System for providing loaner clubs to novice golfers

• US 9,132,326 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topgolf International Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Topgolf International Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Caster, Mark, McCracken, Steven Carl, Wagner, Christopher Daniel, Semsak, Mark, Allen, Neil John
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US13/831,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 473/150, 473/168, 473/282, 2063152-3158, 211/70.2, D21/796, D65/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/10 Stands for golf clubs , e.g. for use on the course ; Golf club holders, racks or presses
• 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

Abstract

A system for providing loaner clubs to novice golfers includes a coding scheme for golf club holders, which can be provided at a golf range having targets, in order to facilitate play by people entirely new to the game of golf. In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can include a golf club stand including holders for golf clubs of different types, and visual indicators associated with the holders for the golf clubs of different types, where the visual indicators correspond to targets of different distances within a golf range.

Claims

1. The system comprising:

a golf ball hitting bay;

a golf range in front of the bay, the range including targets having different distances from the bay, each of the different targets having an associated identifier;

a device included in the bay, wherein the device delivers golf balls retrieved from the different targets; and

a golf club stand associated with the bay, wherein the golf club stand holds clubs of different types and includes visual indicators corresponding to the different targets;

wherein the golf club stand comprises discrete portions for the different types of golf clubs, each of the discrete portions has only one holder that is able to hold one or more clubs, and each of the discrete portions has more than one of the visual indicators associated therewith.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the golf range includes additional targets having similar distances from the bay as the targets having different distances from the bay.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the different targets comprise circular targets.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifiers associated with the different targets are colors, and the visual indicators are colors that match the colors associated with the different targets.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the golf club stand comprises a panel including discrete sections, each of the discrete sections including a color and a distance value corresponding to one of the different targets.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the discrete portions for the different types of golf clubs comprise holes in the panel.

7. The system of 6, wherein each of the holes has three different colors associated therewith and is in either a men portion or a ladies portion of the panel.

8. A system comprising:

a golf ball hitting bay;

a golf range in front of the bay, the range including targets having different distances from the bay, each of the different targets having an associated identifier;

a device included in the bay, wherein the device delivers golf balls retrieved from the different targets; and

a golf club stand associated with the bay, wherein the golf club stand holds clubs of different types and includes visual indicators corresponding to the different targets;

wherein the golf club stand comprises discrete portions for the different types of golf clubs, and each of the discrete portions has more than one of the visual indicators associated therewith; and

wherein the golf club stand comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion includes the discrete portions for the different types of golf clubs, and the second portion includes openings for golf club bags.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the golf ball hitting bay is a first bay that includes at least part of the golf club stand, the system comprises a second bay that includes at least part of the golf club stand, the golf club stand has two sides, each of the sides holding clubs and including visual indicators corresponding to the different targets, and the first and second bays share the golf club stand.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second portion comprises an angled base and a stop for each of the openings for golf club bags.

11. The system of claim 8, comprising the clubs of different types, wherein at least the clubs other than irons and wedges are configured to be more durable than golf clubs sold at retail outlets.