GB2524234A

GB2524234A - A golf tee

Info

Publication number: GB2524234A
Application number: GB1404034.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jason William Doyle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-07
Filing date: 2014-03-07
Publication date: 2015-09-23
Also published as: GB201404034D0

Abstract

A golf tee 10 for use on a driving range comprises a self-standing body 11 having a ground engageable base 12 in the shape of a truncated cone 13. A shaft 14 is fixed at one end 15 thereof to top centre 16 of the truncated cone. A cup shaped holder 17 is attached to the other end 18 of the shaft. The base 19 of the cup shaped holder extends beyond the circumference of the shaft to form an annular groove 20 in the self-standing body. A tethering piece 30 is a length 31 of flexible rubber material with a shaft engageable loop 32 at the end of the tethering piece 30 which is receivable in the annular groove of golf tee. A tethering loop 34 is attached to other end 35 of the tethering piece. The tethering loop is attached to an anchoring piece 36 in the form of a toggle shaped plastics piece 37. The toggle shaped plastics piece is adapted to be insertable into an orifice in a driving mat and to be retainable therein.

Description

A golf tee This invention relates to a golf tee and, in particular, to a tethered golf tee for use on a driving range.

Driving ranges are well known in the golfing industry and are areas where golfers can practice their golf swing. A separate bay for each golfer is provided and the bays can be arranged at ground level or on multiple levels. The ranges may be indoors or outdoors. On some outdoor ranges, the surface of the bay may be grass and in such cases standard golf tees may be used.

However, due to the high usage of driving range bays a synthetic grass mat is the preferred surface from which the golfer hits a golf ball Such golf mats are typically provided with a number of holes therein through which a rubber tee may be inserted from the underside of the mat so as to protrude above the playing surface. These rubber tees are made of a durable rubber material and are available in different heights and a standard tee may be inserted therein.

US Patent publication No. 2012/0214616 describes an adjustable length golf tee designed for use with a complementary driving range practice mat and has a base member and an tipper member that are telescopingly joined together in an interlocking relationship to form a unitary, inseperable device. The golf tee is placeable in a hole in the mat, from the underside thereof and protrudes above the surface thereof Each of the base, intermediary and upper members of the golf tee are hollowed out along the majority of its length. As a result, the tee is designed to collapse or otherwise temporarily deform upon being struck with a golf club, thereby rendering the tee highly durable in nature.

A problem with the golf tees hereinbefore described is that they are fixed in one position on the driving mat and are not displaceable in the same way that a standard tee can be displaced at some distance from where it is placed on a tee box in normal play on a golf course, as a result of it being struck by the golf club. Thus, the experience and feel of sftiking the ball on the driving range differs from that experienced during normal play.

US Patent Publication No. 2008/0009372 describes a golf tee having an anchoring member for penetrating into the ground on a golf course, multiple receptacle members of different heights which can be selectively attached to the anchoring member by means of magnetic attraction for supporting a golf ball for striking by a golf player with a golf club, and a cord member threaded through the anchoring member to link the receptacle members to the anchoring member so that the receptacle members can be retrieved for repeated use.

The above golf tee can also be used on a driving range mat by inserting the anchoring member into a rubber tee, as hereinbefore described.

However, although the receptacle member will detach from the anchoring member when struck, the anchoring member and rubber tee will remain in place resulting in the drawback of such golf tees described above.

Furthermore, not only has the receptacle member to be retrieved after each shot, but the whole golf tee has to be reassembled before the next shot can be taken.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the golf tees hereinbefore described.

Thus, the invention provides a golf tee for use on a driving range, the golf tee comprising a self-standing body having a ground engageable base, a shaft fixed at one end thereof to the ground engageable base and a cup shaped holder at the other end thereof, the cup shaped holder being adapted to receive a golf ball, in use, and an annular groove in the self-standing body between the ground engageable base and the cup shaped holder, the circumferential groove being adapted to receive one end of an elongate tethering piece, with the other end of the elongate tethering piece being fixable to the ground.

