Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of sports and, specifically, to the sport of golf.

Background of the Invention

The sport of golf is experiencing ever increasing popularity. There are, however, a limited supply of golf courses to play on. With the land needed for even the smallest of 9 hole courses being up to 30 acres, newly developed courses are both slow in coming and are usually located somewhat remotely from population centers, thereby aggravating the overcrowding problem. Advance reservations of up to ten days or more are not uncommon for most golf courses.

After arriving to play, the golfer then finds more often than not that the course has been overbooked. A significant amount of time is then spent waiting for golfers preceding him/her to finish their play first. Given these circumstances, it is helpful that the golfer has practiced for this day and is ready to take advantage of his/her limited time for actually playing golf.

To help the golfer practice his her golfing basics, many courses offer an on-site practice facility. The practice facilities will usually consist of a driving range, a practice putting green, and a sand bunker. The driving range has had to be a long strip of land where a golfer can practice driving the ball. The "standard full size" driving range is generally 200-300 yards in length and 100 yards wide. These amenities will allow the golfer to practice for all aspects of the game.

To help meet this demand, the "free standing" driving range and practice facility has become very popular. These are facilities not ordinarily located on sites and full size golf courses, but on properties of their own, and generally in more convenient locations to population centers than full size golf courses.

Considering that a full size golf course can require up to as much as 30 acres and sometimes more, it is easy to see why newly developed courses are not keeping up with the demand. The driving range facility, however, can be developed on as few as 8 acres or less. While suitable 8 acre sites near or within metropolitan areas are rare, parcels large enough to accommodate full size golf courses are virtually non-existent. Even if a potential driving range parcel should be found, there are additional factors that can "make or break" the proposed driving range. While there may be enough space for the actual driving range, tees and playing field, there may not be enough remaining land to accommodate all the other necessary amenities, such as parking spaces, offices, rest rooms, snack bars, storage, putting green areas and chipping areas. The actual range should be free of any oversize rocks and/or shrubbery. Considerable amounts of water need to be available, if natural turf is used. The natural drainage and percolation of the site will most likely need costly alterations. Zoning and environmental issues will need to be addressed for compatibility with this type of an entertainment establishment. Weather conditions will be critical in determining how many months of the year the facility can remain open, and how they could adversely effect the operation when it is open.

Unfortunately, a parcel of land this large and flat, within close proximity to a large metropolitan area will most likely be in such demand that competition from more lucrative endeavors, such as condominiums or office developments will force the value out of reach for the potential driving range operator.

Faced with these conditions, yet lured by the potential profits to be realized through operation of a successful driving range facility, driving range developers have adopted dome "alternative" driving ranges in contrast to the "standard driving range". In high density, urban locations "mini" driving ranges have been developed on city lots that would normally be used for gas stations and strip malls. Some of these lots are as small as 40 by 60 feet. For mountainous/hilly areas, ranges have been constructed literally on mountain sides, with the tees located at the bottom of the mountain and the golfer hitting the ball up hill. Reservoirs filled with water have also

doubled as driving ranges with specially made floating balls that are collected by maintenance crews in boats. For areas affected by inclement weather, operators have dome like structures temporarily placed over the range during the off-season. This is costly and the domes ordinarily only extend up to 150 feet. Although there are very clever ways to address space and weather limitations, they do not provide the golfer with the realistic feel of hitting a 200-300 yard drive on a relatively flat playing surface that a "full size" driving range allows. Also due to space limitations, developers of ranges are unable to provide the other necessary features that make up a comprehensive golf practice facility, such as putting areas and chipping bunkers.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a full size driving range which can be set up over an area which may already have an existing land use, such as a parking lot, commercial buildings or even certain types of residential structures. Alternatively, it may be set up on undesirable land, such as, for example, rock strewn desert land. This driving range may be constructed by suspending a special type of porous material for the length and width of the range, over a land area, which may or may not be already utilized for some commercial purpose. This porous material may extend from a driving station for the full length of the range. The station may include at least one and, preferably, a plurality of platform areas, one above another. These platform areas may include three side walls, with the fourth side being open and facing down range in the direction of the supported netting material. The latter may extend for a range distance of 200 to 300 yards. The horizontal porous material which may be a small mesh netting, may be supported by a grid of transverse steel cables and chords at their ends on steel or telephone side poles, and at least some cables, centrally on the tops of shorter similarly strong poles. The side poles may also serve to support cables extending lengthwise of the range which cables may be employed to carry side netting, the function of which is

to prevent balls from being driven laterally out of the range and to drop them on the horizontal porous material or into the return gutters. Such gutter may be provided on each side of the horizontal range surface, either to slope downwardly from the end of the range to the driving station or, alternatively, to one or more intermediate collecting locations. With the center of the horizontal netting material raised slightly above the level of the bordering gutters for the full length of the range, balls driven down the range, upon landing on the horizontal porous material, will roll laterally down into the gutters where, because of the slope of the gutters, will either further roll back to the driving station, or to one of the intermediate collecting locations, if such locations are provided in lieu of side gutters each with a continuous slope from the end of the range back to the driving station where the golf balls will roll into one or more receptacles. As an alternative, a central gutter system may be provided with the center of the horizontal porous material suspended at a level slightly below the level of the outer side edges of the material for the full length of the range. Balls driven down the range, upon landing on the horizontal porous material, will roll laterally down into the central gutter system where, because of the slope of the gutter, will either roll further back to the driving station, or to one or more intermediate collection locations if such locations are provided in lieu of a gutter system with a continuous slope from the end of the range back to the driving station. The side netting desirably should be of an altitude higher than most golf balls could be driven up from each platform of the driving station. Obviously, then, the altitude of the side netting may be reduced as the distance from the driving station increases for the simple reason that it becomes less likely for a ball to be lifted on a drive to a high altitude when the distance from the driving station exceeds, for example, 100 yards. After 200 yards, it is most unlikely that any ball would be driven out of the range if the side netting barriers should extend as high as 20 feet.

With this type of suspension of the horizontal porous material at a level of 12 to 15 feet, it may be appreciated that the range could be located over a large parking lot in such a manner that there would be little interference with the normal use of the

parking lot. If the alternative central gutter system is employed, the horizontal porous material must be suspended at a slightly higher level to provide additional clearance for the inward slope of the material. Alternatively, the range could be suspended above a one-story restaurant or other commercial building. Thereby, the owner of the property may obtain income not only from use of the ground by a parking lot operator, a restaurant or other occupant of a commercial building, but also by, in effect, renting the air space for a golf range above the area used by ground tenants.

With respect to the driving station, it is preferably a fixed building having at least one and, preferably, two platforms one above the other separated by spacing sufficient to permit a tall person to make a full drive swing without contacting the ceiling with his club. Desirably, if the building is a permanent one, the ground floor below the platforms could include a golf shop, administrative office and/or a snack bar. Each of the platforms should be sheltered desirably on its two sides and behind the driving side - particularly where the platform building is located in an area which may frequently encounter inclement weather. Roofing extending forward of the platform for a short distance could serve to protect the golfers from rain or snow. Some type of radiant heater could also be provided for each driving station so that the golfer could practice driving from the station even in a modest degree of cold or inclement weather. The present invention, therefore, offers many advantages to a golfer who may wish to practice various types of driving strokes. Further, as explained, the driving range of the present invention could use certain types of already occupied land, even in a city or suburban area, without interfering with the present use of the land.

Description of the Drawings In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a driving range constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2A is a section taken on the line 2A-2A of Figure 1.

Figure 2B is a section taken on the line 2B-2B of Figure 1.

Figure 2C is a section taken on the line 2C-2C of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention set up on unused rough sloping land.

Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the inventiontcay disposed over land which may be utilized for a restaurant or other commercial purpose and/or a parking lot.

Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention with inward sloping covering material and a central gutter system. Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a driving station 10 is erected, preferably on upwardly extending forward steel members 12 and similar rear members 14 interconnected by front support members 16, rear support members (not shown) and side members 18. These interconnected members support a solid lower deck or platform 20. Side members 22, together with longitudinal members (not shown), may be interconnected to support an upper platform or deck 24. Shielding 26 may be extended from the deck 24 to separate the two decks or platforms 20 and 24. Desirably, a back wall 28 may extend upwardly behind both platforms 20 and 24. A roof may cover the entire structure, the sides of which may either be left open with fencing 32, 34, as shown in Figure 1, or the sides could be completely closed by walls (not shown).

Extending outwardly from the platforms 20 and 24 is the range 11 defined along its sides by a series of poles 36, 36', such as steel poles or wooden telephone poles embedded in or otherwise secured in the ground The series of poles 36, 36' should extend for the full length of the range, preferably, at least 300 yards, a distance past which few golfers can drive a ball

The side poles 36, 36', together with center poles 37, 37' also support a grid 39 of steel cables 40, 41 and 42, on which is laid panels of covering material 43 on which the driven balls (not shown) may be expected to land. This material 43 may be either a heavy netting with a small mesh, or a heavy porous fabric through which water may

pass. The center cable 42 of the grid 39 is also supported by shorter poles 39 at a level sufficiently above the gutters 38, 38' so that when the balls land on the covering material 43, which is laid over the center cable 42, the ball will roll laterally to the gutters 38, 38' for return to the driving station 10 and deposited in receptacles 54 and 54'.

