Abstract:
The present invention, a golf club caddy apparatus allows for the convenient transportation and support, of golf clubs and golf accessories around a golf course putting green or practice tee. The apparatus releasably retains one or more golf clubs in a secure and convenient manner to facilitate play around a putting green or practice tee. The golf club caddy apparatus further facilitates play by being securely, yet releasably connected to the exterior of a golf bag when not in use. The golf club caddy apparatus allows a player to conveniently transport other associated golf accessories such as a personal towel, a pencil and golf tees.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/122,944, filed Mar. 5, 1999, and this prior application is expressly hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to golf accessories. More particularly, it relates to a device for releasably retaining one or more golf clubs so that the clubs are readily available as needed around a golf course putting green and so that the clubs can be carried using the device and supported in an upright manner around a putting green (or a practice tee) as needed. The device is adapted for selective attachment to a golf bag when it is not in use. 
     In golf, once a player&#39;s ball is in the vicinity of the putting green, it is common for the player to leave his or her bag and carry only the clubs thought necessary for hitting the ball onto the green and into the hole. This eliminates the need for the player to carry his or her entire bag around the green. Also, many players utilize golf carts which are not permitted to travel on or near the putting greens. Thus, rather than return to the cart after each shot near the green to retrieve a new club, players typically carry all of the clubs they believe may be required to complete the hole. 
     Obviously, it is inconvenient for players to carry multiple clubs as described. Frequently, players lose track of the clubs and leave one or more of them on or near the green after the hole is completed. Also, when making a shot, the player must lay all other clubs on the ground where the grips can become wet or dirty. Of course, a player must then bend over to retrieve the clubs—an activity which many golfers wish to avoid. Another problem associated with manually carrying clubs around a putting green is that a player is discouraged from carrying all of the needed clubs. Thus, for example, a player may carry only a sand wedge and a putter, even though the player may require a pitching wedge, a chipper, or the like. The player simply does not desire to carry all of these clubs and will rely on those he/she has selected in advance (often before even viewing the “lie” of the ball), even though it is possible that none of the selected clubs will be proper for the next shot. 
     Also, when hitting golf balls from a practice teeing area, golfers do not want to (or are not allowed to) carry their entire bag to the teeing area. Heretofore, golfers have had to carry their entire bag to the practice tee or have had to carry multiple clubs without aid of a suitable carrying device. Also, once at the practice tee, there has been found a need for a device for supporting clubs in an upright, secure, and convenient manner to allow a golfer to focus on his/her practice swings and to warm-up more efficiently and effectively. 
     Accordingly, there has been found a need for a device which allows a player to conveniently carry multiple clubs around a putting green or practice tee as needed, and to support these clubs in a convenient manner so that the player has access to needed clubs and is less likely to forget the clubs on the green after finishing the hole. Also, there has been found a need for such a device which conveniently attaches to a golf bag as required, and which may also be used to support the green flag and other golfing items such as tees, green repair tools, and balls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for releasably retaining golf clubs in a secure and convenient manner to facilitate play around putting greens and at a practice tee. 
     One advantage of the present invention is that it releasably retains and supports multiple golf clubs in a convenient manner for use on and around a putting green or practice tee. 
     Another advantage of the invention is that it supports multiple clubs in an upright manner with the heads near the ground to minimize accidental tipping of the device. 
     Still another advantage of the present invention is that golf clubs secured thereby are partially released upon insertion of the device into the ground to facilitate separation of a club from the device. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is found in its ability to securely yet releasably connect to the exterior of a golf bag while not being used around a putting green. 
     Still another advantage of the invention is that it eliminates the need to carry multiple separate clubs and lay these clubs on the ground when they are not in use. 
     Yet another advantage of the invention is that it reduces the likelihood a player leaving a club on or near a green after completing a hole. 
     A further advantage of the invention is that it is adapted to support the flag of a green in a manner which protects the flag and green from damage and in a manner which keeps the flag, itself, from contacting the green. 
     A still further advantage of the invention is that it speeds play by encouraging golfers to carry multiple clubs around the green, thus, eliminating the need for golfers to return to their bag after a ball is successfully landed on the green. 
