Handheld golf course distance computer for automatically computing distances to sequentially selected points

A self-contained handheld golf course distance computer for use by a player while playing a round of golf on a particular golf course, the computer comprising:

• keyboard input means for enabling the player to enter one or more commands into the computer;
• memory means for storing routines and subroutines of instructions to be performed by the computer in executing commands entered by the player and for storing alphanumeric and graphical information regarding each hole of said golf course;
• computing means, coupled to said keyboard input means and memory means, for selectively executing the routines and subroutines of instructions to be performed in executing commands entered by the player;
• and
• liquid crystal display means for displaying the stored alphanumeric and graphical information regarding a selected hole of said golf course, said display means including a displayed cursor for enabling the player to designate a particular position on a graphical display of a selected hole;
• said computing means being responsive to entry of a hole command entered by the player for causing said display means to selectively display said alphanumeric and graphical information regarding the selected hole, said computing means being responsive to entry of one or more cursor commands from said keyboard input means, during display of said graphical information regarding the selected hole for positioning said displayed cursor at an initial cursor position corresponding to the player's present position on the selected hole, said computing means thereafter being responsive to entry of a distance command from said keyboard input means for computing a distance from said initial cursor position to a predetermined point on said selected hole and for causing said computed distance to be displayed on said display means, and said computing means thereafter being responsive to sequential repositioning of said displayed cursor at any number of new cursor positions for automatically computing and displaying, each time said cursor is repositioned it a new cursor position a distance from said initial cursor position to the new cursor position.