Golf playing field with ball detecting radar units

• US 4,673,183 A
• Filed: 09/23/1985
• Issued: 06/16/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francis B. Trahan
• Original Assignee: Francis B. Trahan
• Inventors: Trahan, Francis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lastova, Mary Ann Stoll
• Application Number:
  US06/779,092
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 273/176, 273/35 B, 273/184 A, 273/185 A, 273/185 B, 273/185 R, 343/5 PD, 343/12 R, 343/465, 364/516, 364/410-412
• US Class Current: 473/152
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3691 Golf courses; Golf practising terrains having a plurality of driving areas, fairways, greens special golf games, e.g. miniature golf, A63B67/02; mats for simulating golf greens A63B69/3661
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf playing arrangement which includes a fairway, a tee area at one end of the fairway, a plurality of radar ground surveillance units located on the fairway at successively greater distance from the tee area, a central processing unit and a video display terminal and putting green adjacent the tee area. Each of the ground surveillance units detects golf balls moving on the ground in a predetermined circular area containing the unit. The central processing unit calculates and the computer terminal visually displays the distance of the unit furthest from the tee area which detects a golf ball moving therethrough, and the sum of a succession of such distances. This arrangement permits a golfer to play a golf-like game without the need to follow a ball from tee to green.

Claims

1. A golf playing area, comprising:

a playing field,

a tee area at one end of said playing field,

a plurality of radar ground surveillence units located along a straight line extending from said tee area on said playing field, at successively greater distances from said tee area, each of said units comprising means for detecting by radar all golf balls moving on the ground through a predetermined circular area of said playing field centered at the unit resulting from golf shots from said tee area, said units being successively spaced from each other at such distances that the predetermined circular areas of adjacent ones of said units at successively greater distances from said tee area overlap so that all of said predetermined areas define a combined continuous area, and

central control means, including a computer video display terminal adjacent said tee area and responsive to the output of said units, for calculating and displaying on said terminal a visual indication of the distance of the furthest one of said units detecting a golf ball moving in one of the predetermined areas containing said units from the tee area, and the sum of succession of distances calculated by said central control means.

2. A golf playing area as in claim 1, wherein said central control means for calculating and displaying on said terminal the number of golf shots taken from said tee area in succession until said sum equals a predetermined value.