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Golf course and method of playRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Golf, Projectile Addressing Surface And Target, Or Distance Marker (e.g., Course, Putting Green With Cup, Driving Range, Miniature Golf Course, Etc.), Plural Addressing Surfaces (e.g., Driving Range, Etc.)Golf course and method of play description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060154736, Golf course and method of play. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 10/110,310, filed on Aug. 26, 2002. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a golf course facility that offers an essentially unlimited number of different games of golf to an individual golf player, and a method of play whereby each day a different combination of specific pars for specific holes of the golf course may be selected and played. The golf course and method of play afford variety in the golf games that can be played on a single golf course such that golf players of various skill levels are constantly being challenged. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0003] The game of golf is an increasingly popular game in Canada and around the world. The game of golf traditionally consists of a playing area, which is a tract of land called a `course` or `links`, and is made up of a series of `holes`, usually nine or eighteen holes. Each hole is traditionally made up of a `tee`, which is the point at which the golfer starts to play that unit of the course, a fairway and a target green having a `cup` into which the golfer aims to propel the ball. Between the tee and the cup there may be many different obstacles including such hazards as water, tall grass, trees and sand traps. Usually the longer the distance from the tee to the cup, the more obstacles there are, and as a result the more difficult the hole is to score. [0004] Although the game of golf is extremely popular around the world, the traditional game of golf played on traditional golf courses suffers from a number of disadvantages. A major disadvantage is that an individual golfer is limited to playing a particular game of golf on a particular golf course. As a result, a golfer who is a member at a particular golf links, will quickly become familiar with that particular course and, in consequence, will be able to play that course very well with the experience acquired. This may be agreeable if the golfing member is playing a competitor. However, if the golfing member wants to play a challenging game, the familiarized golfer will no longer be challenged by repeatedly playing the same links. [0005] Repeatedly playing the same layout on a particular links will tend to make the golf game tediously monotonous and relatively effortless for a member who has become familiarized with a particular links. It is for this reason that many avid golfers become members of a number of different golf facilities, so that their golf game can vary and as a result the golf game can continue to be challenging and pleasurable. Obviously, this involves significant additional expense to the golfer. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART [0006] Traditional golf courses are similar throughout the world. While they may differ in size, number of holes, difficulty of holes and in topography, they are similar in that conventional courses consist of a number of holes which are preconstructed to be a specific par. Normally, each hole is designed to be either a par 3, par 4, or a par 5 hole. A par 3 hole is usually a hole with a length of under 250 yards, a par 4 hole is a hole with a length of about 250 to 450 yards, and a par 5 hole is a hole with a length of over 450 yards. Although rare, there are par 6 holes which have a length of over 600 yards. Generally golf courses with 18 holes have a par of 72, that is the par lengths of the 18 holes consist of a combination of par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes that give a par 72 for a game of golf on an 18 hole golf course. For example, a golf course can have four par 3 holes, ten par 4 holes, and four par 5 holes, to accomplish a par 72 golf course. [0007] Although not all courses have the same par combinations for each hole, conventional courses are uniform in that each hole on a specific course is predetermined to be a specific par. For example, golf courses X and Y can each consist of 18 holes where the first three holes on conventional courses X and Y are specified as par 3, par 3, par 5 and par 4, par 3, par 4, respectively. Although hole #1 differs between course X and Y, golf course X will always have a par 3 hole #1 and golf course Y will always have a par 4 hole #1. As a result a golfer playing course X will be repeatedly playing the same game of golf. Although each hole may have additional tees (men's, ladies, professional and championships tees) which may differ in location on a specified teeing area, and hence distance from the cup, each hole on a conventional course will be specified as being a singular specific par. There are various prior art proposals that aim to alter or customize the conventional golf course or the conventional game of golf such that various requirements are considered. U.S. Pat. No. 1,851,423 issued to O. L. Ely on Mar. 29, 1932 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,003,074 issued to B. E. Gage on May 28, 1935 disclose golf courses with multiple holes which are located at different distances from a teeing area, thereby reducing the need to walk the ususal distance required in conventional play. Canadian Patent Application