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(11) | EP 3 536 389 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC |
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| (54) | WATER GOLF DRIVING RANGE |
| (57) The present invention relates to a water golf driving range which enables a user
to do practice by hitting golf balls floating on the surface of the water and also
viewing the driving distances of the golf balls flying above the surface of the water,
rather than the ground, and then falling, and more specifically to a water golf driving
range in which a fence is formed by connecting buoys, floating on the surface of the
water, with respect to a hitting area, thereby enabling golf balls to be easily collected. |
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a water golf driving range which enables a user to do practice by hitting golf balls floating on the surface of the water and also viewing the driving distances of the golf balls flying above the surface of the water, rather than the ground, and then falling, and more specifically to a water golf driving range in which a fence is formed by connecting buoys, floating on the surface of the water, with respect to a hitting area, thereby enabling golf balls to be easily collected.
Background Art
[0002] Golf driving ranges are generally constructed by planting grass, mainly placing teeing grounds on the grass, and installing fairways, greens, bunkers, etc., as in typical golf courses. In order to set up and operate such a golf driving range, it is necessary to cut out a mountain range in the case of a ground range, to secure a place suitable for the driving distances of actual golf balls, to install a net structure designed to prevent golf ball from being scattered, and to place hitting areas, thereby incurring huge installation and operation cost.
[0003] Despite this problem, due to an increase in national income and the excellent performance of athletes in foreign countries, the golf population is gradually increasing, but the space for enjoying golf is limited.
[0004] In particular, in order to set up a golf driving range having a distance similar to an actual distance on the land, a large area is required, and thus large cost is also required. Furthermore, grass is mainly grown on the actual floor of the golf driving range, and thus serious environmental pollution is caused by the use of various types of pesticides and herbicides.
[0005] Furthermore, the periphery of the golf driving range is netted, and thus an open view is not provided, thereby reducing thrills of excitement over driving distances. Golf balls do not fly any longer due to the limited area of the site and collide with the nets, and thus it is difficult to determine driving distances, thereby making golfers feel frustrated.
[Prior Art Document]
[Patent Document]
[0006] (Patent document 1) Korean Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 20-2009-0010755
Disclosure
Technical Problem
[0007] The present invention has been conceived to overcome the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a water golf driving range that significantly facilitates the securement of practice space and that enables the driving distances and falling locations of golf balls to be easily determined in an open view.
Technical Solution
[0008] In order to accomplish the above object, there is provided a water golf driving range including: a hitting area which is disposed on the surface of the water or the ground near the surface of the water and on which golf balls floating on the water are hit; and a floating fence which confines golf balls, present on the water, therein, wherein the floating fence includes a front floating fence which is disposed on an area on the water opposite to the hitting area, side floating fences which are disposed the left or right sides of the hitting area and the front floating fence, and anchors which fasten the locations of the floating fence and the side floating fences; wherein each of the front floating fence and the side floating fences includes a plurality of buoys and a string which connects the plurality of buoys to one another, which is described in claim 1 of the present application.
[0009] In the water golf driving range described in claim 2 of the present application, a mesh net is disposed above the water, the mesh net is inclined upward from the hitting area to the front floating fence; illumination lights configured to radiate light upward are disposed in the water; the driving distance determination buoys are disposed on the water; and illumination or luminosity is provided onto the driving distance determination buoys.
Advantageous Effects
[0010] According to the present invention, the following effects are provided:
It is considerably easy to secure a practice place because a water field (an area above the water) is provided as a golf practice field, and stress may be relieved and a driving distance may be viewed at a glance because practice is done in an open place.
[0011] Furthermore, it is only necessary to install a lower net that is inclined upward from the hitting area to the front above the water, and thus a golf ball may be seen to be bent to the left or right due to the absence of left and right nets and golf balls fall down on the net and roll toward the hitting area, thereby enabling the golf balls to be more easily collected (conventional ground golf driving ranges have narrow ground areas, and thus lower, upper, left and right nets must be installed. Accordingly, the left and right nets limit the actual trajectories of golf balls, and thus it is difficult to determine the accurate trajectories of hit golf balls).
[0012] Furthermore, the lights are installed in the water and illuminate an area above the water at night, and thus the locations at which golf balls fall may be determined, thereby enabling night golf practice.
[0013] Moreover, the driving distance determination buoys are installed on the water, and illumination or luminosity is provided to allow the locations of the buoys to be determined even at night.
Description of Drawings
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a hitting area is located on the water;
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a hitting area is located on the ground;
FIG. 3 is a side view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a mesh net is installed on the water; and
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which buoys are installed along a front-rear center line.
Mode for Invention
[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a hitting area is located on the water; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a hitting area is located on the ground; FIG. 3 is a side view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a mesh net is installed on the water; and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a water golf driving range according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which buoys are installed along a front-rear center line.
[0017] A water golf driving range 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a hitting area 30 which floats on the surface G of the water, and a fence 50 which confines golf balls therein.
[0018] An object obtained by attaching an artificial turf plate or the like onto a floating plate floatable on the surface of the water, such as Styrofoam or the like, may be used as the hitting area 30.
