CA2586721A1

CA2586721A1 - Golf tee cup

Info

Publication number: CA2586721A1
Application number: CA 2586721
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ivor Rolfe Killacky
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-04-23
Filing date: 2007-04-23
Publication date: 2008-10-23

Abstract

The invention relates to a 'tee cup' (Fig. 1) for supporting either a golf tee, or a golf ball directly, in conjunction with a golf mat used either for winter tees, or on a practice range. The 'tee cup' would be interchangeable with existing tees and golf mats. The 'tee cup' comprises of a body (1) which is made from rubber, or any other suitable moldable material and consists of a flat circular disc attached concentrically to a tube on one end. The end of the tube not attached to the disc ends in castellations (2). The tube encloses a plurality of bristles (3). The bristles are located inside the tube and extend from the bottom of the castellations along the length of the tube and are attached at the bottom end to the flat disc.
The bristles contain a small annular space (4) large enough to allow the insertion of a wooden or plastic golf tee normally used when a golf ball is played from a grass teeing ground. Where the tube is connected to the flat circular disc there is a drainage hole through the disc.

Description

Background to the Invention and Prior Art.

Golf balls are normally played from a grass teeing area during a game of golf (See Fig 5 ) by pushing a proprietary wooden, or plastic tee (1) into the ground (3) and placing the ball (2) on the tee. This reduces the margin of error in striking the ball and makes it easier to hit. The height of the ball above the ground is infinitely variable depending how far the tee is pushed into the ground.
However during the winter when the grass becomes dormant, the ball is often played from a mat to reduce damage to the teeing ground. Balls are also played year round from mats on practice ranges.
The difficulty of playing from a mat (See Fig 4) is that when playing iron shots it is not possible to take a divot like that of a ball on grass. It is also not possible to elevate the ball to the correct height when playing the clubs with larger heads.
Rubber tees (1) are customarily placed under the mat (3) and protrude through the mat to a fixed height above the mat surface, and the ball (2) is placed on the tee.
The disadvantage with this method is that the use of various clubs requires that the ball be teed at different heights above the mat surface. This not only makes it necessary to change the tee for different clubs but does not allow for the variation of each golfers preference for setting their own tee height.
The height of this tee is a compromise and is at a fixed predetermined distance above the mat. Changing this height requires the mat to be lifted and the tee replaced by another tee also of fixed height which may still be not the exact height that the golfer would wish. In addition hitting the rubber tee or the mat with a golf club may cause damage to the golf club and injury to the golfer.
A number of Canadian patents have been successfully applied for to address these problems such as:
Canadian Patent # 2,263,700 describes a tee containing paraffin wax into which a regular wooden or plastic tee may be inserted. This invention does address the problem of adjusting the tee height but it is believed that such an invention would experience a short life before the wax would fail to support the tee. The patent also proposes to prevent this by locking the tee in the housing rigidly with a wooden peg. This would cause the tee to break off in the tee holder where the broken end would become difficult to retrieve and to replace with another tee.
Canadian Patent #2,220,840 describes a telescoping rubber tube which is similar to existing range tees. This invention also proposes to address the problems of easily adjust the height of the ball for various golfers and clubs. However, it also has the same disadvantages as existing rubber tees insofar as it may cause damage to the equipment and injury to the golfer. In addition the mechanism inside the tee would be subject to damage from successive blows from the golf clubs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

The 'tee cup' is similar to existing rubber tees presently used on golf mats.
However it is radically different in the end of the tee which supports the ball.
When the 'tee cup' is used directly (See Fig # 2) the ball (4) sits on a series of castellations (2) which protrude through the mat (3). These castellations bend when the ball is struck and offer no resistance to the golf club because the substantial part of the 'tee cup' (1) lies below the surface of the mat..
If the golfer requires the ball to be teed higher (See Fig # 3) it may be facilitated by inserting a regular wooden or plastic tee (1) into the hole in the bristles (2) contained inside the castellated tube. These bristles support the tee firmly in a vertical position above the mat (4) without retaining it rigidly, which would cause it to break off when the ball (3) is struck. When the ball is struck the tee either comes out of the 'tee cup', or it stays in the 'tee cup' intact.
The 'tee cup' is a simple device which is virtually indestructible because it lies mostly below the surface of the mat. It enables the golfer to replicate playing from a grass teeing ground, or elevating the ball to the height required in the same way that is done when playing on the golf course.
In summary the 'tee cup' proposes to resolve the problems of hitting golf balls off range mats and rubber tees (As shown in Fig. #4) by placing the ball on the castellations of a tee that would both support the ball and offer no resistance to the golf club. This would elevate the ball to be eminently accessible for (But not confined to) iron shots without the difficulties of hitting the ball off the mat. It would also allow the golfer to use a regular golf tee to elevate the ball in the same way that is done when playing golf on a golf course.

Claims

1. A molded golf teeing device called a 'tee cup' which would allow a golfer to tee up the golf ball in conjunction with a golf mat used for winter tees, or on a practice range. This may be done by placing the golf ball directly on the 'tee cup' or by inserting a golf tee into the 'tee cup' and placing the ball on the tee in the same way that golfers are able to do when playing golf on a regular golf course. The 'tee up' comprises of:

2. A base consisting of a flat circular disc attached concentrically to a tube on one end. The end of the tube not attached to the disc terminates in castellations. The base is placed under the mat with the tube protruding through a hole in the mat. The tube protrudes through a hole in the golf mat but terminates below the surface of the mat.

3. The end of the tube described in claim 2, terminates below the surface of the golf mat except that the castellations protrudes above the surface of the mat to support the golf ball directly, in accordance with claim 1.

4. The tube described in claim 2. also encloses a plurality of bristles The bristles are located inside the tube and extend from the bottom of the castellations along the length of the tube and are attached at the bottom end to the flat disc. The bristles contain a small annular space through the centre large enough to allow the insertion of a wooden or plastic golf tee, normally used when a golf ball is played from a grass teeing ground.

5. The nature and disposition of the bristles supports the golf tee firmly in a vertical position in accordance with claim 4. and shall have a low coefficient of friction to allow the tee come out of the bristles without damage.

6. Each and every novel feature, or combination of features, disclosed herein.