An advantage of the golf tee according to the invention is that it is free to move when it is hit by a golf club in a similar fashion to a standard golf tee, when used on a tee box during a normal round of golf.

A further advantage of the golf tee according to the invention is that, when it is hit it can only travel the length of the elongate tethering piece and can easily be returned to the required position in readiness for the next golf shot.

Preferably, the ground engageable base is in the form of a truncated cone with tile shaft beiiig fixed ill tile top centre thereof, and witii the cup shaped holder extending beyond the circumference of the shaft to create the annular groove in the self-standing body.

An advantage of the truncated cone form of the base is that the golf tee will sit finnly on the ground, and, in particular, when a baH is in position thereon.

In one embodiment of the invention, the tethering piece is a length of flexible rubber material with a shaft engageable loop at the end which is receivable in the annular groove, the shaft engageable loop being dimensioned so as to be a tight fit on the shaft, while being sufficiently flexible to be both attachable to and removable from the self-standinng body.

An advantage of the tethering piece being formed from a flexible rubber material is that the rubber material absorbs some of the force resulting from the golf tee being hit in use. This feature reduces the likelihood of the tethering piece breaking during use.

A further advantage of this feature is that, as the tethering piece is a tight fit on the shaft, the likelihood of the self-standing body becoming detached from the tethering piece, in use, is minimised.

Preferably, the other end of the tethering piece has a tethering loop attached thereto, by which the golf tee is fixable to the ground.

An advantage of the tethering loop is that it can be looped over an existing rubber tee, winch has been previously inserted in a driving mat.

Where a driving mat is not being used, a suitable anchoring point can be driven into the ground, over which the tethering loop can be placed.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an anchoring piece is attachable to the tethering loop, which anchoring piece is adapted to be inserted in an orifice in the ground and to be held therein.

An advantage of an anchoring piece is that each driving bay in a driving range can be provided with a suitable orifice in the ground for tethering the golf tee.

Preferably, the anchoring piece is a toggle shaped plastics piece with an annular recess therein, which recess is adapted to receive the tethering loop as a tight fit.

The toggle shape is especially useful for inserting into an orifice with a narrow opening leading to a larger chamber in which the toggle will be retained.

Further, preferably, the toggle shaped plastics piece is adapted to be insertable into an orifice in a driving mat and to be retainable therein.

The toggle shape is ideally suited for insertion into the orifice in a driving mat, which is normally used for retaining a standard rubber driving mat tee. The toggle may be inserted into the orifice lengthways and will nest iii the wider compartment on tile underside of the mat, which compartment normally holds the base of the rubber driving tee.

in a further embodiment of the invention, the self-standing body is made from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material of sufficient strength to withstand repeated impact from a golf club, in use.

The choice of material from which the self-standing body is formed is important because of the repeated force being applied thereto when it is hit by a golf club. Through trial and error it has been found that a PVC material is most suitable and affordable for the purpose.

In a still further embodiment of the invention, the length of self-standing body may be varied by changing the length of the cup shaped holder to suit the particular golf club being used.

An advantage of providing a range of golf tees of varying length is that different golf clubs can be used in the one practice session with the appropriate length golf tee being attached to the tethering piece.

Separate golf tees of varying lengths are stronger and cheaper to produce than a single golf tee, whose length may be varied.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following description of an embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a golf tee in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the golf tee of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of a tethering piece in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 is a view of the golf tee of Fig. 1 attacliedto the tethering piece of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a view of a set of golf tees in accordance with the invention of varying lengths.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is illustrated generally at 10, a golf tee in accordance with the invention for use on a driving range. The golf tee is 10 comprises a self-standing body 11 having a ground engageable base 12 in the shape of a truncated cone 13. A shaft 14 is fixed at one end 15 thereof to top centre 16 of the truncated cone 13. A cup shaped holder 17 is attached to the other end 18 of the shaft 14.

Base 19 of the cup shaped holder 17 extends beyond the circumference of the shaft 14 to form an annular groove 20 in the self-standing body 11.

The self-standing body II is made from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material of sufficient strength to withstand repeated impact from a golf club, in use.

Referring to Fig. 2 the cup shaped holder 17 can be seen to be centred above the truncated cone 13.

Referring to Fig. 3 there is illustrated generally at 30, a tethering piece, which forms part of die invention. The tethering piece 30 is a length 31 of flexible rubber material with a shaft engageable loop 32 at end 33 of the tethering piece 30 which is receivable in the mmular groove 20 of golf tee 10 (see Fig. 1). The shaft engageable loop 32 is dimensioned so as to be a tight fit on the shaft 14, while being sufficiently flexible to be both attachable to and removable from the self-standing body 11 (Fig. 1). A tethering loop 34 is attached to other end of the tethering piece 30.

Referring to Fig. 4, the golf tee 10 is shown attached to the tethering piece 30. The shaft engageable loop 32 is a tight fit in the annular groove 20 of the self-standing body 11.

The tethering loop 34 is attached to an anchoring piece 36 in the form of a toggle shaped plastics piece 37 with an annular recess 38 therein, in which the tethering loop 34 is receivable as a tight fit.

The toggle shaped plastics piece 37 is adapted to be insertable into an orifice in a driving mat and to be retainable therein.

The toggle shaped plastics piece 37 is made from polypropylene material Referring to Fig. 5, there is illustrated generally at 40, a set of golf tees in accordance with the invention. Each golf tee in the set 40 has the same features as the golf tee 10 of Fig. 1, and the same reference numerals are used. The only difference between the individual golf tees in the set 40 is the length of the clip shaped holder 17. In use, the longest golf tee 41 in the set 40 would be used when practicing with a driver, with the other tees being used with the appropriate irons.

Claims

Claims: - 1. A golf tee for use on a driving range, the golf tee comprising a self-standing body having a ground engageable base, a shaft fixed at one end thereof to the ground engageable base and a cup shaped holder at the other end thereof, the cup shaped holder being adapted to receive a golf ball, in use, and an annular groove in the self-standing body between the ground engageable base and the cup shaped holder, the circumferential groove being adapted to receive one end of an elongate tethering piece, with the other end of the elongate tethering piece being fixable to the ground.
2. A golf tee according to Claim 1, wherein the ground engageable base is in the form of a tnmcated cone with the shaft being fixed in the top centre thereof, and with the cup shaped holder extending beyond the circumference of the shaft to create the annular groove in the self-standing body.
3. A golf tee according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the tethering piece is a length of flexible rubber material with a shaft engageable loop at the end which is receivable in the annular groove, the shaft engageable loop being dimensioned so as to be a tight fit on the shalt, while being sufficiently flexible to be both attachable to and removable from the self-standing body.
4. A golf tee according to any one of Claims I to 3, wherein the other cud of the tethering piece has a tethering ioop attached thereto, by which the golf tee is fixable to the ground.
5. A golf tee according to any preceding claim, wherein an anchoring piece is attachable to the tethering loop, which anchoring piece is adapted to be inserted in an orifice in the ground and to be held therein.
6. A golf tee according to Claim 5, wherein the anchoring piece is a toggle shaped plastics piece with an annular recess therein, which recess is adapted to receive the tethering loop as a tight fit.
A golf tee according to Claim 6, where the toggle shaped plastics piece is adapted to be insertable into an orifice in a driving mat and to be retainable therein.
8. A golf tee according to any preceding claim, wherein the self-standing body is made from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material of sufficient strength to withstand repeated impact from a golf club, in use.
9. A golf tee according to any preceding claim, wherein the length of self-standing body may be varied by changing the length of the cup shaped holder to suit the particular golf club being used.
10. A golf tee according to Claim 1 for use on a driving range, substantially as herein before described with particular reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.