Golf Practice Device

This invention relates to a golf kit and game and more particularly to such a kit and game employing a fence forming a hurdle over which a lightweight simulated golf ball is driven in practicing driving, pitching and chipping.

It is often difficult for a novice golfer to drive a golf ball with proper impact, loft and aim. A number of golf practice devices have been developed in the prior art for use in teaching driving and chipping. Such devices are described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,011,014 to Rosengarten, 2,988,363 to Hall, 3,197,208 to Makar, 3,558,140 to Romeo, 3,601,406 to Giusti and 4,395,042 to Boswell. These prior art devices are directed to a golf game or training device which involves some sort of marked panel or "gate" which one drives a regular golf ball against. The use of a regular golf ball in these prior art devices obviates their use at one's home or yard particularly where a novice is involved, for obvious reasons. Further, most of the prior art devices are rather cumbersome and expensive in their construction.

The device of the present invention is a practice golf kit and game of simple construction which can be used with a high ceiling indoors, on a patio or outdoors without concern as to the danger of injury or damage from the golf ball in view of the fact that the ball employed is a practice ball made of lightweight plastic. The device of the present invention employs an artificial fence hurdle formed by a plurality of stakes which are vertically supported for use on hard surfaces by pedestals, or by staking in the ground. An artificial fence hurdle is formed between the stakes by a ribbon which interconnects the upper ends of the stakes, the stakes being arranged in a line in spaced apart relationship to form a plurality of fence sections. A driving mat is provided having simulated turf portions and a tee thereon, this mat being positioned opposite the fence at a predetermined distance therefrom. A practice golf ball which may be fabricated of a light weight plastic material is tethered on a string either to the mat or to a pin driven into the ground. A target basket may be placed in back of the fence hurdle and used for either practice or in playing the game. The user drives the ball from the mat attempting to get the ball over a selected (usually central) portion of the fence and into the basket. In playing the game, various scoring points are assigned depending on whether the ball is driven over the center or side portions of the fence, under the fence, "offsides" or into the basket.

It is therefore an object of this invention to facilitate the at-home learning of how to drive, pitch and chip a golf ball.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a practice golf device for practicing driving, pitching and chipping which can be used with high ceilings indoors or in one's patio, garage or yard with minimum risk of damage or injury.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a version of the fence hurdle device of the invention for use on hard surfaces;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the fence hurdle device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view illustrating a simulated golf ball and tethering pin device therefore employed in the device of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the driving mat of the preferrd embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the driving mat of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 illustrates the use of the device.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Driving mat 11 which may be a simulated tee-off area or fairway area of carpeted or astro turf material has a low-turf portion 11a, a "tee" 11b which may be in the form of a rubber cylindrical member simulating a golfing tee, a high-turf portion 11c which may be formed by brush bristles, and a higher-turf high- or low-density portion 11d which may be formed by other material. Spaced from driving mat 11 by a predetermined distance as may be desired for practice or game shots is fence hurdle assembly 12. This assembly, as shown in FIG. 1 set up for outdoor use, comprises a plurality of metal, plastic or wood stake members 14 which are staked in the ground and arranged in a line in spaced relationship to each other. The top ends of stake members 14 are interconnected by flexible cloth strips 16a-16c. The central strip 16b may be green while side strips 16a and 16c may be red to provide differentiation in scoring a game. A basket 17 is place to the rear of fence assembly 12. For indoor use or for use on a hard surface, outdoors the stakes 14 may be inserted in pedestals 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and thus supported on a floor or hard surface.

As shown in FIG. 4 a simulated practice golf ball 22 of a lightweight plastic material and hollow in configuration is tethered to a loop pin 26 by means of a line 27. For outdoor use, loop pin 26 is staked in the ground as shown in FIG. 1 with a ball 22 either placed on simulated turfs 11a, 11c, 11d, or simulated tee 11b. For indoor use or for use outdoors on a hard surface, the tethering line 27 may be attached to a ring 29 attached to driving mat 11 as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the use of the device is illustrated. The golfer 32 in this instance has driven the ball over the central tape 16b of the fence and it appears that the ball is also about to fall into basket 17. With this sort of shot, the minimum number of points would be assigned. Shots over fence portions 16a or 16c or offside would receive a larger number of points. The object as in regular golf is to score the least number of total points.

The device can be used to practice driving using simulated turf 11c and 11d to allow divoting, or the tee 11b may be used, or a shot may be made directly from the mat surface 11a. The basket 17 and the fence assembly 12 may be moved closer or further away from the mat 11 to provide a variety of practice shots. Typically, the mat 11 may be about 17 inches square with tether line 27 being about 25 feet in length. Stakes 14 may typically be 14-16 inches long with the interconnecting strips 16a-16b-16c each about 12 inches long.

The device of the present invention thus permits one to practice driving, pitching and chipping privately in one's own yard, patio, driveway or deck, or if the situation permits, indoors in a high ceiling garage, gym or other open space with minimum risk of causing injury or damage. Further, the device of the invention can be used in a competitive game.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that this is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the following claims.