US 5,265,875 AGranted

Reduced area, night playable golf course

OwnerJohn H. Fitzgeraldinventor

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Abstract

A reduced area, night playable golf course is achieved by utilizing a common driving area for all par 4 and par 5 holes on the course. Separate laterally spaced tees are provided at one end of the driving area for each hole. The ball landing region of the driving area is covered by a grid of ball catching nets having relatively small areas. A ball caught by a particular net is directed to a ball return conduit which includes a ball actuated switch which inputs a signal to a computer which records the distance and lateral position of the ball as two coordinates which are printed on the player's score card. The playing course is conventionally constructed, except that the initial 100 to 150 yards of each par 4 and par 5 hole is omitted. A grid pattern of markers bearing coordinates corresponding to those of the ball catching nets is installed in the initial portions of the par 4 and par 5 holes and the ball is dropped for the second shot adjacent the marker showing the coordinates of the drive. For night play, the markers are ground level, transparent covers for telescopically mounted, subsurface, tubular light posts having a low wattage internal light. Elevation of any light post above ground level provides sufficient light to hit a ball dropped or landing in the immediate vicinity of a subsurface light post, which are provided in a grid pattern over all of the playable portions of the course.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A restricted area golf course permitting play over a plurality of different full size holes, including par 3, and par 4, and par 5 length holes, comprising:

an outdoor driving area;
a driving tee generally facing said driving area;
an outdoor playing area having a plurality of full length par 3 holes and a plurality of par 4 and par 5 holes each having its own fairway leading to its own putting green;
each par 4 hole and each par 5 hole being shortened by elimination from each par 4 and par 5 hole of any driving tee and an adjacent area of from about 100 to 150 yards long that would normally precede the initial portion of the fairway of the respective hole;
chart means comprising a first printed sheet for indicating to each player on the driving tee the layout of each par 4 or par 5 hole in said playing area, and a second transparent sheet showing said driving area and driving tee superimposed on the beginning of each said par 4 or par 5 hole printed on said first sheet;
a generally horizontal net suspended above said driving area by spaced supports to divide the net into a plurality of generally rectangular, centrally sagged, ball catching net areas;
a ball return conduit communicating with the sagged portion of each of said ball catching net areas;
means responsive to movement of a ball through any said ball return conduit for indicating to the player the coordinates of the respective ball catching net area expressed in both distance from the driving tee and lateral displacement from the center line of said driving area, whereby the player can successively hit a drive for each par 4 and par 5 hole from said driving tee and receive a card indicating the coordinates of each such drive;
and
means on each par 4 and par 5 hole in said playing area for indicating the same coordinate locations as provided for said driving net areas, whereby the player may drop his ball successively on each par 4 and par 5 hole in said playing area at a location relative to the green indicated by the coordinates of his drive on the respective hole and finish playing the hole in the normal manner, including putting on said putting green for said hole.

7 more elements

A restricted area golf course permitting play over a plurality of full size holes, including par 3, par 4 and par 5 length holes, comprising:

an outdoor driving area;
a driving tee generally facing said driving area;
an outdoor playing area having a plurality of full length par 3 holes and a plurality of par 4 and par 5 holes;
each of said par 4 and par 5 holes having its own fairway leading to its own putting green;
each par 4 hole and par 5 hole being shortened by elimination from each par 4 and par 5 hole of any driving tee and an adjacent area of from about a hundred to a hundred and fifty yards long that would normally precede the initial portions of the fairway of the respective hole;
chart means comprising a first printed sheet for indicating to each player on the driving tee the layout of each par 4 or par 5 hole in said playing area, and a second transparent sheet showing said driving area, driving tee and any selected hazard superimposed on the beginning of each said par 4 or par 5 hole printed on said first sheet;
a generally horizontal net suspended above said driving area by spaced supports to divide the net into a plurality of generally rectangular, generally sagged, ball catching net areas;
a ball return conduit communicating with the sagged portion of each of said ball catching net areas;
means responsive to movement of a ball through any said conduit for indicating to the player either (1) the coordinates of the respective ball net area expressed in both distance from the driving tee and lateral displacement from the center line of the driving area, whereby the player can successively hit a drive for each par 4 and par 5 hole from said driving tee and receive a card indicating the coordinates of each drive;
or (2) the fact that the ball has landed in a net area corresponding to a non-playable hazard requiring a second drive to be hit;
and
means on each par 4 and par 5 hole in said playing area for indicating the same coordinate locations as provided for said driving net areas, whereby the player may drop his ball on each said par 4 and par 5 hole in said playing area at a location relative to the green indicated by the coordinates of his drive on the respective hole and finish playing the hole in the normal manner, including putting on said putting green for said hole.

9 more elements

A night playable golf course having a plurality of fairways respectively leading to putting greens comprising, in combination:

means for illuminating each side of each fairway by lights directed toward the respective green, thereby permitting observation of the flight of a golf ball against a relatively dark background;
subsurface lighting means located in a spaced grid relationship in the fairway;
said subsurface lighting means being manually liftable to illuminate a limited area of the surrounding ground sufficient to permit the hitting of a golf ball toward the green, each said green having a putting hole at a selected location on the green;
and
means for illuminating the area of the green surrounding the putting hole.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/894,524Filed 5 Jun 1992 · continuation
Priority: 23 Jul 1991
Granted: 30 Nov 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F21S 8/028
Of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters: being retractable, i.e. having two fixed positions, one recessed, e.g. in a wall, floor or ceiling, and…
A63B 69/3697
Golf practising terrains: with putting taking place on a green other than the target green
A63C 19/003
Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor: golf courses
F21S 8/022
Of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters: intended to be recessed in a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement or false floor