No. 2,106,298 filed Jan. 17, 1992 by Ferns and Garner describes a golf course comprising a central tee-off area and a number of `sectors` disposed around the tee-off area, where each `sector` consists of a selection of targets to enable a player to simulate playing a hole of golf. Finally, Canadian Patent Application No. 2,167,165 filed Jan. 26, 1995 by R. T. Jones describes a golf course comprising at least one hole and a number of supplementary teeing areas located at different distances from an initial teeing area. Jones aims to eliminate the handicap scoring used in golf by providing supplementary teeing areas from which players of different ability tee-up according to their corresponding skill level. In addition, Jones aims to reduce the land area of a golf facility by providing a driving range with two opposing drive-teeing areas. [0008] Although, there are many variations in the prior art that propose to alter the golf course or the method of play, there is no teaching of the specific arrangement of concepts disclosed by the present invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention provides a golf course comprising: a plurality of golf holes, where each of the golf holes includes a plurality of initial teeing areas displaced at similar, or at different specific par distances from a target cup, at different directions from the target cup such that the plurality of initial teeing areas are disposed at different acute angles from the target cup, and encompass different terrain and different trajectories to the target cup; a target green encompassing the target cup for each hole; a middle area between the plurality of initial teeing areas and the target green; and including a border green comprising an area beside and behind the target green in relation to the initial teeing areas, such that the middle area and the border green comprise variable terrain of various surfaces, including cut and uncut grass, various contours, flat surfaces, gullies and mounds, and various obstacles including trees, water hazards, boulders and sand traps. [0010] Therefore, a golf hole is provided, wherein the golf hole in accordance with the present invention comprises: a plurality of initial teeing areas, each displaced at similar, or at different specific par distances from a target cup, disposed in different directions from a target cup such that the plurality of initial teeing areas are at different acute angles from the target cup, and embody a plurality of different par lengths, terrain and trajectories to a target cup; a target green encompassing the target cup of the golf hole; a middle area between the plurality of initial teeing areas and the target green; and including a border green comprising an area beside and behind the target green in relation to the initial teeing areas, such that the middle area and the border green comprise variable terrain of various surfaces, including cut and uncut grass, various contours, flat surfaces, gullies and mounds, and various obstacles including trees, water hazards, boulders and sand traps. [0011] In the present invention a golf course and a method of play are provided. Specifically, the golf course comprises a plurality of holes where some or all the holes include a plurality of specific initial teeing-areas displaced at specific distances and disposed in different directions, i.e. at different acute angles, from the target green for each hole of the golf course. Each such modified hole advantageously has a target green, a middle area comprising the area between the plurality of initial teeing areas and the target green, and a border green comprising the area beside and behind the target green in relation to the teeing areas also comprise the golf course of the present invention. The middle area and border green comprise variable terrain of various surfaces, including cut and uncut grass, various contours, flat surfaces, gullies and mounds, and various obstacles, including trees, water hazards, boulders and sand traps. [0012] In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of initial teeing areas are displaced at specified distances and disposed in different directions from the target green for each hole of the golf course, such that each initial teeing area is designated as having a distinct par. The plurality of different par specific initial teeing areas for each hole that constitutes the golf course of the present invention are displaced such that these initial teeing areas embody different par lengths, different terrain and different trajectories to the target cup. [0013] Normally speaking the golf course of the invention will comprise 18 or 9 holes, but the invention is not limited to this number. In addition, it is preferred that all or most of the holes will include a plurality of teeing areas. However, if desired, only some or a few of the holes (even a single hole) may be modified, with the balance of the holes being equivalent to conventional golf course holes. Moreover, since the use of the modified holes with multiple differently angled teeing areas significantly increases the number of ways of playing a given hole, a golf course of the invention may comprise a reduced total number of holes, I.e. from 1 to 8 holes. [0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides of a plurality of holes, such that each hole comprising the golf course of the present invention consists three distinct par teeing areas, for example each hole of the present invention may consist of a par 3 initial teeing area, a par 4 initial teeing area and a par 5 initial teeing area. The