[0019] Furthermore, an anchor (not shown) configured to be fastened to the bottom of the water is installed on the hitting area 30 or the hitting area 30 is fastened to the fence 50 to be described later, thereby minimizing the movement of the hitting area to other locations on the surface of the water.
[0020] The fence 50 is arranged in a size that partitions off a type of field on the surface of the water.
[0021] Accordingly, a water surface field, such as a type of ground field, is formed inside the hitting area 30 and the fence 50.
[0022] The fence 50 includes a front floating fence 50a configured to be opposite to the hitting area 30, side floating fences 50b disposed between the left and right sides of the front floating fence 50a and the hitting area 30, and anchor parts 50c configured to maintain the shapes of the front floating fence 50a and the side floating fences 50b.
[0023] Each of the front and side floating fences 50a and 50b includes cylindrically shaped fence buoys 51a or 51b and a string 53a or 53b configured to connect the fence buoys 51a or 51b to one another.
[0025] The anchor parts 50c are corner posts configured to maintain a rectangular shape formed by the hitting area 30 and the front and side floating fences 50a and 50b, and include front left and right anchor parts 50c' and back left and right anchor parts 50c".
[0026] Each of the anchor parts 50c may include a rod 51c, a buoy 53c configured to be hung on the rod 51c, and an anchor (not shown) configured to be installed at the lower end of the rod 51c.
[0027] The anchor (not shown) is like a hook, has a shape identical to that of a tool that is used when a ship is anchored, and is used when the depth of the water is large.
[0028] In the case where the depth of the water is small, it is sufficient if a stone having a weight that is not moved by the water and that can be easily pulled, which is smaller than a rock, is made to be hung and come into the bottom of the water.
[0029] By the configuration of the anchor parts 50c, the hitting area 30 and the strings 53a and 53b may be connected to the rods 51c or buoys 53c.
[0030] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in order to quantitatively determine a driving distance, a plurality of driving distance determination buoys 90 or flags may be floated on the water.
[0031] It is sufficient if the driving distance determination buoys 90 are installed for respective driving distances. The buoys 90 may be connected to one another by a string, as shown in FIG. 4, or may be put into the water.
[0032] It will be apparent that driving distances may be easily determined at night by installing lights (not shown), such as LEDs, on the driving distance determination buoys 90 or winding luminous tape (not shown) around the driving distance determination buoys 90.
[0033] Furthermore, illumination lights (not shown) configured to radiate light upward are installed in the water, and illuminate an area above the water even at night, thereby enabling the locations at which golf balls fall to be determined and thus enabling night golf practice.
[0034] It is also preferable that these illumination lights (not shown) are arranged in a straight line from the front to the rear, like the driving distance determination buoys 90.
[0035] The golf balls that have been used for practice are brought to one side by waves, winds or the like, and, thus, may be caught on and collected by the fence 50.
[0036] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a mesh net 70 may be inclined upward from the front to the rear above the water.
[0037] The range of an area above the water is larger than that on the ground, and thus it is sufficient if the mesh net 70 is installed across a lower area. Accordingly, left and right mesh nets are not required unlike in the conventional ground golf driving range, and thus an effect is achieved in that the trajectories of golf balls are the same as those in an actual golf course.
[0038] Furthermore, the mesh net 70 is inclined. Accordingly, when golf balls fall down, they automatically roll toward the hitting area 30 along an inclined surface, thereby enabling the golf balls to be easily collected.
[0039] Meanwhile, the water golf driving range 10" of FIG. 2 is the same in structure and function as the water golf driving range 10 of FIG. 1 except that a hitting area 30" is disposed on the ground G at the edge of the water.
[0040] However, the hitting area 30" is located on the ground G, and thus rear left and right anchor parts 50c" may be connected and fastened to the hitting area 30' or ground G.
[0041] The case where the side floating fences 50b are described as being disposed on left and right sides, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, is intended for use in a lake, a reservoir, a river, the sea, etc.
[0042] For example, in a river or the like having a water flow, it is sufficient if the side floating fence 50b is provided only on a left or right side that lies in a direction that prevents the water from flowing.
[0043] Although the foregoing description has been given with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a person having ordinary skill in the corresponding art may practice the present invention while altering or modifying the present invention in various manners without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention that are described in the following claims.
[Description of reference symbols]
1. A water golf driving range comprising:
a hitting area which is disposed on a surface of a water or a ground near a surface of a water and on which golf balls floating on the water are hit; and a floating fence which confines golf balls, present on the water, therein, wherein the floating fence includes a front floating fence which is disposed on an area on the water opposite to the hitting area, side floating fences which are disposed left or right sides of the hitting area and the front floating fence, and anchors which fasten locations of the floating fence and the side floating fences;
wherein each of the front floating fence and the side floating fences includes a plurality of buoys and a string which connects the plurality of buoys to one another.
2. The water golf driving range of claim 1, wherein:
a mesh net is disposed above the water;
the mesh net is inclined upward from the hitting area to the front floating fence;
illumination lights configured to radiate light upward are disposed in the water;
the driving distance determination buoys are disposed on the water; and
illumination or luminosity is provided onto the driving distance determination buoys.
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description