US20080207346A1

US20080207346A1 - Golf course for practicing shot making and trouble shots

Info

Publication number: US20080207346A1
Application number: US11/807,730
Authority: US
Inventors: Young Je Kim
Original assignee: Sky72 Golf Club Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sky72 Golf Club Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-02-23
Filing date: 2007-05-30
Publication date: 2008-08-28
Also published as: KR100785530B1

Abstract

A golf course for practicing shot-making and trouble shots where golf players may intensively practice their weakest shots, shot-making according to each situation and trouble shots is provided. The golf course includes a tee box including a flat ground, an up-hill, a down-hill, a side up-hill and a side down-hill, wherein a play of a hole is started therein; a fairway positioned between the tee box and a green, the fairway being composed of short grass; a bunker including a cross bunker positioned in the fairway, a fairway bunker positioned near the fairway and a green side bunker positioned near the green; a rough positioned on both the right and left sides of the fairway, the rough being composed of grass longer than the grass of the fairway; and the green composed of short grass, wherein a play of the hole is ended therein.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a golf course for practicing shot making and trouble shots, and more particularly to a golf course that allows golf players including amateurs to intensively practice their weakest shots, shot-making according to each situation and trouble shots.
2. Related Art
Generally, existing golf courses, which are of the standard 18-hole course—or larger—not only occupy substantial amount of land but also require extensive investments. In addition, they have some difficulties in becoming popularized due to fastidious legal procedures, business approvals, various conditions for establishment and harmful environmental effects.
In other words, for a standard 18-hole golf course to be established, it is required of an area of 1,000,000 square meters with standard arrangements; structuring of par 3, par 4, and par 5; and the harmony with surrounding scenery as those are the basic requirements to the main layout for a golf course. Consequently, enormous investment is required, which, in turn, places burden on customers in the form of golf greens fee.
While the standard 18-hole golf courses generally are located in suburban areas, most customers have a tendency to frequent indoor driving ranges within the city to practice driving or putting or even install electronic golf putting partners at home.
Such driving ranges are only equipped with lanes where people drive at a net. Although there are more than 2,000 driving ranges—both indoor and outdoor—scattered nationwide, practices there compared to that on the green that is curved field location adaptive for putting remarkably lack realism. To illustrate, in the golf complex including the standard 18-hole or larger, it is frequently required for a player to exert high level skills in order to survive many obstacles such as a bunker, trees, and ponds. However, in the driving ranges, field-experience oriented practice facilities for coping with such situations are non-existent and, in general, a player goes into practice while taking part in a match game during regular rounds.
In order to overcome the problem, a golf course for bunker and putting practices has been suggested in Korean Laid Open Publication 2000-23978 (disclosed in May 6, 2000). However, according to the golf course disclosed in Korean Laid Open Publication 2000-23978, only bunker or putting practices are possible, and there still exist some limitations to practice various shot styles such as drive or iron shot at a tee box, fairway or rough.
A conventional structure for golf practice facility is described in Korea Patent No. 313,591 (disclosed by Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication in May 25, 1999). However, this invention only allowed the golfer to practice shots at a standstill on various greens so that the practice of various shots required on the actual course (e.g. on the bunker or on the rough) was rather difficult. Moreover, it was impossible for the golfer to practice an entire golf course such as the 9-hole course.
This applies not to amateur players but also to professional aspirants, junior, semi-professionals and tour professionals, and intensive shot practice areas were non-existent in the traditional driving ranges.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a golf course for practicing shot making and trouble shots where golf players including amateurs may intensively practice their weakest shots, shot-making according to each situation and trouble shots. The golf course of the present invention, the world's first of its kind, is aimed to produce a worldwide golf player as well as elevating the level of standard golf playing.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf course adaptive for practice of shot-making and trouble shot, the golf course comprising a tee box including a flat ground, an up-hill, a down-hill, a side up-hill and a side down-hill, wherein a play of a hole is started therein; a fairway positioned between the tee box and a green, the fairway being composed of short grass; a bunker including a cross bunker positioned in the fairway, a fairway bunker positioned near the fairway and a green side bunker positioned near the green; a rough positioned on both the right and left sides of the fairway, the rough being composed of grass longer than the grass of the fairway; and the green composed of short grass, wherein a play of the hole is ended therein.
The tee box may include a fairway section composed of short grass and an A rough section and a B section composed of grass longer than the grass of the fairway by a predetermined length. The grass in the fairway section maybe approximately 30 mm in length, the grass in the A rough section is approximately 55 to 60 mm in length and the B rough section is approximately 75 to 80 mm in length. Thus, a golfer may practice hitting different shots according to different heights of cutting grass or a plant as if they were faced with the real situation of being in the standard golf courses.
In one embodiment, a grid may be formed in the fairway so that a distance is measured with the naked eyes from the tee box. The grid may be a bunker line having a width of approximately 50 cm to 1 m.
In addition, an obstacle such as a tree may be positioned on the fairway so as to allow a golfer to hit a draw shot and a fade shot, wherein the obstacle being in a direct line between the tee box and the green.
In addition, the green side bunker may include a pot bunker in a shape of pot with narrow opening or a revetted bunker with a steep grassy rise.
In addition, the rough may include an A rough positioned near an outer area of the fairway, the A rough being composed of grass of which length is longer than the grass of the fairway and a B rough positioned near an outer area of the A rough, the B rough being composed of grass of which length is longer than the grass of the A rough. The grass of the A rough may be approximately 55 to 60 mm and the grass of the B rough may be approximately 75 to 80 mm.
In addition, the green may include a first green composed of natural grass and a second green composed of artificial grass. The second green may include a shallow green that is under 350 m²in size. The second green may be formed with undulation and a part of the second green may have a narrow width of approximately 5 m.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf course adaptive for practice of shot-making and trouble shot, the golf course comprising multiple holes by defining a golf course in accordance with any one of claims 1 through 3 as a hole and combining N number of the golf courses, wherein players are given an option of playing 3 holes, 6 holes, or 9 holes, etc. according to a size of the golf course.
In one embodiment, the golf course may comprise 9 holes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a golf course adaptive for practice of making shots and trouble shots according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plane view illustrating a tee box at a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A or B-B of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plane view illustrating a hole of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a draw shot and a fade shot hit at a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a surrounding of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a revetted bunker among a green side bunker of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates various bunkers of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a fairway, a A rough and a B rough of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a shallow green of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is a plane view illustrating a tee box of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A or B-B of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the tee box 10 included in the golf course according to the present invention is divided into several sections.
First of all, the surface of the tee box 10 is not flat but is formed with a predetermined slope. The tee box 10 in FIG. 2 is arranged in the direction toward the green (50; refer FIG. 4). Following the slope in the direction of the green is located a flat ground 11 as the center, uphill 12 on the rear, downhill 13 on the front, side uphill 14 on the left, and side downhill 15 on the right (15).
With reference to FIG. 3, it can be clarified the configuration of the flat ground 11 and the various slopes 12 to 15. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A or B-B of FIG. 2, and in reality, as for the cross-sectional view cut along the line A-A, the width of the flat ground 11 is longer.
In the tee box 10, grass may be classified into several different types. The tee box 10 may include a fairway section 10 a where grass planted is approximately 30 mm in length, an A rough section 10 b where grass planted is approximately 55-60 mm, and a B rough section 10 c where grass planted is approximately 75-80 mm.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is preferable to develop the same tee box as the standard-hole tee box so as to satisfy the players' general appetite for a golf round. In other words, an amateur/player standard-hole 10, a player/professional par 3 hole 17, and an amateur par 3 hole 18 may be separately formed in order to allow various choices. Also, as will be described later, bunkers of different types that are found on a golf course may be developed so that the practice of tee shots for bunker escape may be possible.
As described above, the tee box 10 according to an example embodiment of the present invention is equipped with various slopes and grass types so that a golfer may practice a shot of any kind such as tee shot or drive by freely selecting one of zones artificially developed for purpose of practicing a particular shot the golfer wishes to.
FIG. 4 is a plane view illustrating a hole of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a fairway 20 is formed between the tee box 10 and the green along the direction from the tee box 10 toward the green 50. Short grass is planted on this fairway 20, and the fairway 20 is the course over which the golfer travels when a normal shot is made. As will be described later, a rough 40 and a first bunker 32 are formed around the fairway 20, a second bunker 31 is also formed near the green 50.
In the golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention, grids 22 are formed in the fairway 20 that are separated apart one another at a predetermined distance. The grid 22 is preferably formed by utilizing a bunker line, and may have a width ranging from approximately 50 cm to 1 m so that a golfer at the tee box 10, which is distant from the fairway 20, may measure a driving distance and a run (the rolling of a golf ball) with the naked eye.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a draw shot and a fade shot hit at a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention. The traditional golf courses and driving ranges does not generally have obstacles on the fairway 20, however, in the present invention, obstacles 24 such as trees are set up on the fairway 20. It is preferable that the obstacles 24 are placed in a direct line between the tee box 10 and the green 50. The purpose of the placement is to allow the golfer to practice draw shots or fade shots as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The obstacle 24, in particular, may be placed based on a result of trajectory calculation in order to allow the practice of artificial shot styles.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a surrounding of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 illustrates a revetted bunker among a green side bunker of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 9 illustrates various bunkers at a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 7 through 9, in a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a bunker 30 includes a green side bunker 31 positioned near the green 50, a fairway bunker 32 positioned near the fairway 20, and a cross bunker 33 positioned across the fairway 20. The green side bunker 31, in particular, may be formed in configuration of a pot bunker in the shape of pot with narrow opening or a revetted bunker with a steep grassy rise (refer FIG. 8).
Thus, the golf course of an example embodiment of the present invention, designed to include various bunkers around the world, is a place where players adapt to different types of bunkers and build up their confidence. By developing worldly renowned bunkers around greens, fairways, and rough areas, players may practice shots according to different types of bunkers and try different strategies for escaping the bunkers as if they were faced with the real situation of being in the standard golf courses. Therefore, when practicing at the golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention, players may achieve satisfactory results.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a fairway, an A rough and a B rough of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention. In the golf course of the present invention, the rough 40 is located near the outside of the fairway 20. The rough 40 includes an A rough 42 of which grass (approximately 55-60 mm) is longer than the grass (approximately 30 mm) in the above-mentioned fairway 20, and a B rough 44 of which grass is longer than that of the A rough 42, wherein the B rough 44 is located near outside of the A rough area 42.
Generally, golf courses designate an area outside the fairway, which is considered a comfort zone to play the game, as rough in order to apply pressure to players that there will be a penalty for mistaken shots. This also serves a purpose of testing the ability of a player to recover with the next shot in case of any mistaken shot. The golf course of the present invention, however, enforces a principle of voluntarily choosing to hit a tee shot from rough areas in order to practice shot-making and recovery shots.
Namely, upon arrival at the par 3 hole, it is identical to the traditional method of playing the game in that the player can drive a ball on-green from the tee and get a birdie (hitting one shot below the permitted number of shots to be even) or getting a par by re-putting after a mistaken putting. This is to eliminate the boredom that may arise from continuous practice from a specific area and to enable shot-making practices according to new situations that can be unfolded as the game is played.
FIG. 11 illustrates a shallow green of a golf course according to an example embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 11, the green 50 of the present invention applies a two-green approach (forming two greens) to each hole. A first green 52 (not shown) is composed of natural grass and developed in size similar to a standard hole (larger than 450 m²) A second green 54 is composed of artificial grass and developed under 350 m²in size and features difficult, irregular green surface. This approach enables the players to be selective in attacking the green or allows the course managers to designate hole-specific regulations for the players to abide by.
Among all the artificial greens 54, a few (refer to FIG. 11) are designed to keep a ball from being on-green if it landed outside a center circle around the hole-pin, which is 5 m in radius. These small and narrow greens are devised for purpose of enhancing the players' accurate approach shots. This type of green, which has not been employed in typical, standard golf courses, is utilized to test the accuracy of a distance and direction for amateur players, professionals, juniors, and prospective professionals, which is a significant factor in attacking the hole-pin on the green.
In other words, the green 50 of the present invention, the world's first of its kind, features a regular green with the natural grass 52 (not shown) and the artificial green 54 for accurate approach to the hole-pin on top of having a traditional, golf-shot making practice range, which will ultimately contribute to enhancing the abilities of the players.
The artificially developed green 54 minimizes pitch marks caused by an advanced player's shot that has more spin than that of a regular player, thereby reducing the frequency of damage to the natural green 52. Furthermore, it features an extremely difficult undulation of the green surface which cannot be materialized in the natural-grass green 52, and minimizes the downward, stepping pressure for the players as they swing. It also provides a benefit of playing all year while maintaining its original color.
Another characteristic that the present invention features is in the maintenance of artificially composed the height of cutting grass or a plant as well as the maintenance of the type of grass. It is preferable to adjust the height of cutting grass or a plant and different types of grass used in golf courses throughout the world in order to produce different situations for the players to practice and adapt to. It may become possible to practice hitting different shots according to different heights of cutting grass or a plant for the same type of grass. At the same time, players could practice different shots according to different heights of cutting grass or a plant for different type of grass.
In addition, in order to ensure the safety of the players, the distance between the holes is maximized and nets may be set up in the hole where any considerable risk of danger is exposed.
The golf course of the present invention, first, allows players to practice a draw, a fade, a low trajectory shot, a high trajectory shot and measure a driving distance and the total distance. Second, as with bunker shots, it enables players to hit a fairway bunker shot (Sole impossible: bunker shot where golf club cannot make a contact with sand or land surface), a greenside bunker shot (Sole impossible), a Waist bunker shot (Sole possible: bunker shot where a golf club could make a contact with sand or land surface), a bunker shot where players could experiment various escaping shots according to different types and heights of bunkers, as well as a bunker shot where adjustment of distance is possible. Third, with iron shots, players are able to practice on the flat ground, a uphill, downhill, side uphill, side downhill, down blowshot, fade, or draw shot from the fairway, A rough, and B rough. Fourth, players may also engage themselves in long-distance putting, mid-distance putting, short-distance putting, double and triple undulation. Fifth, a chip and approach shot from the fairway, A rough, B rough, flat ground, uphill, downhill, side uphill, or side downhill are possible as well.
Referring to FIG. 1, the golf course of the present invention may include many holes by means of combination of N number of the above-mentioned golf courses. It is preferable to organize the golf course of the present invention to give the players options of playing 3 holes, 6 holes, or 9 holes, etc. according to the size of the golf course.
When examining the characteristic (or the concept) of each hole, either par 2 (players) or par 3 (regular), it can be well understood that players may practice the following: an island and peninsula green approach in a green approach hole 1, an approach from the A rough and the B rough in rough shot holes 2 and 5, respective bunker shots (from a distance of 20, 30, 40, 83 m away) in a bunker shot hole 3 and an over-the-bunker shot hole 4, a punching shot from various lie tee box in a punching shot hole 6, accurate approach to the pin on a narrow green from a distance within 125 m in a shallow green shot hole 7, a draw and a fade shot in a draw/fade green shot hole 8, a green side bunker shot in a green side bunker shot hole 9.
Therefore, in the golf course illustrated in FIG. 1, a player can play maximum of 9 holes but can also choose an option of playing 3 holes or 6 holes whenever he wishes.
As described above, the golf course for shot-making and trouble shot practices according to example embodiments of the present invention, golf players including amateur players may intensively practice their weakest shots, making shots according to each situation and trouble shots.
Having described the exemplary embodiments of the present invention and its advantages, it is noted that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by appended claims.