Desirably, the junction where the center cable 42 crosses a transverse cable 39 and panel edges 44a, are attached to the center cable 42, a cushioned cover strip 36" should be provided to prevent damages to balls which may land on the cable junction. The sides of the range 11 are formed by netting 44 which is secured at its base 44' to cables 41 of the grid 39, which cables 41 are supported by the poles 36, 36'. Cables 48 which are secured to or near the tops of the poles 36, 36', serve to carry the upper edges 44" of the netting material 44 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 20. At each pole 36, 36', 36a, 36b, the sides 44a of the hung netting 44 may be secured to the pole in the manner illustrated in Figure 2B. Thus, rods 45' may be mounted adjacent each pole by upper and lower brackets 47a, 47b, and edge rings 49 provided on the netting panels 44 are slipped over the rods 45', thereby to maintain side edges 44a of the netting 44 evenly in parallel with the pole 36, 36', 36a, 36b. This netting 44 is quite different from the covering material 43 in that its mesh is so large that it just prevents the average golf ball (not shown) from passing through it. The netting 44 desirably extends across the end 11' of the range 22, being supported by a transverse base cable 40' and an upper cable 48' secured at its ends to the tops of the end poles 36a, 36b, and intermediate pole 37.

The poles 36, 36' serve to support longitudinal side gutters 38, 38' which may be formed as a series of end-to-end connected half pipes attached to the poles 36, 36' in such a manner as to slope downwardly sufficiently for all balls dropping into the gutters to roll back to a collecting receptacle (not shown) disposed in the lower area of the driving station 10.

The poles 36, 36' which are nearest to the driving station 10 preferably should be taller than the poles 36, 36', 36a, 36b at or near the end 11' of the 46 driving range 10.

As may be best shown in Figures 3 and 4, either the entire structure could be erected on desert or other unused land 56, or it could actually be erected over some existing land use facilities, such as building 58 or a parking lot 60.

An alternative embodiment is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the covering material 43 slopes upwardly away from the driving station 10 and inwardly from the side poles 36, 36' toward central gutter system 50. Golf balls driven onto the covering material 43 will roll into the central gutter system 50 and then back toward the driving station 10 and into receptacle 52.

The present invention thus provides a full size driving range with a playing surface that above suspended above ground at a height to which the owner desires, depending on the conditions for the specific use. Constructing a conventional driving range with the features of the present invention, using a standard surface, and with standard construction requirements, for example, an elevated concrete parking lot structure complete with engineering load and structural requirements, and then installing natural or artificial turf with the proper irrigation and drainage systems, could cost many times the cost of erecting a range of the present invention.

It may also be seen that the present invention eliminates any need for maintenance personnel or machinery to be used upon the playing surface. The steel cabling can be manipulated to provide sufficient sloping to aid in making the surface self-draining of the golf balls. These self-draining balls would return to a pre- determined location or locations the developer may choose for the design. By providing a porous synthetic material for a playing surface, no water or turf maintenance is needed, as opposed to daily maintenance of natural turf. The porousness of the material allows the water or snow to pass through, thereby eliminating the need for costly drainage alterations. Even on graded artificial turf,

significant grading and drainage preparations are required, where as the surface of the present invention requires none.

One feature of the present invention allows the prospective range operator to utilize the space below by leasing it out to other establishments, thereby generating more revenue, to allow the driving range operator to pay more for land and compete with usually more lucrative developments. Also one developer could team with other establishments that would also have been trying to acquire the same parcel.

As another feature of the present invention, prospective driving range operators can now seek out parcels of land that were considered too small to accommodate both the actual driving range and additional space for other related necessities, such as parking, rest rooms, offices, storage, training areas, clubhouse, snack bars, putting areas.

SUBSTTΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

As a further feature of the present invention, land before considered unsuitable for driving range development, due to physical characteristics, such as large rocks too costly to break down and remove, can be utilized. Also, parcels located in floor basins prone to flooding and parcels of land where the topography necessitates costly grading, can be developed for a range by elevating the surface high enough above to mitigate these conditions.

The present invention also overcomes the problem which golf range operators encounter in areas that experience significant snowfall during winter months, resulting in closure or very limited operation of the range, by providing an elevated playing surface to a predetermined height based upon the annual snowfall that may be expected in an average year, and using a surface material that has openings larger than could be employed for warm weather driving ranges, so that the snow can pass through the openings, but balls will not slip through.

The present invention also permits the operators of ranges in areas that experience such amount of rainfall, as causes grass turf to be covered with water for long periods of time, thereby reducing operating hours. Even after the rain has drained, collecting balls on the wet turf surface may be very difficult for tractor type vehicles which have a tendency to embed some of the balls into the soft wet turf, thereby causing the range operator significant ball loss. The present invention also permits adjacent property owners to share in operating a driving range when individually they would not possess enough space . For example, two hotels that are adjacent to one another could place the range over portions of both properties, such as parking lots behind the hotels, without disrupting the parking for either hotel. This could be done due to the fact that some municipalities would not consider the playing surface of the present invention to be a permanent or structural surface of the type for which certain requirements must be met.

The present invention, thus, has many applications and advantages over prior art types of golf ranges.