Abstract:
A golf mat for holding multiple tees for golf practice. The mat has a foam bottom in underlying relation to an artificial turf into which is formed a plurality of recesses each of which is adapted to accommodate a golf tee that lies in the recess, placing it out of the path of a golf club. This provides a longer lasting mat and golf tee combination.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates, generally, to golf mats. More particularly, it relates to a golf mat that houses a plurality of golf tees. It also includes a golf tee connector or insert that holds the tee in the mat. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Some golf mats have training lines to follow as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,494 to Dionne. Some swivel as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,398 to Kibamoto. 
   The known mats are used with conventional tees that are mounted under the mat and which extend upwardly through a tee-accommodating opening formed in the mat. This makes the mat vulnerable because a golf club can strike the opening where the tee extends through the mat and tears the mat around the opening. Repeatedly striking the tee also creates a huge resistance to the golf club. Therefore, when the club strikes the tee it catches the tee and starts to open and tear the hole. Accordingly, the mat tears around the hole long before the top of the mat is worn out. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,541 to Martino discloses an improved mat structure that includes addition of a stronger section around the tee-accommodating opening, thereby providing a longer playing time before the mat tears. However, the Martino improvement does not totally solve the problem of the mat tearing around the hole. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention discloses a golf mat structure having a recess to allow a golf tee to set inside the recess to remove the tee from the path of the golf club and enabling the golf tee to connect to the mat with a golf tee connector. The improved mat houses the golf tee out of harms way by lowering it into the mat. Putting the golf tee under the top of the mat makes it harder to hit the base to snag it or pull it with the club. This feature keeps the base of the tee flush with the top of the mat and prevents the tee from being struck on its base by a golf club. 
   The novel tee includes a golf tee connector to connect to it to the mat so that the tee and mat are one apparatus. The golf tee is height-adjustable. It has a flexible base that has minimal resistance because it flexes in the direction it is struck, thereby giving the player a smoother swing. The novel tee quickly returns to its position of repose after being struck. This feature enables the tee to last longer than any tee that comes up from the bottom of the mat. This prevents having to repeatedly replace the tee, thereby saving time and money. 
   Indentions formed in the bottom of the tee enable the tee to flex in ideal locations when struck by a golf club, thereby allowing a smoother swing with no interruptions from the base of the tee coming up and pushing on the club as it passes through the tee. The shape of the tee allows it to maintain its stationary position when struck and still allows a person to hit the tee at an angle so that the tee can flex side to side vigorously when struck at an improper angle. 
   The golf tee connector connects the tee to the mat without mat rotation and also keeps the tee from rotating with respect to the mat as well. The golf tee connector adjusts to many different heights. It easily and quickly connects to the mat and tee with no complex parts, and also interlocks with itself to eliminate rotation. 
   A second embodiment includes a novel step tee that enables a user to slip the novel tee through an insert in the mat. This is an easy slip in design that is quick and simple to connect to the mat and replace when needed. This embodiment of the tee does not need a golf tee connector to connect it to the mat. This tee also saves time and money relative to the costly replacement of conventional tees that come up from the bottom of the mat. This embodiment of the novel tee has the same structural features on the top most part of the tee as the first embodiment of the tee and enables a golfer to gain the same ease and smooth swing path. This embodiment of the tee has an extra vertical step down and a lower continuation of the base to help in holding the tee to the mat when connected and slipped through the insert. 
   A novel insert pushes into the mat and allows the tee to extend through the mat. The insert reinforces the section around the mat where the tee goes through to help prevent the mat from ripping apart. The insert holds the tee in the correct place and keeps it from rotating and coming out of the mat when struck by a golf club. 
   In accordance with the present invention a golf mat apparatus comprises a mat that has a recessed shape in the top to house a golf tee that connects with a golf tee connector or a golf tee that connects through an insert that holds the golf tee so it can be struck by a golf club and that enables it to come back into place and to place it out of the direct path of a golf club to obtain a free flowing swing with no catching the tee for improved golf practice. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a novel golf mat. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a mat that has a bottom base with longer artificial turf than the mat of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the novel mat. 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of a top part of a connector. 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a bottom part of the connector. 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the golf tee connector that holds the tee to the mat. 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the golf tee used in connection with the novel mat. 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of said golf tee. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of said golf tee. 
       FIG. 10  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 11  is a top plan view of the novel mat when configured for right handed players. 
       FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the novel mat when configured for left handed players. 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the novel mat and an embodiment of golf tees that slip through an insert formed in the mat. 
       FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of a step golf tee that slips through the insert formed in the mat. 
       FIG. 15  is a top plan view of the step golf tee that slips through the insert in the mat. 
       FIG. 16  is a bottom plan view of the step golf tee that slips through the insert in the mat. 
       FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the step golf tee that slips through the insert in the mat. 
       FIG. 18  is a side elevational view of the novel insert. 
       FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the insert. 
       FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of a mat with an insert and the step golf tee; and 
       FIG. 21  is a top plan view of a mat including step golf tees and inserts. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A preferred embodiment of the golf mat apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Mat  20  has a foam base  24 . Artificial turf  22  overlies base  24 . Recess  28  accommodates elongate, flexible flat base  26  and connector  30 . 
     FIG. 2  differs from  FIG. 1  only to the extent that artificial turf  22  has a greater length than the artificial turf of the  FIG. 1  embodiment. Foam base  24  may also be thicker or thinner than the foam base of  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 3  is a top plan view of mat  20  having recesses  28  formed in artificial turf  22 . 
     FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the top part of a novel golf tee connector. Square part  36  engages the bottom part of the connector and keeps it from rotating. X-shaped part  38  holds the golf tee and keeps the golf tee from rotating. 
     FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the base of the golf tee connector. Square part  40  engages the top part of the connector to keep it from rotating. Spikes  42  keep the base of connector  30  from rotating when connected under the mat. Nut  46  on the bottom of the connector screwthreadedly engages bolt  44 , depicted in  FIG. 6 , to hold the parts of connector  30  together. 
     FIG. 6  is an exploded view of golf tee connector  30 . Bolt  44  holds the top and base of golf tee connector  30  together as aforesaid. 
     FIG. 7  is a top plan view of elongate, flexible flat base  26  including cylinder stem  48  and X-shaped cutout  50  that accommodates golf tee connector  30  to hold the tee in place and keep it from rotating. 
     FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of elongate, flexible flat base  26 . Two indentations  52  enable golf tee  26  to flex in ideal locations to allow for a smoother swing that is uninterrupted by the base hitting the bottom of the golf club as it passes through the tee. 
     FIG. 9  is a perspective view of elongate, flexible flat base  26 . Upstanding cylindrical stem  48  supports a golf ball. 
     FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of mat  20  having foam bottom  24 , artificial turf  22 , and recess  28  to house elongate, flexible flat base  26  that is attached to mat  20  by golf tee connector  30  having spikes  42  formed on its base to keep said golf tee connector  30  from rotating with the tee. 
     FIG. 11  is a top plan view of an embodiment of mat  20  having right handed recesses  54  formed in artificial turf  22 . 
     FIG. 12  is a top plan view of an embodiment of mat  20  having left handed recesses  56  formed in artificial turf  22 . 
     FIG. 13  is a perspective view of mat  20  having a plurality of recesses  28  formed therein, each of which enables a step golf tee  66  to penetrate mat  20  through insert  58 , depicted in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , that is positioned in mat  20 . Insert  58  enables each tee  66  to sit level with the top of the mat out of harm&#39;s way. 
     FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of step golf tee  66 . It has lower base  70  formed integrally with vertical wall  68  that is formed integrally with horizontal top wall  74  to which golf-ball-supporting upstanding cylinder stem  48  is mounted. Outer bevel  72  gives the step golf tee  66  sufficient strength to snap it back into place when the top of step golf tee  66  is struck by a golf club. When a golf club strikes step golf tee  66 , it flexes in two locations that are formed on an underside of wall  74 . More particularly, indentations  52  enable wall  74  to flex in ideal locations and keep wall  74  from pushing the golf club in an upward direction when the golf club continues through the swing plane and passes over said step golf tee  66 . 
     FIG. 15  is a top plan view of step golf tee  66  and therefore includes a top plan view of cylindrical stem  48  at the leading end of said step golf tee. 
     FIG. 16  is a bottom plan view of step golf tee  66  and therefore includes a bottom plan view of indentations  52 . 
     FIG. 17  is a perspective view of step golf tee  66 . 
     FIG. 18  is a side elevational view of insert  58 . 
     FIG. 19  is a perspective view of insert  58 . Rectangular slot  62  enables vertical wall  68  of step golf tee  66  to pass through golf mat  20 . Beveled surface  64  matches up with outer bevel  72  to allow step tee  66  to lay flat when vertical wall  68  extends through rectangular slot  62  of insert  58 . 
   More particularly, insert  58  is adapted to fit within the vertically-extending opening. Insert  58  has a top part, a middle part, and a bottom part that are integrally formed with one another. Vertically-extending rectangular slot  62  is formed in the middle part and is adapted to receive vertical interconnecting wall  68  that joins together elongate, flat top part  74  and truncate flat part  70 . 
   The top part has a top wall and the middle part has a top wall. The respective top walls have a height differential substantially equal to a thickness of elongate, flat top part  74  of elongate step-shaped base  66  when said elongate step-shaped base is positioned within one of the recesses so that the top wall of the top part is substantially flush with a top surface of the elongate, flat top part  74  of elongate step-shaped base  66  when said elongate step-shaped base is positioned within one of the recesses. 
   The top part and middle part have co-planar bottom walls and the bottom part has a bottom wall. The co-planar bottom walls and the bottom part bottom wall have a height differential substantially equal to a thickness of truncate flat part  70  of elongate step-shaped base  66  when said elongate step-shaped base is positioned within one of the recesses so that the bottom wall of the bottom part abuts the support surface that supports the golf mat. 
   A bevel is formed at an intersection of elongate, flat top part  74  and vertical interconnecting wall  68  as depicted in  FIG. 20 . Corresponding bevel  64  is formed in rectangular slot  62  at an upper end thereof so that said bevels flatly abut one another when the vertical interconnecting wall is fully received within the rectangular slot as depicted in  FIG. 20 . 
     FIG. 20  is a longitudinal cross-sectional elevational view of mat  20  having insert  58  in it to hold step golf tee  66 . The top of said tee lies in recess  28  formed in artificial turf  22  and base wall  70  of step golf tee  66  lies in mat undercut  76  formed in the bottom of the mat. 
     FIG. 21  is a top plan view of mat  20  depicting step golf tee  66  inserted into insert  58  and lying in recess  28 . 
   The novel mat can be made in various shapes such as, but not limited to, square, oval, triangular, hexagon, etc. Also the recessed shape can have many designs that will help in lowering the golf tee into the base of the mat, with some designs disclosed above. Furthermore the insert shape can be altered to improve the efficiency of the insert allowing for design freedom without altering its functionality.