Abstract:
A golf ball mark repair tool includes an integrated set of rosary beads. Attached to the circumference of a circular handle are rosary beads operable to facilitate praying the rosary. The beads are equally spaced and apart from the handle to provide the user with not only an ability to discretely conduct the rosary but an enhanced tactual feel. At the same time the tool is operable to repair a ball mark. The tool further includes a detachable center portion operable as a mean for marking a player&#39;s ball on the green.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application relates to and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/038,302 filed Mar. 20, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a golf tool having a religious utility. 
         [0004]    2. Relevant Background 
         [0005]    The first golf-like game is recorded as taking place on 26 Feb. 1297, in the Netherlands, in a city called Loenen aan de Vecht. Here the Dutch played a game with a stick and leather ball. Whoever hit the ball into a target several hundreds of meters away the least number of times won. However, the modern game of golf we understand today is generally considered to be a Scottish invention. The word golf may be a Scot&#39;s alteration of Dutch “kolf” meaning “stick, “club” and “bat”. There are reports of even earlier accounts of a golf like game from continental Europe. 
         [0006]    These earlier games are more accurately viewed as ancestors of the modern game we understand as golf. The fact remains that the modern game of golf originated and developed in Scotland: the first permanent golf course originated in Scotland as did membership in the first golf clubs. The very first written rules originated there, as did the establishment of the 18 hole course; the first formalized tournament structures developed and competitions were held between various Scottish cities. Before long, the modern game of golf had spread from Scotland to England and from there to the rest of the world. 
         [0007]    As one would expect, the rules of golf have evolved over several centuries of play. One rule of golf etiquette deals with the repair of the green. During normal play the impact of a ball on the green can leave a mark or indentation. The final strokes of a hole of golf involve the precise placement of the ball into the cup and a ball mark, or indeed several ball marks, can result in a surface non-conducive to precision putting. The rules of etiquette therefore require a player making such an indentation into the green to repair the mark before continuing play. To aid in the process, several different ball mark repair tools have been designed. All in one manner or the other act to repair the indentation left by the ball rendering the surface of the green suitable for putting. 
         [0008]    Golf is not without its stressful moments. And with those stressful moments so too come actions that a player, in retrospect, may regret. For those players who are religious, golf may elicit a need to pray for divine intervention or assistance in a particular stroke or putt. Or, alternatively, after a stroke or putt with a less than desirable outcome, a golfer&#39;s response may give rise to a plea for forgiveness. Thus for many players of the game of golf, prayer is a vital component. 
         [0009]    Individuals who practice the Catholic faith have long used the concept of the rosary to aid in rendering a prayer. The traditional story of the rosary was that Mary herself appeared to Saint Dominic in the twelfth century. At that time, tradition says she gave him the rosary and promised Dominic that if he spread devotion to the rosary, his religious order would flourish. 
         [0010]    Originally the rosary had 150 beads, the same number of Psalms in the Bible. In the twelfth century, religious orders recited together the 150 Psalms as a way to mark the hours of the day and the days of the week. Those people who could not read wanted to share in this practice, so praying on a string of 150 beads or knots began as a parallel to praying the Psalms. It was a way that the illiterate could remember the Lord and his mother throughout the day. 
         [0011]    The rosary today consists of a set of prayers which are repeated in a set fashion. A string of rosary beads is usually held in the person&#39;s hand, and prayers are counted by passing the person&#39;s fingers along the set of beads counting the beads as the prayers are said. A complete course around the set of beads completes the set of prayers. It is understandable that, given the ever increasing pace of today&#39;s society, time to conduct the rosary is more and more scarce and few carry with them at all times a set of rosary beads. 
         [0012]    While the play of golf employs numerous pieces of equipment in the form of clubs, tees, balls, repair tools (all of which are carried in a rather large bag), it does not include a rosary. Yet, for those who practice the Catholic faith, the golf course often becomes a place of considerable connection with one&#39;s faith. Accordingly there is a need to provide a readily available means by which to pray the rosary while not further encumbering the player with additional implements. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    A golf ball mark repair tool with an integrated set of rosary beads is hereafter disclosed by way of example. One aspect of the present invention includes a golf ball mark repair tool with a substantially circular handle. Attached to the circumference of the circular handle are rosary beads. The beads are equally spaced and apart from the handle to provide the user with not only an ability to discretely conduct the rosary but at the same time provide a tool by which to repair a ball mark. The tool further includes a detachable center portion operable as a mean for marking a player&#39;s ball on the green. 
         [0014]    The features and advantages described in this disclosure and in the following detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims hereof. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter; reference to the claims is necessary to determine such inventive subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The aforementioned and other features and objects of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of one or more embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a rosary ball mark repair tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a rosary ball mark repair tool absent a center ball mark component, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of a rosary ball mark repair tool with a center ball mark detached, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a side cut away view of a rosary ball mark repair tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0020]    The Figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Specific embodiments of the present invention are hereafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying Figures. Like elements in the various Figures are identified by like reference numerals for consistency. Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0022]    Referring now to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the present invention will be seen relative to an improved ball mark repair tool useful in the repair of minor damage to a golfing surface such as a golf green and the like, in combination with a set of rosary beads affixed thereto. The tool  100  will be seen to include two spaced apart and essentially parallel tine elements  120  that extend from a substantially circular base portion  130 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tines  120  and base portion  130  are formed from a single planar piece of material. In another embodiment of the present invention, the tines  120  are separate components that are affixed to the base portion  130 . The base portion includes a center removable ball marker  140  that, according to one embodiment of the present invention, is magnetically coupled to the base portion  130 . Affixed to the base portion is a religious symbol or emblem which in this example is a crucifix. 
