Method and system of providing information on golf courses for players and for course design and modification

• US 6,171,199 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callahan & Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Callahan & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Callahan, Joseph P., Cohodas, Howard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/137,464
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 473/407, 473/409, 473/131
• US Class Current: 473/131
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0636 3D visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• 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: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00

Abstract

A method and system for use to either or both provide information on golf courses to players and for course design and routine modification. The information provided is on golf courses as to course difficulty, hole length and slope, pin and tee location, etc. for the current day or any given day in the future, and for course design and routine modification of pin and tee location to maintain course difficulty during pin and tee movement by maintaining overall course slope while altering the slope on each hole. The method and system involves using global positioning satellites to plot golf courses including the slope, topography and other parameters thereof, and then microprocessors and programs to define future tee area and pin locations which are defined by a time sensitive formula such that access is available to the actual future locations on a set date in the future.

Claims

1. A method of altering tee and pin locations on a golf course and providing such locations to players:

creating a topographical model of each hole on a golf course that golfers have access to;

selectively altering the topographical model by moving at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes; and

instructing a greens keeper of the new location of the at least one of the tee area and a pin.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of creating includes:

determining a plurality of points on each hole of a golf course; and

plotting the points to define a topographic model of each hole of the golf course.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of determining a plurality of points includes at least one global positioning satellite plotting each hole.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein a location indicator is used in conjunction with the global positioning satellite to plot each hole.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively repeating the selectively altering and instructing steps.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selectively altering step is performed so as to maintain a constant course difficulty.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the selectively altering step is performed so as to maintain a constant overall course slope.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selectively altering step is performed so as to adjust the overall course slope in a predetermined manner.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of providing golfers access to the topographical model of each hole of the golf course.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the topographical models are stored on an internet accessible medium.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selectively altering the topographical model by moving at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes is performed at regular and known intervals.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the systematically defining the moving of at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 further comprising the providing access to the systematically defined movement of at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes whereby actual location thereof on a given date is available.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively repeating the selectively altering and instructing steps and systematically defining the moving of at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 further comprising the providing access to the systematically defined movement of at least one of a tee area and a pin on at least one of the holes whereby actual location thereof on a given date is available.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the selectively altering step is performed so as to maintain a constant overall course slope.

17. The method as defined in claim 15 further including the step of providing golfers access to the topographical model of each hole of the golf course.

18. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the topographical models are stored on an internet accessible medium.

19. A system for providing information on golf courses to players, the system comprising:

at least one global positioning satellite;

a location indicator movable around the terrain of a golf course to be plotted, the location indicator in electrical communication with the global positioning satellite in a manner allowing the satellite to plot each of the holes as the location indicator is moved about in a systematic manner to plot a plurality of sections of each hole so as to provide data capable of creating a three dimensional plot of each hole;

a microprocessor with memory for storing the three dimensional plots of each hole, and with access means for allowing golfers and greens keepers access to the plots; and

a systematic modification program defined within the microprocessor for defining subsequent tee area and pin positions for each hole.

20. The system as defined in claim 19 wherein the microprocessor and systematic modification program provide exact tee are and pin locations for any given period of time.