Putter case and method

A golf bag has removably attached to its exterior a device adapted to hold a putter. The device comprises an elongated tubular member having a closed bottom and an open top. The tubular member has a restricted diameter so that it can only hold a single putter, and a hook element attached to the tubular member near the open top. The hook element grasps said edge of the golf bag to attach the tubular member to the golf bag, with the tubular member extending lengthwise along the exterior of the golf bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a device for holding a putter (or other golf 
equipment) on the exterior of a golf bag to thereby provide easy access to 
the putter. 
2. Background Discussion 
Putters are used on almost every hole a golfer plays. The putter is placed 
inside the receptacle portion of the golf bag, along with all the other 
clubs. Consequently, the golfer needs to sort through all the clubs to 
find the putter almost on every hole. The shaft of the putter is also 
shorter than the other clubs, and this makes it more difficult to find and 
also more likely to be damaged. It, therefore, would be desirable to 
isolate the putter from the other clubs. There are other devices, such as 
ball retrievers, and specialized clubs, which may also be used by the 
golfer. Sometimes, instead of isolating the putter from the rest of the 
clubs, it is desirable to isolate these other devices or specialized 
clubs. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the objective of this invention to provide a device and method for 
isolating a putter, or other special club or piece of golf equipment, from 
the other clubs in the golf bag. 
This invention has several features, no single one of which is solely 
responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of 
this invention as expressed by the claims which follow, its more prominent 
features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, 
and particularly after reading the section entitled, "DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT," one will understand how the features of this 
invention provide its benefits, which include convenience in locating a 
putter or other type of golf club or equipment, simplicity of use, ease of 
assembly, and low cost. 
The first feature of the device of this invention is that it is adapted to 
hold a putter and to be removably attached to the exterior of a golf bag. 
The device includes an elongated tubular member having a closed bottom and 
an open top. 
The second feature is that the tubular member has a restricted diameter so 
that it can only hold a single golf club or other special piece of golf 
equipment. Preferably, the tubular member has a cylindrical configuration 
with a diameter of from about 3/4 to 2 inches. The tubular member may be 
covered with a sheet of water resistant material such as vinyl plastic or 
water proofed leather. 
The third feature is a hook element attached to the tubular member near the 
open top for attaching the tubular member to the golf bag. The hook is 
placed over the edge of the open mouth of the receptacle portion of the 
golf bag, it retains the device in position but permits it to be easily 
removed when desired. 
The fourth feature is that the hook element comprises a flexible band 
wrapped around the tubular member, with opposing ends of the band 
connected by a connector member including a hook. The circumference of the 
tubular member and the length of the band are approximately equal. The 
opposed ends of the band each have a flange member, and these flange 
members are next to each other upon wrapping the band around the 
circumference of the tubular member. Preferably, there are spike members 
protruding from the inside surface of the band which pierce the surface of 
the tubular member upon wrapping the band around the tubular member. The 
connector member includes a slot into which the flange members fit, with 
the slot terminating in a stop which limits the movement of the flange 
members. The slot is oriented, so that the combined weight of the tubular 
member and connector member tend to pull the flanges into the slot and 
against the stop when the hook is placed over the edge of the open mouth 
of the receptacle portion of the golf bag. 
The fifth feature is that the interior surface of the tubular member nearby 
the open top is covered with a fabric material that minimizes the 
likelihood of damaging a shaft of a golf club placed inside the tubular 
member. Any suitable soft fabric may be used. 
The sixth feature is a strap member near the bottom of the tubular member 
that may be attached to the golf bag by wrapping the strap around the golf 
bag. This secures the lower portion of the device in place next to the 
exterior surface of the golf bag. 
This invention also includes a method of carrying a putter and the like by 
placing the putter in an easy to access location on the exterior of a golf 
bag. This method includes: 
(a) providing a device including an elongated tubular member having a 
closed bottom and an open top, said tubular member having a restricted 
diameter so that it can only hold a single putter, and a hook element 
attached to the tubular member near the open top for attaching the tubular 
member to the golf bag, 
(b) removably attaching the device to the golf bag by placing the tubular 
member next to the exterior of the golf bag and engaging said hook element 
with an edge of the golf bag forming an open mouth into which clubs a 
placed, and 
(c) inserting the putter lengthwise into the tubular member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
First Embodiment 
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the first embodiment of the device 10 of 
this invention includes a tubular member 12 having a restricted diameter 
of approximately from 3/4 to 2 inches, that is adapted to hold only a 
single golf club 14, for example, a putter or wedge, or another piece of 
golf equipment such as a golf ball retriever. The tubular member 12 has a 
generally cylindrical shape with a lip 16 at the open end 18 of the 
member. A plug 20 is inserted into the bottom 22 of the tubular member 12 
to close off and seal the bottom. The exterior of the tubular member 12 
optionally may be covered with a vinyl or leather sheet material 24 for 
aesthetic reasons. This sheet material 24 is bonded by an adhesive to the 
exterior of the tubular member 12. 
At the open end 18 of the tubular member 12 is a clip 26 for removably 
attaching the device 10 to the edge 27 of an open mouth 29 of the 
receptacle portion of a golf bag 31. The clip 26 includes a ring 28 which 
surrounds the open end of the tubular member and abuts the underside of 
lip 16 and a hook element 32 securely attached to the ring. The ring 28 is 
bonded by an adhesive to the exterior surface of the sheet material 24 and 
is fixed too the tubular member 12 to hold the clip 26 in position 
adjacent the open end 18 of the tubular member 12. 