         [0023]    The base portion  130  also provides a mounting location for a plurality of balls or beads  160 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the balls or beads  160  are substantially spherical and can each be fashioned to replicate a golf ball or other ornamental shape. In another embodiment of the present invention, the beads can be cylindrical (circular in two dimensions, from a front and rear orthogonal view). In other embodiments the beads can be a combination of both spherical and cylindrical properties. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 , five (5) beads  160  are located on each lateral side of the tool  100  and can represent five (5) recitations of a decade of the “Hail Mary” prayer. In addition, the beads  160  have utility to the golfer in counting the user&#39;s golf score during the course of playing a hole. Furthermore the beads  160  increase the ball mark tool&#39;s  100  tactile friction enabling a user to reliably grip and use the tool  100 . 
         [0024]    While in this embodiment five (5) beads  160  are affixed to each side of the tool  100  for a total of ten (10) beads  160 , one skilled in the art will recognize that the number of beads may vary based on the needs of the user, manufacturing constraints, and other factors known to one skilled in the relevant art. It will also be recognized by one skilled in the art that the relative size and shape of the beads  160 , tines  120  and base portion  130  may vary without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Referring now in addition to  FIG. 2 , a front view of a rosary ball mark repair tool absent the center ball mark can be seen according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown the base portion  130  of the tool  100  includes a base ring  230  and a recessed circular base edge  220  forming a circular L structure. The central portion of the recessed circular base edge  220  is void of material forming a hole  210 . Affixed to the recessed circular base edge  220  is, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic ring  250 . The magnetic ring  250  is comprised of a magnetic material of suitable strength to magnetically attract and affix to the base portion  130  a metallic ball marker  140 . One skilled in the art will recognize that other means suitable to hold the ball marker  140 , such as hoop/hook fastener mechanism or a reusable adhesive, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0026]    While the dimensional aspects of the present invention may vary without departing from the scope of its usefulness, in one embodiment the rosary ball mark repair tool is approximately 3 inches long with a nominal thickness of ⅛ of an inch and a width of 1 and 7/32 of an inch. Each rosary bead  160  possesses a diameter of approximately 3/32 inches and the crucifix  150  on the top of the rosary ball mark tool is approximately 7/16 of an inch high with a maximum width of approximately ¼ inch. Each rosary bead  160  is angularly displaced by 26 degrees as measured from the center of the rosary ball mark tool. The ball marker  140  is approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1/16 inch thick. 
         [0027]    The recessed circular base edge  220  is dimensioned to be 1 1/32 inches in diameter to accept the ball marker  140 . The hole  210  positioned in the center of the rosary ball mark repair tool is approximately 17/32 inches. Finally the centerline of the tines  120  are spaced 7/32 inches apart. 
         [0028]    The magnetic ring  250  in a preferred embodiment, is permanently attached to the recessed circular base edge using an adhesive or some other persistent attachment means. The dimensions of the magnetic ring  250  are constrained so that the width of the ring  250  combined with the ball marker  140  provides a total width substantially equal to the depth of the recessed circular base edge  220 . Accordingly, with the magnetic ring  250  attached to the recess circular base edge  220  and the ball marker  140  magnetically coupled to the magnetic ring  250 , the upper most surface of the ball marker  140  is flush or at the same level as the base ring  230 . 
         [0029]    Referring in addition to  FIG. 3 , an exploded perspective view of a rosary ball mark repair tool according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The ball marker  140  in this rendition of the present invention is shown removed and displaced from the base portion  130  of the tool  100 . Also shown in  FIG. 3  is the relationship between the width (depth) of the magnetic ring  250  as compared to the recessed circular base edge  220  and the base ring  230 . The removal of the ball marker  140  from the base portion  130  of the tool  100  can be accomplished by applying a minimum yet defined amount of force against the portion of the ball marker  160  proximate to the magnetic ring  250  via the hole or voided area  210 . By doing so the magnetic bond, or similar affixing agent, between the base portion  130  and the ball marker  140  is broken. 
         [0030]    The structure of one embodiment of the rosary ball marker repair tool can also be seen in the side cut away view of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  shows the base portion comprising a recessed area  410  in which the ball marker  140  resides. The L structure formed by the interaction of the recessed circular base edge  220  and the base ring  230  can clearly be seen as can the relative positioning of the magnetic ring  250 . 
         [0031]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the tool is comprised solely of a circular base portion  130  with the recessed circular base edge  220  and ornamental balls  160 . The recessed circular base edge  220  and circular base portion  130  include a magnetic base ring  250  and a central region  210  void of material as previously described. However the tines  120  are removed making the tool suitable for holding a ball marker and offering rosary beads for performing the rosary. 
         [0032]    The rosary ball mark repair tool of the present invention provides a golfer with a useful and versatile tool for not only repairing ball marks and marking a ball&#39;s location on the green but for discretely reciting the rosary during the game or at least providing to the golfer a reminder of his or her religious beliefs. By combining the rosary beads onto the golf ball mark repair tool it is possible to store the rosary beads within the golf bag and readily retrieve the rosary beads as required. The fabrication of the functionality of the rosary beads onto the ball mark repair tool obviates the possibility of a separate strand of beads becoming entangled within the storage area of the bag. The combined tool and rosary beads can be easily fabricated using, for example, a molding or extrusion process. The rosary beads also enhance the ball marker&#39;s tactual properties making it easier to implement in its repair functionality. Lastly the rosary balls offer the user a means by which to recall his or her score as it progresses during the field of play. 
         [0033]    Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.