Currently, there are numerous golf games in the market that provide both skill training and recreational use for the user. There are full putting greens where the user aims for one hole. In these games, there are often obstacles such as a fake sand trap or water hazard. These greens come in multiple shapes and sizes. There are also multiple products where only the golf hole is provided. In this instance, the user can make their own course or putt from any distance because the hole can be moved easily.
Although these two types of games are in existence, conventional games do not include multiple holes for the user to hit the golf ball into. Also, conventional games do not include holes at different heights on the ramp making varied difficulty possible.
The golf game and training apparatus is a putting ramp with multiple holes for golf balls. The golf game and apparatus is designed to improve the user's skill and may also provide a recreational game for any user. The user concentrates on hitting a golf ball in the right direction and with the right strength to reach the desired hole in the game. There may be multiple levels of difficulty because it is harder to land the ball in the holes higher up the ramp due to the grade of the ramp.
Accordingly, the first aspect of the present disclosure provides a golf game and training apparatus comprised of: one or more ramped plane(s) with a top surface and a bottom surface; one or more holes of a size where golf balls can rest partially in each of the holes; a receptacle, coupled to the ramped plane, for holding golf balls; and an elevated support(s) extending down from the ramped plane(s) to elevate the ramped plane(s). The ramped plane(s) has a top surface and a bottom surface and has a leading end that touches a playing surface and rises at an angle to a trailing end. The elevated support(s) elevates the trailing end of the ramped plane above the playing surface and creates the angle at which the ramped plane(s) rises. The holes on the ramped plane(s) are arranged according to a scoring system. Finally, the receptacle is coupled to the one end in contact with a playing surface and rising to an opposite end at a ramp angle; a plurality of holes on the top surface of the ramped plane sized to allow golf balls to rest in each of the holes and arranged according to a scoring system; a receptacle holding one or more golf balls that is coupled to the bottom surface of the ramped plane; and one or more supports connected to the bottom surface of the ramped plane extending down to the playing surface.
A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a golf game and training apparatus comprising: a ramped plane with a top surface and a bottom surface; one or more holes on the top surface where golf balls can rest partially in each of the holes; scoring indicia; a cylindrical receptacle, coupled to the ramped plane, for holding golf balls; one or more support(s) extending from the ramped plane to elevate the ramped plane above the playing surface; a pair of side rails; and a back rail. The ramped plane(s) has a leading end that touches a playing surface and rises at an angle to a trailing end. The holes on the top surface of the ramped plane are arranged in rows and columns according to a scoring system. The scoring indicia correspond with the holes on the top surface of the ramped plane. The support(s) elevates the trailing end of the ramped plane above the playing surface and includes a circular hole for holding the cylindrical receptacle. The pair of side rails are located on the lateral sides of the ramped plane's top surface. Each of the side rails extends vertically from the ramped plane's top surface and runs from around the ramped plane's leading end to around the ramped planes trailing end. The back rail extends vertically from the trailing end of the ramped plane's top surface and runs laterally between the lateral sides of the ramped planes top surface.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and therefore, are not to be considered limiting of its scope; the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings:
In the drawings:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description and drawings are not meant to be limiting and are for explanatory purposes. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the drawings may be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, each of which are explicitly contemplated and made part of this disclosure.
This disclosure is drawn to apparatuses and methods related to putting ramps with multiple holes for golf ball placement. The user can use the golf game and training apparatus with a putter and golf balls. To use the apparatus the user may putt a golf ball, one at a time, towards the desired hole of the golf game and training apparatus. If the user is practicing to improve their skill, the user may pick a specific hole in the golf game and training apparatus to aim at. If the user is utilizing the golf game and training apparatus for recreational use, the user may keep track of points by trying to get the golf ball into a certain hole. Additionally, multiple users can use the golf game and training apparatus by trying to hit a certain hole or by adding up points when they hit balls into certain holes on the golf game and training apparatus. The golf game and training apparatus allows the user to use the apparatus to increase his or her skill at putting or for recreation. The apparatus can be used for individual and group use.
The example ramped plane 105 rises at an angle from the leading end 110 to the trailing end 115 to provide added difficulty in the golf game and training apparatus for the user. The angle of the ramped plane 105 causes a golf ball 1105 to roll back down the ramped plane 105 if the golf ball 1105 is not hit with enough force. Thus, a plurality holes 135 located closer to the trailing end 115 of the ramped plane 105 is more difficult for a user to hit golf balls 1105 into. Alternatively, a plurality of holes located closer to the leading end 110 of the ramped plane 105 is easier for a user to hit golf balls 1105 into. An example ramped plane 105 may be made out of a plastic material through the process of injection molding and fabrication. In some examples, the ramped plane 105 may be made out of other materials using other processes such as wood or metal. The example ramped plane 105 disclosed in the figures provides a top surface 305 that is smooth to allow a golf ball 1105 to roll evenly on. In some examples, the top surface 305 of the ramped plane 105 may be rough to add to the level of difficulty. In other examples, the top surface 305 of the ramped plane 105 may be a combination of smooth and rough in different areas to add further variation in difficulty. In some examples, the top surface 305 may be fabricated to resemble golf course surfaces such as the rough, or the green, or a combination of golf course surfaces. The angle at which an example ramped plane(s) 105 rises from the leading end 110 to the trailing end 115 may also be different to change the difficulty of the game. The angle may be between 0 degrees to 45 degrees. In some examples the angle may be 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, 35 degrees, or 40 degrees. The example ramped plane(s) 105 may also be different in shapes to add variety and difficulty. In some examples, the ramped plane(s) 105 may be rectangular in shape where the width is longer than the length or in a rectangular shape where the length is longer than the width. In other examples, the ramped plane(s) 105 may be in the shape of a circle or an oval.
