Abstract:
An installation includes at least one starting head and at least one green provided with a hole, a device for recovering balls from the green and in the vicinity of the green, and an arrangement for returning the balls to the starting head. The installation further includes an arrangement enabling the player to evaluate the precision of his strokes and measure his skill alone or with respect to other players.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an installation for the game and the practicing of golf and more particularly with regard to a shot or stroke for hitting or sending a golf ball onto a green or into a hole thereof. 
     Golf training installations or &#34;practices&#34; are known in which the players may improve their technique and more particularly their movements and their striking power. These practices however do not permit a measurement of the precision of a stroke relative to a precise objective. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an installation which permits an improvement in the conditions in which players may start or train for the practice of golf and a measurement of their skill relative to a precise object. 
     The invention therefore provides an installation for the game and the practising of golf comprising at least one starting head or tee position and at least one green provided with a hole, a device for recovering balls located on the green and in the vicinity of the green, and means for returning the balls to the starting head, the ball recovering device comprising a rake mounted to be movable in a direction parallel to the surface of the green so as to cover the entire area thereof, the rake having a lower edge located at a distance from the surface of the green which is less than the diameter of a ball, a device for driving the rake and means for receiving the balls moved by the rake, wherein the rake extends radially from the axis of the hole of the green, is mounted to be rotatable at one end about an axis coinciding with the axis of the hole, and carries in the vicinity of its outer end at least one rolling member bearing on a rolling track. 
     According to other features of the invention: 
     the practising device comprises a motor speed-reducer unit driving the rake in rotation about the axis of the hole of the green, the unit being located in a cavity in the vicinity of the axis of the hole and below the level of the green; 
     the means for receiving the balls comprise a trough located at the periphery of the green and a discharge pipe downwardly inclined from the hole of the green to the trough at the periphery of the green; 
     the bottom of the trough has a continuous downward inclination from at least one upper point to at least one lower point connected to the means for returning the balls to the starting head; 
     the means for returning the balls to the starting head comprise a conduit provided with a ball entrance orifice at the lower point of the trough located at the periphery of the green; 
     the installation further comprises at least one camera installed at a height in proximity to the green and connected to a receiving screen located in the vicinity of the starting head; 
     the installation includes a control device in proximity to the starting head, connected to the ball recovering device, to the camera and to the screen, and optionally a green selector and means for working out a score. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given solely by way of example and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a golf practicing green according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale in the region of the hole of the green; 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a rake driving device; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of a rake; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of another embodiment of the rake; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view of another embodiment of a green according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an installation according to the invention and its control device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Shown in FIG. 1 is a green 1 of circular shape, substantially planar, surrounded by a ground 2 which downwardly slopes toward the green. The green is separated from the surrounding ground by a circular trough 3 whose width exceeds the diameter of a golf ball. A radial trough 5 extends from a hole 4 at the center of the green to the circular trough 3. A pipe 6 for discharging balls which have dropped into the hole 4 extends under the green between the hole 4 and the circular trough 3. However, this pipe is not indispensable. 
     The circular trough 3 has an upper point shown by reference character A and the bottom of the trough is downwardly inclined in a continuous manner toward a lower point B. Extending from this point B is a pipe 7 connected to a device 44 for returning the balls to a starting head or position. The device 44 may be constructed in any suitable manner, e.g. as: 
     an inclined conduit returning the balls under the effect of gravity to a point in the vicinity of the starting head, in which case elevating means may be provided for raising the balls to the level of the starting head if necessary; 
     a conduit associated with pneumatic or hydraulic suction-producing means; 
     mechanical means of the conveyor belt or scoop conveyor type. 
     Extending radially from the hole 4 of the green is a rake 8 whose free end is connected to a driving carriage 9 (FIG. 2) which rolls on a circular rolling track 10 extending annularly of the green. In its position of rest, the rake overlies at least a part of the trough 5. Circular concentric bands 11, each having for center the hole 4 of the green, extend over the surface of the green 1. 
     The ground 2 surrounding the green 1 has for example a regular slope toward the circular trough 3. Ground 2 may include obstacles imitating, for example, bunkers also provided with orifices 40 and conduits 41 for recovering the balls which have fallen into such bunkers. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, it can seen that the green 1 includes a flag 12 placed in the hole 4. Preferably, the trough 5 is located opposite the region in which the players are placed for playing their strokes so as to occupy a blind angle defined by the staff of the flag 12. Furthermore, the trough 3 is spaced outwardly away from the periphery of the green, the region 13 between the periphery of the green and the trough 3 sloping downwardly from the green to the trough 3. 
     The staff of the flag 12 is carried by a vertical tube (see FIG. 3) located at the center of the hole 4. Screwthreadedly engaged on this central tube are a lower ring 14 and an upper ring 15 of Teflon (trademark). Each of these rings has on its outer surface a copper ring 16 whose function will be explained hereinafter. Placed above the upper ring 15 is a metal wear ring 17. The rake 8 is connected at its central end relative to the green to a cylindrical sleeve 18 which surrounds the staff of the flag 12 and bears against the wear ring 17. Preferably, this sleeve is provided with an anti-friction material 18a so as to rotate without friction around the staff of the flag 12. 
