Communication, calculation, and record keeping method and apparatus for golf course

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a geographically distributed computer system, and specifically to the scoring and record keeping of sporting activities and, more specifically to the scoring and record keeping of the game of golf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The game of golf is played by one or more players, hitting a small ball around a predetermined course. The course (also know as a golf course) consists of multiple shallow holes or cups in the ground and a specific starting position for each cup. A player hits the small ball using a club (also known as a golf club) from the starting position (an area known as a tee) toward the hole associated with the referenced tee. The objective of the game is to hit the small golf ball into a specified sequence of holes, with as few hits of the ball (known as strokes) as possible. In a group of players, the player who has taken the fewest number of strokes is the winner.

An important part of the game is the method of measuring relative performance of individuals or groups against each other or against the course. The performance of the players is currently measured manually through a method of counting, recording and calculating on paper. In most games of golf, after completion of each hole, the players verbally report the number of strokes each player required to complete the hole, and the number of strokes is recorded on paper. This is repeated through the play of multiple holes until all holes have been played. At this point the strokes of each player are manually totaled. Complex adjustments are now applied to the total number of stokes of each player to reflect the relative difficulty of the topology of the course and the measured skill level of the players under any chosen rules of competition. This pencil and paper method of scoring is tedious and error prone.

Other inventors that address some of these needs include Romedio (U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,677) and Bonito (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,430 and 5,127,044). These all include mobile components that move about close to the human golfers as they play. These mobile components exchange data with one or more computing mechanisms operated by golf course management thus forming a distributed computing network. All three of these inventions transfer data between the players mobile components and the course management computers by way of physically transferred memory hardware at the beginning and end of games. This limits communication of data to and from the mobile components to that which is assumed to be static for the duration of the game. Current weather information and warnings, wind characteristics, service needs, emergency medical and security, personal messages and flow of play are not described by these inventors because all this data can change throughout the game.

Colly (U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,733) describes an invention that accumulates, calculates and communicates the scores of players throughout a given course. It does not describe a method to maintain handicaps or course-related correction factors or apply them to final game results. It also does not describe any other type of communication other than score related.

Luna (U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,028) describes a computer-based system for guiding golfers around a golf course in such a way as to minimize bottlenecks in the flow of play. The inventor does not describe the ability to automatically score the game or provide any other types of communication. Components of the system are installed at all tees and greens. Power supply wiring is required for each of these components making installation on an existing course a substantial task. The placement of components at the greens causes undesirable obstructions and appearance.

Dudley (U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,634) describes a golf information system distributed about the golf course area that provides golfers with distance information between numerous points on the course and tracks position, speed and timing of players throughout the course for monitoring flow of play and cart usage. The inventor does not describe the ability to automatically score the game or provide any other type of communication.

In addition, there are various conditions that can detract from the enjoyment of the game of golf. Some of these conditions are: 1) The game is played over a large geographic area and a long block of time, making communications with and between players throughout the course quite difficult. These communications may include weather information and warnings, course topology and layout, wind characteristics, advertising, service or medical or security needs, personal messages, or elaboration of rules of play; 2) Rates of play may vary between multiple groups of players on the course at any given time, causing delays, annoyances, and inefficient utilization of the golf course.

What is needed is a means to provide communications with players in a timely manner; a score calculations, tabulation, and memory system; a system to provide information to detect and improve the utilization of the golf course.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a communication, calculation, and record keeping apparatus for the game of golf. The invention comprises remote terminals (known as the golfer's interface) located throughout the golf course playing area, a central computing device located in a common area, such as the golf course club house, and the computer program to control the components and the functions. The components transfer information between the human golf players ("golfers") on the golf course and the central computing device. The information transfer is one in real time. The central manager accumulates stroke counts from the layers, calculates scores using and maintaining handicaps and course corrections and records scoring information. Other communication with and between players on the course include but are not limited to weather information and warnings, course topology and layout, wind characteristics, advertising, service needs, emergency medical and security, rules of play, personal messages, communications of tournament scores and control of the flow of play are passed between the apparatus and the players throughout the course. The apparatus is connected by a global network to similar apparatus at multiple other golf courses