Golf game board assembly

An assembly to play golf on a game board and characterized by using die-like polyhedrons which are each marked on the faces thereof with indicia defining playing directions cooperatively associated with the polyhedron to indicate achieved move or results corresponding to those of a real golf game. Each polyhedron and the indicia thereon are cooperatively associated to define substantially the same proportional likelihood of achieving any particular result as in a real golf game at the tee, along the fairway, and on the green. This is achieved by the assembly comprising separate polyhedrons for driving, for the fairway, and for putting, and such that any polyhedron is shaped and marked to respect the above-mentioned proportional likelihood upon operative throwing thereof. The polyhedrons include a largest polyhedron of 50 faces, an intermediate polyhedron of 26 faces and a smallest polyhedron of 12 faces.

This invention relates to a game board and, more particularly, to a game 
board assembly of the type including a game board and die-like polyhedrons 
cooperatively associated to the game board to define the playing 
directions. 
The real golf game involves many effects or results achievable by striking 
the ball. For instance, the stroke may cause the ball to travel one of 
many possible distances, either generally in line with the cup, to the 
left, or the right; the stroke may result in a hole-in-one, in a par, or 
in another number of strokes to sink the ball in the cup, or the ball 
falls in a trap of either sand or water. Besides, in a real golf game, at 
the tee-off, the likelihood of achieving or obtaining a par or a 
hole-in-one is smaller than of simply advancing some yardage along the 
fairway. Similarly, on the fairway, the likelihood of achieving or 
obtaining a hit on the green or a birdie is possible but smaller than 
obtaining a bogey, a double bogey or even a higher score. 
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a golf game 
board and assembly which is a close simulation of a real golf game 
including the golf course layout and the results achievable by each stroke 
as the play progresses for each hole from the tee to the green. 
It is another general object of the present invention to provide a golf 
game board assembly wherein the moves or results of the strokes are not a 
strict matter of chance but allows for the exercise of some skill by the 
participants, more particularly in the throwing of different die-like 
polyhedrons. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf game 
board assembly wherein the possibilities of achieving any particular 
result at a tee, along a fairway, or on a green, are made substantially 
equivalent to the possibilities of encountering the same result in a real 
golf game at the corresponding places respectively. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a golf game board 
assembly of the above type, wherein each die-like polyhedron is shaped and 
marked with playing directions indicia to define results and occurrences 
as normally achievable at either the tee, the fairway, or the green in a 
real golf game.