     The other end of the rake 8 is provided with driving carriage 9 having an electric motor 19 which drives through a belt 20 or other transmission means a driving wheel 21. The carriage 9 is also provided with a second wheel 22 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The two wheels 21, 22 roll along the rolling track 10 and drive the rake 8 in a circular motion about its axis of rotation. Known means (not shown) are provided for actuating the motor only during a period corresponding to a complete rotation of the rake. These means may for example comprise an electromagnetically controlled switch placed in the supply circuit of the motor 19 and closed when it is desired to shift the rake. After a complete rotation of the latter, suitable means cause a mechanical opening of the switch and consequently the cutting off of the supply of the motor. 
     According to the illustrated embodiment, the rake 8 has in its lower part a cross-section in the shape of an isosceles triangle having an apex pointing upwardly. The base of this triangular section (see FIG. 6) may include intermediate supports 23 provided with wheels preferably bearing on the bands 11. Extending within this triangular section of the rake is a supply cable 24 for the motor 19. The base of the triangular section is at a height H from the ground which is distinctly less than the diameter of a golf ball 26. 
     In a modification shown in FIG. 7, the triangular section of the rake is not uniform but decreases from the base of the rake to its free end. 
     In an embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8, the installation comprises a second circular trough 26 which is lower than the circular trough 3 and located between two slopes 42 and 43 which converge toward this second trough 26. 
     The installation further comprises a camera 27 in proximity to the green and above the latter, this camera being connected to at least one screen 28 in proximity to the starting head 29 (see FIG. 9). The camera is for example carried by a mast and is orientable if a plurality of greens must be covered. Also in proximity to the starting head 29 is a control device comprising an actuating apparatus 30 requiring the insertion of coins, tokens, magnetic cards or other means. This apparatus is well-known in the art and has not been shown in detail. The control device also includes means 31 for selecting a target, in the present instance a green, and a ball distributor 32. The control device is connected to the motor 19 and optionally to a light signal for facilitating the location of the hole, and ball return means 44. 
     The screen 28 is connected to a computer 33 which is associated with a printer 34 which compiles a score card 35. 
     A player who wishes to play or practice golf with an installation such as that shown in FIG. 9, must possess tokens, coins or a magnetic card to bring into operation the actuator 30. This actuator connects the whole of the installation to the power supply. The player then selects, as the case may be, the green on which he will play. The actuator actuates the ball distributor 32 which delivers for example twenty balls marked in a characteristic manner. This marking may be formed by a color, a reference or some design on the surface of the balls. 
     The player places the first ball on the starting head 29 and plays his first stroke in the direction of the hole of the selected green. If the ball lands on the ground surrounding the chosen green, this ball will roll into a trough 3 or 26 owing to the slope of the surrounding ground 2. If the ball reaches the green and stays thereon, its position will appear on the screen 28. This position is located by means of the bands 11 which define circular regions on the green. The player can therefore ascertain in a precise manner whether the ball is too long, too short, on the right or on the left. If the ball drops into the hole 4, it is immediately discharged through the pipe 6 to the ball returning device 44. The player can see on the screen 28 that his ball has directly entered the hole 4. Sound means or a flashing signal may moreover be provided for indicating this success. The same player or another player can then play another stroke. When each of the players has used all of the balls supplied to him by the distributor, the computer indicates the position of the balls of each of the players on the screen and allocates to them, in accordance with their position, a certain number of points, these points being printed on the card 35 by the printer 34. Upon this printing, the computer delivers to the control device a signal which causes the actuation of the rake 8 for sweeping across the surface of the green and bringing the balls to the radial trough 5. Under the effect of gravity, the balls will reach the circular trough 3 and will reach the ball distributor through the return pipe 7 and the device 44. 
     When it rotates, the rake pushes a certain number of balls on the green directly toward the circular trough 3. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the computer is adapted to form on the screen 28 and image which is superimposed on that provided by the camera 27 and corresponds to the shape of a chosen green. In this case, the image of the green is so centered that the two holes are coincident. The image produced by the computer may also define regions each of which corresponds to score. It is consequently possible to project the image of the greens of famous golf courses or more simply the shape of the greens of a neighboring golf course. For this purpose it is sufficient that the required data be stored in the memory of the computer. Thus, the player will have the impression of practicing on this special green. 
     The described installation affords many advantages: 
     an initiation or a training in the game of golf may be rendered more attractive by the drawing up of scores which may moreover take into account handicaps which the players enter into the control device; 
     it allows an automatic operation in particular as concerns the recovery of the balls, which is also an advantage from the point of view of security; 
     the players can ascertain, without moving, the position of their balls, even if they are at a great distance from the hole they are playing; 
     the use of a computer permits a simulation of the shapes and of the surrounding of very varied greens and renders the game still more attractive; 
     this installation is not very complicated and does not involve very high investment costs so that it should become profitable. 
     Note also that many modifications may be evisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, for example: 
     the installation may include a training device comprising a motor speed-reducer unit driving the rake in rotation about the axis of the hole of the green; the motor speed-reducer unit may be located in a cavity under the green in proximity to the vertical axis of the hole; in this modification, the output shaft of the motor speed-reducer unit is connected to the inner end of the rake for driving the latter in rotation; 
     the installation may merely consist of the ball recovering means on and in the vivinity of the green; 
     it may be completed by a camera and screen system; 
     it may be more elaborate, as described hereinbefore, with the use of a computer for recognizing the balls on the image, calculating the scores, producing on the screen images of greens and the immediate environment (bunkers, water obstacles, etc.), taking handicaps into account, or actuating a printer, etc.; 
     many modifications may also be made in the realization of the means employed in this installation and in particular of the means for recovering and returning the balls; also the location of a hole at the center of the green is not essential.