     Another advantage of the invention is that it lowers golf scores by ensuring that players have the proper club selection to effect a golf shot around a green. 
     Still another advantage of the invention is that it is adapted to carry a ball, tees, a green repair tool, and the like. 
     Another advantage of the present invention resides in its ability to aerate the ground into which it is inserted on and around putting greens without causing damage. 
     Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the present application. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may take form in certain components and structures, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a golf club retention device formed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the golf club retention device illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the golf club retention device taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club retention device taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a shank portion of the golf club retention device of FIGS. 1-4 formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6A is a side elevational view illustrating the golf club retention device of FIG. 1 as used to operatively secure an associated golf club in a first, locked position and connected to an associated golf bag; 
     FIG. 6B is a side elevational view illustrating the golf club retention device of FIG. 1 as operatively inserted into a support surface so that the associated golf club is shifted to a second, released position which facilitates its separation from the club retention device; and 
     FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the golf club retention device. 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the golf club retention member illustrating the slots and bores formed therein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the subject golf club retention device are illustrated, the device  10  comprises an elongated shank  14  having opposite first and second axial ends  16 , 18 . A spike  12 , preferably fabricated of heat-treated steel, projects coaxially outwardly from the second, lower end  18  of the shank  14 . Other than the spike  12 , the device  10  is preferably conformed as a one-piece construction from injection molded polypropylene or other conventional plastic material. Of course, other materials and forming techniques may be utilized to construct the device  10  without departing from the overall scope and intent of the invention. A preferred construction of the shank  14  is illustrated in FIG.  5 . The shank  14  comprises an open, web-like structure that minimizes weight, increases strength, and facilitates the injection molding process. 
     The device  10  comprises a clip portion  20  connected to the upper end  16  of the shank  14 . The clip portion  20  includes a finger  22  connected to the shank  14  by way of a horizontally extending connector arm  24 . The finger  22  depends from the connector arm  24  and a lower distal end converges toward the shank  14  so that a slot  26  is defined between the finger  22  and the shank  14 . The innermost end of the slot  26  is defined by a curved portion  28  of the connector arm which is shaped to conform to the upper edge of a golf bag B (FIG.  6 A). Due to the natural resilience of the plastic material from which the device  10  is formed, the finger  22  is resiliently biased toward the shank  14  and is selectively movable away therefrom to receive a golf bag upper edge in the slot  26 . The lowermost, distal end of the finger  22  is preferably curved outwardly, away from the shank  14  to facilitate insertion of the golf bag edge into the slot  26 . When a golf bag B is inserted into the slot  26 , it is firmly yet releasably retained therein due to the resilience of the finger  22 . Referring to FIG. 3, the connecting arm  24  is preferably shaped so as to include first and second side grooves  32 , 34  which are suitable for retaining a golf club or green flag which is leaned thereagainst when the device  10  is removed from the golf bag B and inserted into the earth E as shown in FIG.  6 B and described below. 
     Also projecting from the upper end  16  of the shank  14 , preferably opposite the clip portion  20 , is a golf club retention member or body  40 . The club retention member  40  includes a planar, horizontal upper surface  42 , a lower surface  44  which is parallel and spaced-apart from the upper surface, front and rear faces  46 , 48  which are parallel and spaced-apart, and parallel spaced-apart side faces  50 , 52 . The club retention member  40  is generally block-shaped. Between the upper and lower surfaces  42 , 44 , the club retention member  40  defines a thickness T which is substantial, preferably greater than 1″ and most preferably at least 1.25″. 
     With particular reference to FIG. 3, a plurality of grooves or slots  58 , preferably two or three, are formed in the club retention member  40 . The slots  58  extend between and open in the upper and lower surfaces  42 , 44  of the member  40  and also open through the front face  46 . The slots preferably have a length between the upper and lower surfaces  42 , 44  of at least one inch. The slots  58  are defined in the member  40  with an inner, cylindrical portion  60  adapted for receipt of a shaft portion of an associated golf club to be retained and a beveled mouth portion  62  leading thereto from the front face  46 . The mouth portion  62  converges from the front face  46  toward the inner portion  60  to guide a golf club shaft into the inner portion  60  through the gap  64 . The inner portion  60  may also be formed with a slightly frusto-conical shape in a manner converging from the upper surface  42  toward the lower surface  44 . The inner portion  60  is generally dimensioned to accommodate and frictionally retain a golf club shaft near the upper (grip) end as illustrated in FIG.  6 A. 
     With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a golf club C comprises a shaft S, a head H, and a grip G. As is well known, the shaft S is frusto-conical and converges toward the head H so that the shaft S is larger in diameter near the grip relative to its diameter near the head H. The slots  58  are sized so that a lower, smaller-diameter portion S′ of the shaft S is readily received in one of the slots  58  and removable therefrom by insertion or withdrawal through the beveled portion  62  and gap  64 . Once the portion S′ is inserted into a slot  58  and received in the inner portion  60 , the shaft is moved downward (as indicated by the arrow A 1 ) into a locked position so that the upper portion S″ moves downwardly into engagement with the inner portion  60  of the slot  58 . Because the upper shaft upper portion S″ is larger in diameter than the lower shaft portion S′ and unable to pass through the gap  64 , the shaft portion S″ is tightly, frictionally engaged in the slot inner portion  60  when the club C is in this locked position. Due to the thickness T of the club retention member  40 , the shaft S is tightly gripped along a portion of its length so that the club C is inhibited from pivoting or swinging relative to the club retention device  10 . If the inner portion  60  of the slot  58  is frusto-conical as described above, contact between the club shaft S and the retention member  40  is maximized so that the club is even more effectively inhibited from swinging when in the locked position (FIG.  6 A). 
     The club retention device  10  comprises a support flange  70  projecting outwardly from its lower end  18 . The flange  70  supports the device  10  in a substantially vertical or upright orientation when the spike  12  is inserted into the earth E as shown in FIG.  6 B. Prior to insertion of the spike  12  into the earth E, and when a club C is in the locked position, the club head H extends downwardly away from the retention member  40  beyond the flange  70 . Referring to FIG. 4, the flange  70  includes projecting arms or fingers  70   a ,  70   b ,  70   c , and includes curved or arcuate regions  72 , 74  connecting the arms  70   a ,  70   c  and  70   b ,  70   c , respectively. These curved regions  72 , 74  lie closely adjacent the shank  14  of the device  10  and allow a club C to extend past the flange  70 . 
     In use, the device  10 , including one or more clubs C retained in a locked position, is removed from an associated golf bag B by disengagement of the clip portion  20  from the bag (of course, if a player&#39;s ball lands on the green, the device  10  is left attached to the golf bag B and only a putter is separated from the device for use in completing the hole). As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the spike  12  is inserted into the earth E in a location desired by a golfer so that the flange  70  contacts the earth and holds the device  10  in an upright position. Simultaneously, upon insertion of the spike  12  into the earth E, the head H of an associated club C contacts the earth E and is forced upwardly (as indicated by the arrow A 2 ) to a point approximately level with the flange  70 . This, then, causes the shaft S to move upwardly relative to the retention member  40  so that the shaft lower portion S′ moves toward the member  40 . Thus, the club shaft S is at least partially released from the locked position and moved into a released position where it is only loosely held in the inner portion  60  of a slot  58 . A golfer is then able to easily and conveniently remove the club C from the device merely by slight additional upward movement of the shaft S so that the lower portion S′ of the shaft enters the slot  58 . In this position, the club is freely removable from the slot  58  through the gap  64  and mouth  62 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, another embodiment of the present golf club retention device  10 ′ includes a modified club retention member  40 ′ having various slots and bores formed therein. According to this embodiment, the device  10 ′ includes a clip opening  65  defined in the golf club retention member  40 ′ for the clipping of a personal towel, and tee openings  66  for selectively receiving and frictionally retaining golf tees. The device further includes, marker openings  67  defined in the golf club retention member  40 ′ which receive&#39;s and frictionally retain ball markers. A pencil opening  68 , defined in the golf club retention member  40 ′, for receiving and retaining a pencil, elongated slots  69   b , defined in the golf club retention member  40 ′, for associated attachments and process cooling opening  69   a  for cooling during manufacture. 
     The invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. Of course, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding specification. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.