Preferably, there is around the exterior of the ring 28 and bonded to the 
ring by an adhesive a hook element 34 of a hook and fabric type connector. 
This enables, for example, a golf towel 36 to be attached to the device 10 
by simply pushing the towel against the hook element 34. Velcro 
Corporation makes a suitable hook element 34. On the interior of the 
tubular element at the open end 18 is a fabric material 46. This fabric 
material 46 may be woven or non-woven, and it serves to protect the shaft 
50 (FIG. 3) of a putter (or other club) upon inserting the club into the 
tubular member 12. 
Near the bottom 22 of the tubular member 12 is a strap 38 attached to the 
sheet material 24, for example, by sewing. The strap 38 has at opposite 
ends, respectively, a male element 40 and a female element 42 of a clasp 
44 for securing the ends of the strap together. This strap 38 thus holds 
the lower portion of the device 10 snug against the exterior of the golf 
bag 31, when the device 10 is attached to the golf bag 31. 
To use this invention, the golfer simply forces the hook element 34 over 
the edge 27 surrounding the open mouth 29 of the golf bag 31, and then 
wraps the strap 38 around the exterior of the lower section of the golf 
bag, bringing the male element 40 and female element 42 together to close 
the clasp 44. Upon inserting, for example, the golf club 14 into the 
interior of the tubular member 12, the shaft 50 will rub against the 
fabric material 46 to avoid or minimize any damage. This is especially 
important with graphite shafts. To detach the device 10, the hook element 
34 is simply slipped off the edge after first opening the clasp 44 by 
decoupling the male element 40 and female element 42. 
Although golfers are most likely to use the device 10 of this invention in 
connection with isolating putters from the remainder of the clubs 
contained within the receptacle portion of the golf bag 31, this device 
may also be used for holding golf ball retrievers or other specialized 
clubs such as wedges or chippers. Because the diameter of the tubular 
member 12 is restricted, it will hold only one golf club. With the device 
10 mounted on the exterior of the golf bag 31, not only is the golf club 
isolated from the other clubs in the receptacle portion of the golf bag, 
the isolated golf club is always handy and the golfer does not have to 
sort through all the clubs in the golf bag to find the isolated club or 
other piece of golf equipment contained in the device. 
Second Embodiment 
As best shown in FIGS. 4 through 11, the second embodiment of this 
invention, the device 100, also includes the tubular member 12 having a 
generally cylindrical shape with the lip 16 at the open end 18 of the 
member. The exterior of the tubular member 12 optionally may be covered 
with a vinyl or leather sheet material 24. 
In accordance with one feature of this invention, there is a flexible band 
102 wrapped around the tubular member 12, with opposing ends of the band 
connected by a connector member 104 including a hook 106. As shown in FIG. 
8B, the band 102 is normally elongated, but it is flexible so that it may 
be wrapped around the tubular member 12 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The 
circumference of the tubular member 12 and the length of the band 102 are 
approximately equal. 
The flexible band 102 may be made of a polymeric material such as 
polyethylene and it has opposed ends which each have a flange member 102a 
and 102b. These flange members 102a and 102b are next to each other, 
preferably abutting, upon wrapping the band 102 around the circumference 
of the tubular member 12. As shown in FIG. 10, when next to each other, 
the flange members 102a and 102b, in cross-section, have a substantially 
T-shape configuration. Preferably, there are spikes 108 protruding from 
the inside surface of the band 102 which pierce the surface of the tubular 
member 12 upon wrapping the band around the tubular member. 
The connector member 104 includes a slot 110 into which the flange members 
102a and 102b fit. The slot 110 has a substantially T-shape configuration 
about the same dimensions as the T-shape configuration of the abutting, or 
near abutting, flange members 102a and 102b when in the position shown in 
FIG. 10. The slot 110 has an open top end 110a and terminates at an 
internal end to provide a stop wall 112 that limits the movement of the 
flange members 102a and 102b into the slot. The connector member 104 is 
positioned beneath the band 102 which has been located near the open end 
18 and wrapped around the exterior of tubular member 12. The connector 
member 104 is then pushed upward to slip the flange members 102a and 102b 
into the T-shaped slot 110. The inside ends of the flange members 102a and 
102b engage the stop wall 112, so that essentially the entire body of each 
of the flange members is within the slot 110 upon assembly of the band 102 
and the connector member 110. 
With the connector member 104 attached to the flange members 102a and 102b, 
the hook 106 is positioned to engage to the edge 27 of an open mouth 29 of 
the receptacle portion of a golf bag 31 when the device 100 is placed on 
the bag. The slot 110 is oriented with its open end 110a near the open end 
18 of the tubular member 12, so that the combined weight of the putter, 
tubular member and connector member 104 tend to pull the flange members 
102a and 102b into the slot and against the stop wall 112 when the hook 
106 is placed over the edge 27 of the open mouth 29 of the receptacle 
portion of the golf bag 31. 
SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated of carrying 
out the present invention, and of the manner and process of making and 
using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any 
person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this 
invention. This invention is, however, susceptible to modifications and 
alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully 
equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention 
to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is 
to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the 
spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the following 
claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject 
matter of the invention: