GB2258814A

GB2258814A - Golf hole identifier

Info

Publication number: GB2258814A
Application number: GB9118125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Manby; Zoe Jane Manby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-22
Filing date: 1991-08-22
Publication date: 1993-02-24
Also published as: GB9118125D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a means of marking out the confines of an individual hole of a golf course so that golfers can see where a given hole is when the conventional hole-marking pin has been taken out. There is therefore provided an item of equipment for marking out a golf hole comprising a ring 11, sized to fit inside or around the periphery of the hole, and a wall of hairs, fronds, grasses or similarly easily-parted material rising from the ring, such that, in use, a golf ball can part the wall and enter the wall without undue interference. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF HOLE IDENTIFIER The invention relates to equipment and methods for marking out the confines of the individual holes of a golf course so that the golfers, and any spectators, can still see where a given hole is when the conventional hole-marking pin has been taken out as the golfer prepares for his final putt.

According to one broad aspect of the invention, an item of equipment for marking out the confines of a golf hole comprises a ring, sized to fit inside or around the periphery of the hole, and a wall of hairs, fronds, grasses or similarly easily-parted material rising from the ring; the density and pliability of the wall being such that, in use, a golf ball putted accurately towards the hole can part the wall and enter the hole without undue interference.

With such an item, in use, the wall serves to mark the confines of the hole to the golfers and any spectators once the conventional pin has been taken out of the hole (as it will be, of course, when the golfer prepares to launch his final putt).

The wall may be so coloured as to contrast with the green surrounding the hole. Alternatively it may deliberately be so coloured as to blend with the green and to rely, instead of any colour contrast, on its own visual impact to mark out the hole in the eyes of the people nearby.

There is a selection of materials from which the wall could be made.

Individually successive fibres, stalks, specially-chosen seeded and grown grasses rising from a soil-infilled ring, soft hairs, or even paper tissue, could be satisfactory if there density and pliability were appropriately chosen.

Alternatively or additionally, light beams, water jet sprays, coloured gases, "dry-ice" or other components could be used.

In general, anything which will dip, swing or move sideways, with very little pressure, could do the job.

Whilst it may be preferred for the wall to extend around the entire - or substantially the entire - periphery of the ring, it is not essential. A succession of peripherally spaced wall sections could be used. For example 3 or 4 equally peripherally spaced and individually relatively short sections of wall could prove to be enough to mark out the confines of the hole whilst having the advantage, over a peripherally continuous wall, that the ball stands a statistically low chance of encountering any one of the wall sections as it travels into the hole and therefore the successful usage of the equipment is more likely to become accepted in the essentially conservative golfing world.

The invention includes within its scope, in another broad aspect, a method of marking out the confines of a golf hole comprising the essential step of defining, around the periphery of the hole, a wall which rises from the hole and whose presence is visually relatively easily apparent to a golfer or spectator standing on or adjacent the green surrounding the hole; the density and pliability - if any - of the wall being such that, in use, a golf ball putted accurately towards the hole can part the wall and enter the hole without undue interference.

With such a method, a wall of (for example) nozzles emitting coloured gas or light beams or water jets or "dry-ice" could be created by positioning individual emitters inside or around the periphery of a hole; and whilst they might in effect define a notional ring, they need not form part of any identifiable ring component as such.

One golf hole identifier embodying the invention is shown in the single figure of the accompanying drawings.

A circular ring 11 is formed from inherently resilient plastics rod of constant circular cross section. In use, the ring 11 is intended to fit inside the periphery of a golf hole and to spring outwards, under its own resilience, to engage the wall of the hole. But this particular ring is also fitted with downward-facing spikes 12 (only one of which is referenced) around its underside so that if necessary, and again given its inherent resilience, it can be sprung apart to fit around the hole periphery by impressing the ring into the grass surrounding the hole.

A wall of hairs 13 rises from the ring. The wall is of constant height and in this particular example it is peripherally continuous.

The opposite ends of the ring, however, and hence of the wall are separated by a gap G when the ring is in its relaxed not-in-use state; so that the ring can be sprung inwards (to fit inside the hole) or sprung outwards (to fit around the hole) when used.

Whichever way the ring is used, the wall 13 of hairs is sufficiently dense to mark out the confines of the hole to the golfers and any spectators on the green. But it is also sufficiently pliable, and the individual hairs are sufficiently spaced apart, that when the ring is in use, a golf ball putted accurately towards the hole (ie travelling fairly slowly) can part the wall and enter the hole without undue interference.

The pin itself could be made reflective and the hairs or fronds could be carried in individual part-peripheral or wholly-peripheral cartridges fitting replaceably into the ring.

Claims

1. An item of equipment for marking out the confines of a golf hole comprising a ring, sized to fit inside or around the periphery of the hole, and a wall of hairs, fronds, grasses or silnilarly easily-parted material rising from the ring; the density and pliability of the wall being such that, in use, a golf ball putted accurately towards the hole can part the wall and enter the wall without undue interference.

2. An item of equipment according to Claim 1 wllerein, the wall is coloured so as to contrast with tile green surrounding the hole.

3. An item of equipr.1ent according to Claim 1 wherein, the wall is coloured so as to blend in with tlie green surrounding tulle hole.

4. An item of equipii.nt according to C1 a iin 1 wherein, said easily-parted material comprises specially chosen seeded and grown grasses rising frill a soil in-filled ring.

5. An item of equiplnent according to Claim 1 wherein said easily-parted material comprises soft hairs.

G. An i t eiti of equipment according to Claim 1 wllerein, said easily-parted material comprises paper tissue.

7. An item of equipnlent according to Claim 1 wherein, said easily-parted material comprises fibres.

8. An item according to Claim 1 wherein, said easily-parted material comprises a light beam.

9. An item of equip}llent according to Claim 1 wherein, said east fy-parted material comprises water jets.

10. An item of equipment according to Claim 1 wherein, said easily-parted material comprises coloured gases.

11. An item of equ i pmellt according to Claim 1 wherein, said easily-parted material comprises dry ice.

12. An item of equipment according to any preceding Claim wherein, the wall extends around tulle entire periphery of the ring.

13. An item of equipment according to Claims 1 to 12 wherein, the wall extends around only a fraction of the ring.