Golf club supporting device

A device for supporting a least a portion of a golf club relative to a ground surface. The inventive device includes a ground engaging assembly for piercing and engaging a ground surface. A handle engaging assembly is coupled to an upper end of the ground engaging assembly for receiving a handle of a golf club to support the golf club in a leaning or suspended position relative to the ground surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to support structures and more particularly 
pertains to a golf club supporting device for supporting at least a 
portion of a golf club relative to a ground surface. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of support structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, 
support structures heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist 
basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, 
notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art 
which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and 
requirements. 
Known prior art support structures include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,839; 
5,076,581; 5,080,239; 5,286,046; 5,285,990; 5,286,019; U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 
318,090 and Des. 335,695. 
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and 
requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a golf club 
supporting device for supporting at least a portion of a golf club 
relative to a ground which includes a ground engaging means for piercing 
and engaging a ground surface, and a handle engaging means coupled to an 
upper end of the ground engaging means for receiving a handle of a golf 
club to support the golf in a leaning or suspended orientation relative to 
the ground surface. 
In these respects, the golf club supporting device according to the present 
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs 
of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of supporting a portion of a golf club relative 
to a ground surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
support structures now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a new golf club supporting device construction wherein the same 
can be utilized for supporting at least a portion of a golf club relative 
to a ground surface. As such, the general purpose of the present 
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to 
provide a new golf club supporting device apparatus and method which has 
many of the advantages of the support structures mentioned heretofore and 
many novel features that result in a golf club supporting device which is 
not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art support structures, either alone or in any combination 
thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a device for 
supporting a least a portion of a golf club relative to a ground surface. 
The inventive device includes a ground engaging assembly for piercing and 
engaging a ground surface. A handle engaging assembly is coupled to an 
upper end of the ground engaging assembly for receiving a handle of a golf 
club to support the golf club in a leaning or suspended position relative 
to the ground surface. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional 
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which 
will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new golf 
club supporting device apparatus and method which has many of the 
advantages of the support structures mentioned heretofore and many novel 
features that result in a golf club supporting device which is not 
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the 
prior art support structures, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new golf club 
supporting device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new golf club 
supporting device which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new golf 
club supporting device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture 
with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then 
susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making 
such golf club supporting devices economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf 
club supporting device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of 
the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously 
overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf club 
supporting device for supporting at least a portion of a golf club 
relative to a ground surface. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf club 
supporting device which includes a ground engaging means for piercing and 
engaging a ground surface, and a handle engaging means coupled to an upper 
end of the ground engaging means for receiving a handle of a golf club to 
support the golf in a leaning or suspended orientation relative to the 
ground surface. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-7 thereof, 
a new golf club supporting device embodying the principles and concepts of 
the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 
will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the golf club supporting device 10 
comprises a ground engaging means 12 for piercing and engaging a ground 
surface 14, and a handle engaging means 16 coupled to an upper distal end 
of the ground engaging means 12 for engaging a handle 18 of a golf club 20 
to support the golf club in the leaning position illustrated in FIG. 1, or 
alternatively, in the suspended orientation illustrated in FIG. 6 of the 
drawings. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, it can be shown that the ground 
engaging means 12 according to the present invention 10 preferably 
comprises a substantially circular cross section elongated stake 22 having 
an upper distal end to which the handle engaging means 16 is attached, 
with the elongated stake being shaped so as to define a piercing tip 24 at 
a lower end thereof operable to pierce the ground surface 14 during an 
insertion of the elongated stake 22 thereinto. By this structure, the 
elongated stake 22 of the ground engaging means 12 can be forced into the 
ground surface 14, whereby the circular cross section of the elongated 
stake permits rotation of the ground engaging means 12 relative to the 
ground surface as desired to orient the handle engaging means 16 into an 
desired orientation. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, it can be shown that the handle 
engaging means 16 according to the present invention 10 preferably 
comprises an upper portion 26 of the elongated stake 22 shaped so as to 
define a first integral bend 28 continuing into a connecting portion 30 
extending into a substantially spaced and parallel orientation relative to 
the upper portion 26 so as to define a first U-hook 31. The handle 
engaging means 16 further comprises a second integral bend 32 continuing 
from the connecting portion 30 and extending into a terminating portion 34 
positioned in a substantially spaced and parallel orientation relative to 
the connecting portion 30 to define a second U-hook 36. Preferably, the 
first U-hook 31 resides within a first plane, and the second U-hook 36 
resides within a second plane, wherein the second plane is oriented 
perpendicularly relative to the first plane. Preferably, and as 
illustrated in FIG. 5, the elongated stake 22 is comprised of a single 
wire member 38 which integrally continues into the handle engaging means 
16 as described above, with the handle engaging means 16 further 
comprising a resilient coating 40 extending circumferentially about the 
single wire member 38 to protect the handle 18 of the golf club 20 against 
abrasion and further to enhance frictionally engagement between the handle 
engaging means 16 and the handle. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention 10 can be utilized to 
support the handle 18 of a golf club 20 in a leaning position relative to 
the ground surface 14. Referring now To FIGS. 6 and 7, it can be shown 
that the handle 18 of the golf club 20 can be engaged to the first and 
second U-hooks 31, 36 to support the golf club 20 in a suspended position 
relative to the ground surface 14. In this orientation, the handle 18 
engages an interior surface of the first integral bend 28 of the first 
U-hook 31 and extends between the upper portion 26 and the connecting 
portion 30 of the first U-hook. Similarly, the handle 18 engages an 
interior surface of the second integral bend 32 of the second U-hook 36 so 
as to extend between the connecting portion 30 and the terminating portion 
34 of the second U-hook. In this configuration, diametrically opposed 
surfaces of the handle 18 are supported to position the golf club 20 in 
the cantilevered orientation illustrated in FIG. 6. By the structure and 
methods disclosed herein, a golf club 20 can be supported relative to a 
ground surface to preclude the handle 18 from engaging the ground surface, 
thereby maintaining the handle in a dry condition. Further, the present 
invention serves to preclude lost clubs 20 which may have been laid down 
in thick grass or the like. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.