US3350099A - Golf course - Google Patents

Description

L. L. SMART Oct. 31, 1967 GOLF COURSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1964 INVENTOR. Lou/6 L Smor/ H TTORNE VS 06L 1967 1.. L. SMART 3,350,099

GOLF COURSE Filed June 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,350,099 GOLF COURSE Louis L. Smart, 3297 Gleubrook Drive, Bay City, Mich. 48706 Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,766 1 Claim. (Cl. 273176) This invention relates to golf courses and more particularly to a golf course arrangement provided with a building and limited land area to minimize the time required for playing and also for minimizing the walking required.

One of the prime objects of this invention is to design a golf course on a relatively small parcel of land having a fairway and conventional tees arranged in a special manner which permits more rapid play with a minimum of walking and effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively small compact golf course which retains the challenge and excitement of the game, but reduces the high cost of land, buildings and upkeep.

A further object is to design a special golf course which is adapted for both small communities and large cities, and which is also feasible for summer resorts, motels, and vacational resorts for either nine, eighteen, or thirty-six hole courses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a commercial type of golf course which can be operated on a twenty hour a day basis to accommodate a large number of players, and which is played with regulation balls and clubs requiring the golfer to execute every shot normally required on a regular large size golf course from driving to chipping.

Still a further object is to provide a plurality of green traps located on the fairway and into which the golfer drives and chips, each net of the green trap into which a ball is driven indicating a certain distance or number of feet from the hole so that the ball can be accurately spotted on the putting green in the building where the putting is done.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the arrangement of a golf course hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim; it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan showing the golf course and the buildmg.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a typical green trap.

FIG. 3 is a top plan View thereof.

FIG. 4 is a detail showing the circular pipe frame and supporting leg.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional plan view through the building.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the course.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings in which is shown a nine hole golf course which consists of three par fives 450* yards long; three par fours 350 yards long; three par threes 250 yards long; but it will, of course, be understood that the length of the par can be shortened or lengthened to suit managements desire.

A suitable building B, constructed in accordance with the invention is provided on one end of the fairway F, and this fairway is approximately 900 feet long and approxi- Patented Oct. 31, 1967 being of a tier effect, the lay of the ball after the shot determining the position it will be placed on the green when the golfer enters the building to chip and putt on the inside greens. The golfer does not walk on the fairway greens but drives or chips on or as close to them as his skill permits.

There are twelve fairway greens beginning with a first twenty five yard green and these greens are suitably marked and identified so that the golfer may choose the particular green he is driving to or chipping at. Each green trap comprises a plurality of superimposed nets 10, 11, 12, and 14, respectively, said nets being preferably formed of woven net or the like to prevent water collecting therein and are of various diameters, each net being slightly concave and having a centrally disposed opening 15 which permits the golf ball (not shown), which falls into one of the nets, to roll to the center and drop from the opening in this net through the openings in the nets below, and thence into a ball barrel 16 or any similar container provided in the ground.

The lowest net 10 is the largest in diameter and comprises a circular pipe frame 17 provided with supporting legs 18 which support it in position on the ground. The next net 11 is spaced above net 10, it is of smaller diameter and comprises a circular pipe 19 supported on legs 20 which bear on frame 17, while the next net 12 is still smaller in diameter, it has a circular frame 21 and is also supported on legs 20 as is also the upper small net 14 which has a pipe frame 22, and it will be obvious that any golf ball driven by the golfer which falls into one of these nets will roll to the center and drop through the openings 15 in the remaining nets, and thence into the ball barrel 16 from which they are removed by an attendant.

The tee-01f is a designated area T somewhat to right center of the fairway, and the golfer hits his drives, using another ball each time, down the fairway for the first three holes. On the first hole he may hit one, two, or three shots, depending on his ability and until he is sufliciently advanced to chip. He then plays the second hole until he is ready to chip, and the third hole until he is ready to chip. After the golfer has completed his drives, he or she proceeds to a designated spot C on the left of center portion of the fairway and will chip out the first hole, the second hole, and then the third hole, after which he is ready to go to the putting greens P located in the building B.

Each specific net of the green trap represents a certain number of feet or distance from the hole and when this distance is determined, the player proceeds to the building B, places his ball at the required distance from the pin and begins to putt, marking his score in exactly the same manner as is done on the large conventional courses in general use. He first plays the first row of greens marked a, b, and c, and according to the card which he has previously marked will position the ball in accordance with his chip shots, then putt out the first hole, and after he completes green 0., he advances to b and then 0. When he hasfinished putting and marking his card, he then proceeds to the area greens marked d, e, and f, and then to greens g, h, and i, and follows the same sequence. This permits the game to be played faster, with less physical effort, and makes it enjoyable in all kinds of weather.

The inside putting greens P will be of a sod nature to insure the best putting possible, and the area around and between the greens is also covered with a sod nature material. The greens will be five feet wide and fifteen feet long or any other size management desires to make the game more interesting. The weather and golf balls will not affect the greens so they can be kept in perfect condition.

The building which accommodates the putting greens can be formed of any desired material suited to the climate where the course is located. It is provided with a preferably thin plastic roof 23 to admit daylight to the building, and a door opening 24 is provided in the front wall for access to the putting greens. A door opening 25 is provided as shown to provide access to the office section 0, and a canopy section S extends across the front of the building over the tee-01f and chip areas T and C so that the golfer is always protected from bad weather and sun yet can play the game at any time.

In areas having warm weather the year around, the building can be eliminated excepting that the canopy section is retained and supported in any desired manner. On the side facing the fairway there is provided benches, or other seats X which are protected by the canopy overhang S, and binoculars (not shown) are provided so that the balls can be readily seen, these binoculars being handled by the golfer or by an employee as desired.

The office and other accommodations can, of course, be provided at either end or at the center of the building as desired.

It will, of course, be understood that all necessary hazards, not shown in the drawings, can and will be provided, and under certain conditions, it may be necessary to chip from a sand trap onto the greens for putting.

The balls will, of course, be collected by the employees so that the play spends no time looking for lost balls, and

,4 the fact that no golfers are on the fairways eliminates the possibility of injury and permits more players to participate in less time.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the objects of the invention have been effectively accomplished. While the form of the invention described constitutes a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various modifications can be made within the principles set forth.

Iclaim:

A golf course comprising: a fairway; putting greens adajcent thereto; a tee near said greens for driving to said fairway, and a plurality of simulated greens in said fairway at different distances from said tee; each of said simulated greens comprising a tier of vertically spaced superimposed horizontal surfaces of increasing diameter from top to bottom of said tier, said surfaces having golf ball outlet openings in vertical alignment, and a ball collection receptacle arranged under said openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,211,379 1/ 19 17 Maisch 27310 5 1,442,054 1/1923 Dixon 27-3- 103 1,540,350 6/1925 Longnecker 273--176 1,851,423 3/1932 Ely "273-176 2,183,107 12/1939 Savage 273-405 2,490,961 12/ 1949 Hendry 273-176 2,894,749 7/1959 Rook 273176 3,104,879 9/1963 Jetton 273-184 X ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner.

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