The golf game board assembly includes a game board 1, illustrated in FIGS. 
1 and 2; a driving polyhedron 2, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4; a fairway 
polyhedron 3, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6; a putting polyhedron 4, 
illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8; a number of markers 5, as illustrated in 
FIG. 9; and, not shown, cards with playing directions and a pad of score 
sheets and appropriate explanations. 
The game board 1 may be of any suitable material, such as plastics, 
cardboard, etc., and is of rectangular shape. A golf course layout is 
printed or otherwise marked on one face of the game board. For instance, 
the golf course layout may be printed on a sheet adhered on one face of 
the game board. The golf course layout in this example includes 18 holes 
but it could as well have only 9 holes. As outlined in FIG. 1, the layout 
includes obstacles, such as trees, defining out-of-bounds 6, sand traps 7 
and water traps 8 spread among the course as is usually the case on a real 
golf course. Each hole includes a tee identified by a square 9 having the 
number of the hole inscribed or marked therein and by a pointer, or arrow 
10, having the par number and the yardage of the hole marked or incribed 
thereon. Each hole also includes a flag 11 indicating the position of the 
cup on the corresponding green 12. 
As may be seen in FIG. 1, each hole is of a different design of fairway 13 
and green 12. As best shown in FIG. 2, each fairway 13 is transversely 
divided into four laterally adjoining lanes 14, 15, 16, and 17, extending 
lengthwise from the tee, defined by the square 9, to the end of the green 
12 remote from the tee. The lanes 14, 15, 16, and 17 define a left lane, a 
left-center lane, a right-center lane and a right lane respectively 
appropriately identified by the letters L, LC, RC, and R respectively. The 
fairway 13 is further divided by transverse lines 18 cooperatively forming 
with the corresponding lanes a grid of 50 yards by 50 yards square. The 
yardage from 50 yards to 50 yards is marked along the fairway from the tee 
to the far end of the green 12. 
The driving die-like polyhedron 2 includes 50 flat faces. These 50 faces 
comprise 18 octogonal flat faces 19; 8 hexagonal flat faces 20; and 24 
trapezoidal flat faces 21. Each hexagonal face 19 is marked with a number 
and lettering indicating the yardage that the corresponding marker 5 is to 
be advanced along a fairway and in which lane; left (L), left center (LC), 
right center (RL), or right (R). Each hexagonal face 20 is marked with the 
letter P to indicate that a par result has been achieved by the player. 
Each trapzeoidal face 21 is marked with a dot which is meant to indicate 
that a hole-in-one result has been achieved. 
The fairway polyhedron 3 includes 26 flat faces. These 26 faces comprises 
18 square faces 22 and 8 triangular faces 23. Each of 12 square faces 22 
is marked with a number and lettering to indicate the yardage to advance 
the corresponding marker 5 and in which lane. The remainder 6 square faces 
22 are each marked with a G to indicate that the corresponding marker 5 
has reached the green for this hole. Each of the eight triangular faces 23 
is marked with a C to indicate that a card of instruction must be picked 
up and the playing directions thereof must be followed. 
The putting polyhedron 4 includes 12 flat faces 24, each of pentagon shape, 
and having a smaller number marked thereon to indicate the number of 
strokes a player must count as having been required to putt the ball on 
the green into the cup. The numbers 1, 2, and 3 are marked on four, six 
and two faces respectively. 
The golf ball position marker 5 includes a circular base 25 and a circular 
grip portion 26 fixed edgewise on the base. Preferably, eight (8) such 
markers are included in the assembly and are of different colors to allow 
identification of the marker of each player or participant. 
The three polyhedrons 2, 3, and 4 are of decreasing sizes from the driving 
polyhedron 2 which is the biggest, to the putting polyhedron 4 which is 
the smallest. 
Looking at FIG. 4, it will be seen that an hexagonal face 20 is smaller 
than an octogonal face 19, and that a trapezoidal face 21 is smaller than 
an hexagonal face. The chance, or likelihood, of hitting a hole-in-one is 
thus smaller than of hitting a par. Similarly, the chance, or likelihood, 
of hitting a par is smaller than of hitting a gain in yardage along the 
fairway. Besides, as there are only eight par faces 20 as compared to 18 
yardage faces 19, the odds are that much more weighted in favor of a gain 
of yardage rather than a par. There are more faces (24) for a hole-in-one; 
however, these faces are so small that the likelihood of hitting a 
hole-in-one are not higher than of hitting a par. The above is such that 
the chances, or likelihood, at the tee to get a par or a hole-in-one 
substantially correspond to the same chances or likelihood at the tee of a 
real game of golf. As seen above, this is due to the relative sizes and 
number of faces 19, 20, and 21. 
The same principle has guided the construction of the fairway polyhedron, 
such that on the fairway, the likelihood of reaching the green corresponds 
to the likelihood of achieving the same result in a real golf game. 
When on a tee, the player throws, in die-like manner, the driving 
polyhedron 2. He then advances his marker 5, say, 25 yards in the left 
lane of he reads L250 on the face ending on top of the thrown polyhedron. 
If, instead, a face with the letter P ends on top, all previous strokes 
for this hole are to be cancelled; the player writes a par on his score 
sheet and he places his marker 5 on the tee of the next hole. If, instead, 
a hole-in-one or dotted face ends on top, if on a par-3, a hole in-one is 
written on his score sheet; if on a par-4 or par-5, the player throws 
again without counting the previous stroke. 
The driving polyhedron must be used to tee off and on fairways until his 
marker is within 150 yards of the green, except as noted below. 
The fairway polyhedron 3 is used on the fairway when the marker 5 is not 
more than 150 yards from the green and may be used on tee-off on par-3 
holes only. 
The putting polyhedron 4 is used when the marker 5 has reached the green. 
This polyhedron is thrown to define how many strokes 1, 2, or 3 are taken 
to putt the ball into the cup. 
The golf game board assembly according to the present invention also 
includes 36 cards marked with playing directions. In this embodiment, the 
36 cards consist of nine different cards repeated 4 times. The nine 
different cards are marked with the following playing directions 
respectively, as follows: 
1. Put your golf ball position marker 5 on the green; Count one stroke for 
this card. 
2. You have birdied this hole. Do not count a stroke for this card. 
Eliminate all previous shots, if any; 
3. You bogey this hole. Disregard all strokes. Go according to card. Do not 
count a stroke for this card. Place your ball on the next tee. 
4. Put your ball on the green and take one putt. It also applies on par-3. 
Count one stroke for this card. 
5. Eliminate sand trap on this fairway, if in it. Move your ball marker 
sideways but to not gain distance. Disregard this card on holes 7-10 
without sand straps. Do not count a stroke for this card. Throw die again. 
6. You par this hole. Disregard all strokes played before. Place your golf 
ball marker on the next tee. 
7. This card eliminates your water trap, if any, on the fairway you are on. 
Put your golf ball marker over the water trap. Disregard this card, if on 
fairway without water trap. Do not count one stroke for this card. Throw 
die again. 
8. You double bogey this hole. Disregard all strokes. Go according to card. 
Do not count a stroke for this card. Place your golf ball marker on next 
tee. 
9. Keep this card for out-of-bounds, if any on the fairway you are on. If 
not used, return to bottom of pack. Do not count a stroke for this card. 
Throw die again. 
It must be appreciated that the number of instruction cards and of 
different playing directions on these cards may be carried and the playing 
directions may be revised without departing from the spirit and scope of 
the present invention. 
The above-mentioned playing instructions and other playing instructions 
compatible with the real golf game are written in a book supplied with the 
golf game board assembly.