WO1993001871A1

WO1993001871A1 - Golf course

Info

Publication number: WO1993001871A1
Application number: PCT/CA1992/000297
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henry A. Rhodes
Original assignee: Rhodes Henry A
Priority date: 1991-07-15
Filing date: 1992-07-08
Publication date: 1993-02-04
Also published as: CA2047054A1; AU2300892A

Abstract

A compact golf course. The course comprises a plurality of fairway areas (14) arranged side by side on a rectangular area of land. Nets (12) define each fairway area and there are tees (18) and greens (20) formed on the fairway areas (14). Openings (22) in the nets (12) allow access between a green (20) of one fairway area (14) and a tee (18) on a subsequent fairway area. The compact golf course permits a full range of shots and, indeed, the full distance that one would find on a conventional golf course but is economical of space.

Description

GOLF COURSE This invention relates to a compact golf course.

The game of golf is constantly increasing in popularity. However, a typical golf course of 18 holes and, say, 6,000 yards, occupies a very large area of land. The setting aside of land for golf courses arouses the increasingly vocal environmentalists who object to the cutting of trees and other development work necessary in the setting up of a golf course.

Golf is a game demanding in skill. It requires good hand to eye coordination. Although the rules of golf have attempted to ensure some sort of equality between golfers by the handicap system, nothing can obscure the fact that the vast majority of golfers cannot be expected to land the golf ball on the fairway all the time.

As a result of the distance involved but, to a greater extent, because of the high skill demands of the game, time spent either searching for a ball or waiting for other players while they search for a ball, means that a round of golf can quite easily take six hours.

Golf driving ranges are known. They are a very popular practice device. They comprise tee areas and an open space into which the golf ball can be driven. They are, however, essentially means of practicing driving. To enter the open space would be extremely dangerous and the golf balls are collected from the open space by employees of the driving range, driving heavily protected vehicles. Thus driving ranges offer practice areas for golf, but only practice in driving.

It is therefore believed that there is a need for a compact golf course that permits all the golf shots to be played to provide proper, complete practice. Furthermore, such a golf course should not involve the losing of golf balls nor a great amount of time to play.

There have been suggestions to produce compact golf courses but they have not achieved success. Such suggestions include U.S. Patent 2,894,749 to Rook which discloses an enclosed condensed golf course comprising a plurality of elongated building sections of some complexity. Runchey in U.S. Patent 1,600,600 discloses a condensed golf course where each hole is separated by curtains or heavy netting. However, Runchey uses screens to achieve the effect normally obtained by distances and hazards in a normal golf course and, therefore, serves no useful practice purpose.

Tegart in U.S. Patent 4,798,385 discloses a compact golf course which has yard markers and screen boundaries.

However, Tegart is a double ended compact golf course having limited practice value.

Other relevant patents include U.S. Patent 4,900,023 to Gelina; 4,915,387 to Baxstrom; 4,157,831 to Renn; 4,129,300 to Magnuson; 4,063,738 to Michalson; 4,872,686 to Trasko and 3,083,021 to Reiley.

No prior art known to applicant show a simple, compact golf course in which a player may play all the shots that would be played on a full sized golf course but may do so in substantially less time.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a compact golf course comprising a plurality of fairway areas arranged side by side on a rectangular area of land, nets to delimit each fairway area; tees formed on the fairway areas; greens formed on the fairway areas; and openings in the net to allow access between a green of one fairway area and a tee on the subsequent fairway area. In a preferred embodiment there are two fairways arranged end-to-end on each fairway area. There is a net between the two end-to-end fairways. Preferably, there is a net at the end of each fairway area to avoid golf balls being driven too far past the green.

The net is supported on posts and, to enable play at night, lights may be arranged on the posts. In the interests of facilitating play it is preferable to provide enlarged holes in the greens. The usual golf size of 4 1/2" diameter hole is, therefore, preferably increased to about 5".

The course of the invention is, of course, principally intended for practice. In those circumstances, it is desirable to provide distance markers on the fairways to allow a player to measure distances to the green to facilitate club selection. The tees may also be marked with positioning markers for the feet of a learning player. That is to say, the player can follow the marks to place the feet in the correct position for any particular shot.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a golf course according to the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a detail of a golf course.

The drawings show a compact golf course comprising a plurality of fairway areas 10 arranged side by side on a rectangular area of land. In the embodiment of the golf course illustrated on Figure 1, there are nine fairway areas arranged side by side with a net 12 to delimit each fairway area. Figure 1 shows two fairways 14 arranged end- to-end on each fairway area 10. There are nets, 16 between the two end-to-end fairways 14 to restrict the length of the fairways 14. There is a tee 18 at the end of each fairway 14 and a green 20 of the other end of each fairway in precisely the same manner as any golf course. There are openings 22 in the nets 12 and 16 to allow access between a green 20 of one fairway 14 and a tee 18 on the next fairway 14.

As shown particularly in Figure 2, the net 12 is supported on posts 24 and, to allow play at night, there are lights 26 arranged on the posts. There are holes 28 in each green 20 and, as previously indicated, these are desirably of enlarged diameters compared with the holes of a conventional golf course.

There are distance markers 30 on the netting 12 to allow a player to measure distance to the green 20.

Golf may be played in conventional manner on the course of the invention. The cross nets 16 can be positioned to vary the lengths of the fairways and, as on a golf course, to rest certain greens. Par will be assessed for each hole by the positioning of the cross nets 16. Although not shown in the drawing, bunkers or sand traps can be arranged on the fairway or around the green, in conventional manner.

The rules of golf can be applied. They can be varied as necessary. For example, hitting a net 12 can be considered the equivalent of hitting out of bounds as on a conventional golf course and can attract a penalty, for example half a shot. In all other regards, the normal rules of golf apply.

The topography of the land upon which the course is built need not be changed. It is certainly not essential that the land be flat and, indeed, it is considered an advantage that the golf course would resemble a conventional golf course in following the lie of the land. The fairways may, for example, be about 60 feet wide and each fairway area 10 about 600 yards long. An 18 hole course is shown but a 9 hole course is equally feasible.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A compact golf course comprising a plurality of fairway areas arranged side by side on a rectangular area of land: nets to delimit each fairway area; tees formed on the fairway areas; greens formed on the fairway areas; and openings in the net to allow access between a green of one fairway area and a tee on the subsequent fairway area.

2. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 in which there are two fairways arranged end-to-end on each fairway area: ' a net between the two end-to-end fairways; a tee at one end of each fairway; and a green at the other end of each fairway.

3. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 having a net at the end of each fairway area.

4. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 in which the net is supported on posts.

5. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 4 in which there are lights arranged on the posts.

6. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 with a hole in each green of about 5" in diameter.

7. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 in which there are distance markers on the netting to allow a player to measure distance to the green.

8. A compact golf course as claimed in claim 1 in which the tees are marked with positioning marks for the feet of a player and to guide the club-head on back-swing and follow through.