To create more variation in difficulty, in some examples of the golf game and training apparatus, there may be more than one ramped plane 105 that may be attached together to form the golf game and training apparatus. In some examples each of the ramped planes 105 attached together may have differing ramp angles, differing shapes, differing number of holes, differing top surfaces as described previously, or have a combination of these differences to vary the difficulty of each plane 105. A user may then choose to putt a golf ball 1105 toward any of the ramped planes 105 and each ramped plane 105 may have different scoring systems according to the difficulty of each ramped plane 105.
The example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures has a plurality of holes 135 located on the top surface 305 of the ramped plane 105 to hold a golf ball 1105 partially in each of the holes. The plurality of holes 135 may be arranged in a scoring system 325 where some holes are more difficult to putt a golf ball 1105 into than others. The example plurality of holes 135 may be arranged with four rows of four holes 135 on the top surface 305 of the example ramped plane 105. The example row of four holes 135 closer to the first end 110 of the example ramped plane 105 may be easier to putt a golf ball 1105 into than the example row of four holes 135 further up the ramped plane 105, closer to the second end 115 of the ramped plane 105. In other examples of the golf game and training apparatus, the plurality of holes 135 may be arranged in different arrangements. In some examples, the plurality of holes 135 may be arranged in at least one circle or in different number of rows and columns grids. In other examples the plurality of holes may be only one row of a plurality of holes or only one column of a plurality of holes.
The example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures provides a receptacle 710, in the shape of a cylindrical receptacle, sized to hold a plurality of golf balls 1105. Multiple golf balls may be held in the receptacle 710 for storage. While the example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures provides a receptacle in the shape of a cylindrical tube, other examples of the golf game and training apparatus may provide receptacles, sized to contain golf balls 1105, with different shapes. Some example receptacles may be rectangular or triangular. In some example golf game and training apparatuses, the example receptacle may be longer or shorter in length to hold differing amounts of golf balls or to match the size of the golf game and apparatus. While the cylindrical receptacle 710 in the example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures is attached to the example supports 405 through the supports' circular holes 605, in other examples, the provided receptacle may be coupled to the bottom surface 1005 of the ramped plane 105. In some example golf game and training apparatuses, the receptacle may be attached permanently to the apparatus or may be detachable from the apparatus. The example cylindrical receptacle 710 in the golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures provides an opening and a cap 155. The cap 155 attaches to the open end 705 of the cylindrical receptacle 710 to close the cylindrical receptacle and keep golf balls 1105 in. Other examples of the golf game and training apparatus may not have caps 155. The caps 155 in other example golf game and training apparatuses may be shaped to match the receptacle shape.
The example golf game and training apparatus provides example support(s) 405 to hold up the example ramped plane 105 and create the angle at which the ramp plane(s) 105 rises from the first end 110 to the second end 115. The supports 405 in the example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures are three walls 415, each extending toward the playing surface from either of the lateral sides or back side of the ramped plane 105 to the playing surface. Each of the supports combine with a corresponding side rail 425 or back rail 435 to form each of the three continuous walls. In other example golf game and training apparatuses, each of the side rails 425 and back rail 435 may be separate pieces from the supports 405. In some examples, there may be less than three supports 405 or there may be more than three supports 405. Example supports 405 may also be pillars or columns. In other examples the support(s) 405 may only be connected to the trailing end 115 of the ramped plane 105 and extend to the playing surface. In further examples, the supports 405 can be adapted to extend or shorten and change the ramp angle of the ramped plane 105.
The example golf game and training apparatus disclosed in the figures includes a pair of side rails 425 and a back rail 435 to keep golf balls 1105 from rolling off the example ramped plane 105. In other example golf game and training apparatuses, there may be no side rails 425 or back rail 435 at all. Other examples may only include a back rail 435 and no side rail 425, and further examples may only include a back rail 435. Other examples may include additional more than three side rails 425 to correspond with shapes of example ramped planes with more sides than the example rectangular ramped plane 105. In some example golf game and training apparatuses, the side rails 425 and back rails 435 are separate components from the supports 405.
In some example golf game and training apparatuses, the example retainer may be a single piece that attaches to near the middle of an example receptacle. In other examples, there may be more than two retainers that attach an example receptacle and attach to an example ramped plane. Some examples of the retainer may be adapted to attach to different shapes of example receptacles. In some examples where the retainer(s) contact the playing surface, the retainer(s) can be adapted to extend further away from the ramped plane in order to change the ramp angle of the ramped plane. In some examples, the retainer(s) may be adapted to allow the receptacle to detach from the retainer(s). In some example golf game and training apparatuses, the example retainer(s) may be integrated into the support(s) to couple the example receptacle to the supports of the example golf game and training apparatus.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/833,278, filed on Jun. 10, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61833278 | Jun 2013 | US |