A Golf Course Game.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Golf Course Game.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON GAFF of 2 Windsor Street, Edinburgh in the County
of Midlothian, North Britain, Chartered Accountant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a golf course game and consists in the employment of
a card or other board upon which is depicted a golf course with different colours
or pictures representing hills, burns, bunkers, fences and such like. The various
parts of the course may be numbered. Along with the board there is a rotating
or other index consisting of a pointer capable of being rotated or spun upon a pin
fixed into the index board, which index board has a circle upon it devided into
numbers. The game is to spin the pointer, see what number it points to and place
I may
a ball or counter upon the corresponding number on the course board.
employ any equivalent of the pointer such as a teetotum or it may be a form of
dice. Under the rules of the game, the pointer may be struck or spun with the
one end of a model or miniature golf club that is to say considerable skill may be
The
exercised in the striking of the pointer so as to obtain a desired number.
scores may be counted upon a small slate.
The game may be played by two sides each side consisting of one or two
players each player playing alternately, after tossing for the start, no player
however holing out until his opponent is on the green. It may however be found
advantageous for the first player to hole out before his opponent starts.
The object of the game is to go the round of 9 holes in the fewest strokes or if
playing for holes obtaining the greatest number, and the side gaining any hole leads
at the next.
Considerable skill may be displayed in the use of the circular index (explained
below) which will keep up the excitement of the game and may thus be found not
only an indoor substitute to the enthusiastic golfer, but also a means of giving
intending golfers some slight insight to the enjoyment and excitement of a round
on the golf course.
Having placed the ball (or counter) on the tee, take the circular index in front
of you with the pin pointing in the direction of the arrow drive the pin round (to
the right) with the club and the number in the space of the outer circle to which
it points shows the distance you have driven towards the hole, each square or
space on the board counting one, the larger squares facilitating the counting.
The pin, without altering its position, is again driven for the direction and the
number in the space of the inner circle over which the pin stands indicates the
number of spaces to the right or left of the straight line from the tee, or from
the space where the ball lies. The same operation is repeated for the second,
third &c., strokes. The direction, however, when nearing the hole, may be taken
in any straight line from where the ball lies.
i
When the ball has been driven on to the green, that is within say a circle,
coloured red, round the hole, it is unnecessary to drive again for the direction and
for the next shots the pin is only driven once and the numbers in the inner circle
made use of, ignoring the direction of right or left. The spaces being counted
direct for the hole.
In playing the following rules may be observed.
When a hazard extends over only a portion of a square, such square is to be
considered as part of the hazard. The same remark applies to the green.
When the ball falls into a burn, water, or a hole other than the hole played for
it has to be placed 6 spaces behind such hazard counting one stroke,

page_text: When the ball lies on a bunker or on a fence, it has to be driven not towards
the hole as in the ordinary way but back towards the last tee. This is done in
order that some difficulty may be experienced in getting out of the bunker.
When two balls fall on the same square the last ball driven is to be placed
four squares immediately to the right. This rule does not, however, hold when
on the green in which case the last ball may be placed in its proper position
after the other ball has been played.
When the ball is driven over a fence or hill, it is in the option of the players
to arrange before starting play that the index may be used to see whether or not
the ball has cleared the difficulty-thus if 20 be taken as the height and if the
pin on being driven stands over any number higher than 20 (using the outer circle)
the hill or fence has been cleared, if, however, it should be otherwise, the ball must
be placed 6 squares behind without counting a stroke and again played.
When a player moves his opponents ball he loses a stroke or the hole if playing
for holes.
A ball may be considered lost if driven over or into a plantation or beyond the
board and entails the loss of the hole, if playing for holes, and if for strokes the
ball is to be replaced to where it was before, counting a stroke, and again driven.
The club may be considered broken if the player strikes the pin with the wrong
end; the penalty being one stroke.
The penalty for driving the ball into rough ground or for trespassing on garden
ground may be one stroke.
Dated this 26th day of February 1892.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Golf Course Game.