present invention, however, is not limited to only three initial teeing areas for each hole, each hole of the present golf course can consist of a plurality of initial teeing areas, I.e. two, three or more initial teeing areas. [0015] The present invention also provides a method of playing a golf-course according to the present invention comprising a plurality of holes according to the present invention, such that the golf course in accordance with the present invention can be played in a plurality of different ways, thereby resulting in a golf course that allows for the play of a relatively inexhaustible number of different games of golf thereon. More specifically, a preferred method of play in accordance with the present invention comprises: the selection or assignment of a specific sequence of initial teeing areas designated for play at each hole, such that players tee up at the designated initial teeing area for each hole of the golf course layout; playing the holes sequentially by teeing up at the designated initial teeing areas for each hole of the golf course layout based on a golf game commissioned for play; at each successive hole players stroke a golf ball propelling it toward the target cup located on the target green of the hole being played, and proceeding sequentially to play the subsequent holes of the course in like manner. [0016] Accordingly, the present golf course comprises a plurality of different initial teeing areas, thereby allowing each of the multiple holes on the present golf course to be played in a plurality of different ways, consequently resulting in a relatively inexhaustible number of different games of golf that can be played on the present golf course. As a result, the golf game of the present invention offers challenging diversity with each game to each player, regardless of skill or experience. [0017] As described above, in the present golf course, there exist multiple initial tee-off areas for each hole, such that, on the hole being played, all players in the present golf game tee off from the designated teeing area at each hole and propel the ball toward the target green of the hole being played. By providing multiple initial tee-off areas of different specific lengths and hence different par values, the present invention provides a multiple number of ways a specific hole can be played. In addition to providing a golf course of a plurality holes, wherein each hole is not preconstructed to be a singular specific par, as is the case in the prior art, each hole on the golf course of the present invention is designed to consist of a plurality of different pars that differ in distance, and that result in different trajectories towards a target green, thereby allowing golfers to play each hole in a plurality of different ways, and accordingly providing a golf facility that offers variety and challenge to all players. [0018] For example, holes that comprise a golf course of the prior art are preconstructed as being either a par 3 hole, or a par 4 hole, or a par 5 hole. Some prior art golf courses may suggest the inclusion of supplementary tee-off areas, such that these supplementary tee-off areas give a slight range of difficulty for a particular hole, for example, a men's and ladies tee-off areas can be included in the preconstructed teeing area of a particular hole. Nevertheless, although a hole on a prior art course may consist of supplementary tee-off areas, each hole on a prior golf course would be pre-designed as being either a par 3 hole, or a par 4 hole or a par 5 hole. However, the golf course of the present invention includes multiple initial teeing areas displaced at specific par distances and disposed to yield different trajectories such that each hole on the present golf course may be constructed as a par 3 hole, as well as a par 4 hole, as well as a par 5 hole. As will be further discussed below, the par that is selected to be played for each hole can be assigned or can be selected randomly to yield the desired course layout sequence of initial teeing areas for the sequence of holes that constitute a game of golf. [0019] In accordance with the golf course of the present invention there is normally a single target cup for each hole, such that regardless of the initial teeing area designated for play in a particular golf game, the aim of the golfer is to propel the golf ball from a designated specific initial teeing area toward the target cup in as few strokes as possible. [0020] Since the golf course of the present invention consists of multiple holes, each of which may be made up of a plurality of different par teeing areas, the golf course of the present invention may require a larger amount of land than conventional prior art courses. Nevertheless, the larger land requirement is justified since the present golf course offers many advantages to its members, and as a result membership fees can be increased accordingly. The variety and challenge offered by the present golf course may well encourage a large membership base and would retain its membership base because the present course offers a relatively limitless range of golf games that can be played. Moreover, the golf course of the present invention may also include amenities offered at other traditional golf course facilities. Continue reading about Golf course and method of play... Full patent description for Golf course and method of play Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Golf course and method of play patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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