Claims

1. A golf course adaptive for practice of shot-making and trouble shot, comprising:

a tee box including a flat ground, an up-hill, a down-hill, a side up-hill and a side down-hill, wherein a play of a hole is started therein;

a fairway positioned between the tee box and a green, the fairway being composed of short grass;

a bunker including a cross bunker positioned in the fairway, a fairway bunker positioned near the fairway and a green side bunker positioned near the green;

a rough positioned on both the right and left sides of the fairway, the rough being composed of grass longer than the grass of the fairway; and

the green composed of short grass, wherein a play of the hole is ended therein.

2. The golf course of claim 1, wherein the tee box includes:

a fairway section composed of short grass; and

an A rough section and a B section composed of grass longer than the grass of the fairway by a predetermined length.

3. The golf course of claim 2, wherein the grass in the fairway section is approximately 30 mm in length, the grass in the A rough section is approximately 55 to 60 mm in length and the B rough section is approximately 75 to 80 mm in length.

4. The golf course of claim 1, wherein a grid is formed in the fairway so that a distance is measured with the naked eyes from the tee box.

5. The golf course of claim 4, wherein the grid is a bunker line having a width of approximately 50 cm to 1 m.

6. The golf course of claim 1, wherein an obstacle such as a tree is positioned on the fairway so as to allow a golfer to hit a draw shot and a fade shot, wherein the obstacle being in a direct line between the tee box and the green.

7. The golf course of claim 1, wherein the green side bunker includes a pot bunker in a shape of pot with narrow opening or a revetted bunker with a steep grassy rise.

8. The golf course of claim 1, wherein the rough includes:

an A rough positioned near an outer area of the fairway, the A rough being composed of grass of which length is longer than the grass of the fairway; and

a B rough positioned near an outer area of the A rough, the B rough being composed of grass of which length is longer than the grass of the A rough.

9. The golf course of claim 8, wherein the grass of the A rough is approximately 55 to 60 mm and the grass of the B rough is approximately 75 to 80 mm.

10. The golf course of claim 1, wherein the green includes:

a first green composed of natural grass; and

a second green composed of artificial grass.

11. The golf course of claim 10, wherein the second green includes a shallow green that is under 350 m²in size.

12. The golf course of claim 11, wherein the second green is formed with undulation and a part of the second green has a narrow width of approximately 5 m.

13. A golf course adaptive for practice of shot-making and trouble shot, the golf course comprising multiple holes by defining a golf course in accordance with claim 1 as a hole and combining N number of the golf courses, wherein players are given an option of playing 3 holes, 6 holes, or 9 holes, etc. according to a size of the golf course.

14. The golf course of claim 13, wherein the golf course comprises 9 holes.