Conventionally, a golfer will carry around a tool which is used to repair damage to grass surfaces caused by the golfer during a round of golf.

Such damage can be caused by a ball landing upon a grass surface of a green which is required to be maintained in good condition to maintain an even surface e. g. for other golfers. Tools which are used to repair grass surfaces, i. e. pitch mark repairers for greens, are typically small items which a golfer is required to carry around during a round of golf. These can be carried in a bag or a pocket of a golfer's trousers for example.

Since such tools are small and may be frequently required during a round of golf, they are easy to lose.

According to the present invention there is provided a golf club having a grass surface repairer moveably attached thereto, and moveable between a first extended position in which the repairer extends from the club and a second retracted position.

Advantageously, the repairer remains attached to the club at all times and is therefore not easily lost.

Preferably the repairer is positioned within a profile of the club when viewed in plan in the retracted position. The repairer may be concealed in the retracted position.

The club may comprise a channel therein and the repairer may be locatable within the channel in the retracted position. The repairer is preferably rotatable between the extended and retracted positions.

The movement of the repairer may be automated. User activated movement means may be provided to operate movement of the repairer.

The repairer is preferably attached to a head part of the club. A longitudinal axis of the repairer in the extended position may extend parallel to a longitudinal axis of the head part. A longitudinal axis of the repairer in the retracted position may extend parallel to a longitudinal axis of the head part of the club.

Preferably the golf club comprises a shaft extending from a first end of the head wherein the repairer extends outwardly from a second opposite end of the head in the extended position. Preferably the golf club comprises a shaft inclined towards a first end of the head wherein the repairer extends away from a second opposite end of the head in the extended position.

The club may comprise a putter. The repairer may comprise a pitch mark repairer. Advantageously the putter is the club which is always used on a green and therefore a golfer is most likely to use the pitch mark repairer if it is attached to the putter rather than any other club.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a side view of a head part of a golf club according to a first embodiment of the present invention having a repairer shown in a first position; Figure 2 is a plan view of the golf club of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the golf club of Figure 1, showing the repairer in a second position; Figure 4 is a plan view of the repairer shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the golf club of Figure 1 in use; Figure 6 is a sectional side view of a head part of a golf club according to a second embodiment of the invention having a repairer in a first position; Figure 7 is a plan view of the golf club of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a plan view of the golf club of Figure 6 having the repairer in a second position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a putter (2) comprises a shaft (4) and a head (6). In plan view the head (6) comprises a generally rectangular form having a first end (100) and a second opposite end (200). The shaft (4) extends from an upper surface (8) of the head (6) of the putter (2). In plan view it can be seen that the shaft (4) extends from a corner region of the upper surface (8) adjacent the first end (100) of the head (6). The shaft (4) is inclined extending away from the second end (200) of the head (6) (as seen in Figure 1).

A forked, double pronged pitch mark repairer (10) is attached integrally to the upper surface (8) of the head (6) i. e. it is attached in such a way that the repairer (10) is not detachable from the putter (2). The repairer (10) has a body portion (12) from which two prongs (14,16) extend. A bolt hole (18) is formed within the body portion (12). The bolt hole (18)

is profiled to receive a fixing bolt (20). The upper surface (8) of the head (6) also has a hole therein sized to receive the fixing bolt (20). The hole in the head (6) is provided towards the second end (200) of the head (6).

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the fixing bolt (20) is passed through the repairer (10) and into threaded engagement with the head (6) of the putter (2) thereby integrally attaching the repairer (10) to the putter (2).

In use, the repairer (10) is moveable between a first extended position (as shown in Figure 1) in which it extends outwardly from the end of the putter head (6) remote from the shaft (4), i. e. the prongs (14, 16) point towards the second end (200), and a second retracted position (as shown in Figure 3) in which the repairer (10) does not extend from the putter head (6). In the retracted position the repairer is within the profile of the putter head when viewed in plan. Also, in the retracted position the prongs (14, 16) point towards the first end (100) of the head (6). In the extended position, the repairer (10) extends away from the end towards which the shaft (4) is inclined. This increases the ease of operation of the repairer (10).

In normal play, the repairer (10) remains in the retracted position. If the repairer (10) is required to repair a pitch mark on a grass surface, a golfer manually rotates the repairer (10) into the extended position in which a longitudinal axis of the repairer (10) is aligned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the putter head (6). The prongs (14,16) then extend outwardly from the end of the putter head (6). As seen in Figure 5, the prongs (14,16) can then be used to insert the repairer (10) into an area of grass adjacent a damaged grass surface, e. g. by foot. The shaft (4) can be utilised as a lever to lift and thus repair the area of damaged grass. Leverage is enhanced by provision of the repairer (10) extending outwardly from the end of the putter head (6) remote from the shaft (4) and operation is facilitated by provision of the repairer (10)

extending away from the end of the head (6), towards which the shaft (4) is inclined. Advantageously, a golfer is not required to bend down while repairing the grass surface.

Referring to Figures 6 to 8, a putter (2') according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The putter (2') comprises a shaft (4') and a head (6') -a similar forked, double-pronged pitch mark repairer (10') is integrally attached to the putter head (6). However, in this embodiment a channel (30) is formed in the putter head (6). The channel is formed between an upper surface (8') and a lower surface (9') of the putter head (6'). The depth of the channel (30) is approximately equal to the thickness of the repairer (10') such that the repairer (10') is slideably receivable within the channel (30). The repairer (10') has a body portion (12') from which two prongs (14', 16') extend. A receiving hole (18') is formed in the body portion (12') and is sized to receive a fixing screw (20'). A threaded receiving hole (22') profiled to receive the fixing screw (20') extends from the upper surface (8') of the putter head (6') to the channel (30). The fixing screw (20') is passed through the threaded receiving hole (22') and the receiving hole (18') of the repairer (10') to integrally attach the repairer (10') to the putter (2') so that the repairer (10') is not removable from the putter (2').

Operation of the putter (2') according to the second embodiment is very similar to that of the first embodiment. The repairer (10') is kept in a second retracted position (shown in Figure 8) during normal play in which the repairer (10') is located inside the channel (30). When the repairer (10') is required, a golfer manually rotates the repairer (10') to a first position in which the prongs (14', 16') of the repairer (10') extend away from the putter head (6'). Similarly to the first embodiment, the prongs (14', 16') may be inserted into an area of grass adjacent to a

damaged area of grass before using the shaft (4') of the lever to lift up the damaged area of grass and thereby repair it.

Various modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from this scope. For example, the repairer may be moveable between the first and second positions linearly or in any other known manner. Movement of the repairer between its first and second positions may be effected automatically, for example by a button operated mechanism. The shaft may be inclined perpendicularly to the putter head or may be positioned at its centre-not necessarily towards one side. The repairer may be of any different known configuration for repairing grass surfaces. A repairer may be incorporated into any other golf club e. g. an iron or wood club. The repairer may be incorporated into another part of the golf club-not necessarily its head.