to a second end portion of said extendible portion.

2. The golf tool of claim 1, wherein:

a) said extendible portion comprises a plurality of telescopic sections.

3. The golf tool of claim 2, wherein:

a) said pointed tool comprises an angled fork section and a base section.

4. The golf tool of claim 3, wherein:

a) said fork section is angled at about 10-15° relative to said base section.

5. The golf tool of claim 3, wherein:

a) said fork section is angled at about 12° relative to said base section.

6. The golf tool of claim 4, wherein:

a) said fork section comprises a three-pronged fork.

7. The golf tool of claim 2, wherein:

a) said pointed tool is removably connected to said second end portion of said extendible portion.

8. The golf tool of claim 1, wherein:

a) the total length of said handle and extendible portions and said pointed tool is about 633-643 mm.

9. The golf tool of claim 1, wherein:

a) the total length of said handle and extendible portions and said pointed tool is about 638 mm.

10. The golf tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a) a ball retriever operably connected to the other of said first and second end portions of said handle portion.

11. The golf tool of claim 10, wherein:

a) said ball retriever comprises a plurality of flexible fingers.

12. An extendible golf tool, comprising:

a) a handle portion including front and rear portions;

b) a telescopic extendible portion including a rear portion connected to said front portion of said handle portion;

c) a pointed tool removably connected to a front portion of said extendible portion; and

d) said pointed tool including an angled fork section and a base section.

13. The golf tool of claim 12, wherein:

a) said fork section is angled at about 10-15° relative to said base section.

14. The golf tool of claim 12, wherein:

a) said fork section is angled at about 12° relative to said base section.

15. The golf tool of claim 13, wherein:

a) said fork section comprises a three-pronged fork.

16. The golf tool of claim 11, wherein:

a) one of the front portion of said extendible portion and said pointed tool includes a male threaded portion and the other of the front portion of said extendible portion and said pointed tool includes a female threaded portion.

17. The golf tool of claim 12, further comprising:

a) a ball retriever operably connected to said rear portion of said handle portion.

18. The golf tool of claim 17, wherein:

a) said ball retriever comprises a plurality of flexible fingers.

19. The golf tool of claim 11, further comprising:

a) a clip for attaching the divot tool to a support.

20. The golf tool of claim 12, wherein:

a) the total length of said handle and extendible portions and said pointed tool is about 633-643 mm.

21. The golf tool of claim 12, wherein:

a) the total length of said handle and extendible portions and said pointed tool is about 638 mm.