1,WILLIAM ROBERTSON GAFF of 2, Windsor Street, Edinburgh, in the County
of Midlothian, North Britain, Chartered Accountant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
:-
This invention relates to an indoor golf course game and consists in the employ-
ment of a card or other board upon which is depicted a golf course with different
colours or pictures representing hills, burns, bunkers, fences and such like: The
various parts of the course may be numbered. Along with the board there is a
rotating or other index consisting of a pointer capable of being rotated or spun
upon a pin fixed into the index board, which index board has circles upon it,
divided into numbers. The game is to spin the pointer, see what number it points
to and place a ball or counter upon the corresponding number on the course board.
I may employ any equivalent of the pointer such as a teetotum or it may be a
form of dice. Under the rules of the game the pointer may be struck or sprin
with the one end of a model or miniature golf club. Considerable skill may be
exercised in the striking of the pointer so as to obtain a desired number. The
scores may be counted upon a small slate, or an ordinary scoring card.
Figure 1 is a plan of the board depicting a golf course.
Figure 2 is a plan of the index and pointer, Figure 3 being a sectional side
elevation of the same.
Figure 4 represents the counters and
Figure 5 a miniature club.
The game is played by two sides, each side consisting of one-a single match-
or two players a foursome. It will be found advantageous for the side starting
to "hole out," i.e. to finish playing each hole before the other side starts..
The
sides may, however, arrange to play alternately as in the game of golf, but
in that case one side should not
before the other side is ou
"hole out

page_text: the putting green. When playing a foursome the players on each side play
alternately. The players arrange before starting whether the game is to be
decided by strokes or by holes. The object of the game is to go one or two
rounds of nine holes in the fewest strokes, or if playing for holes to win the greater
number.
The index, as explained below, can be used with considerable skill, which will
keep up the excitement of the game. The game will thus be found not only an
indoor substitute to the enthusiastic golfer but also a means of giving intending
golfers some slight insight to the enjoyment and excitement of a round on the golf
course.
Having placed the ball (or counter) on the tee, take the circular index in front
of you, drive the pointer round with the club and the number in the space of the
outer circle to which it points shows the distance you have driven towards the hole,
each square or space on the board counting one, the larger squares facilitating the
counting. The pointer is again driven round and the number in the space of
the inner circle over which the pointer stands indicates the number of spaces to the
right or left of the straight line from the tee, or from the space where the ball
lies. The same operation is repeated for the second, third &c. strokes. The
direction, however, when nearing the hole, may be taken in any straight line from
where the ball lies. When the ball has been driven on to the green, that is within
say a circle coloured red, round the hole, it is unnecessary to drive again for the
direction and for the next shots the pointer is only driven once and the numbers
in the inner circle made use of, ignoring the direction of right or left.
In playing, the following may be the rules and penalties.
When a hazard extends over a portion of a square such square is to be considered
as part of the hazard. The squares over which the greens extend count as part of
the green.
When the ball falls into a trench, a burn, water, or a hole other than the one
played for, it has to be placed two spaces behind such hazard, the penalty being
one stroke.
When the ball lies on a bunker or on a fence it has to be driven out not towards
the hole as usual but in the opposite direction, when clear of such hazard the ball
is then driven in the direction of the hole.
When the ball is driven over a hill, it has to be taken back as many squares as
the number indicating the height of the hill which is marked on the board. Should
the ball land on the hill it has to be placed 2 squares behind the boundary of such
hill with no further penalty. The same rule applies when the ball is driven over
a fence, but throughout the game the height of a fence is to taken as 5.
A ball is considered lost if driven over or into a plantation or beyond the board
and entails the loss of the hole, if playing for holes, but if for strokes the ball is to
be placed where it was before, the penalty being one stroke.
Should the player strike the wrong end of the indicator or use the wrong end of
the club, or should he impede in any way the revolution of the indicator, the
penalty is one stroke or the loss of the hole.
The penalty for driving the ball into rough ground or for trespassing on garden
ground is one stroke.
In using the index, should the indicator stand between two numbers the lower
number is to be taken.
When the sides agree to play alternately should the two balls fall on the same
square the last ball driven is to be placed immediately behind the other.
When playing for holes should one or both balls lie on the green so that they
are in a straight line with the hole-a "stymie "-the ball furthest off has to be
played first.
In order to hole out without interfering with the other ball you
require to play either to the right or left of it, and to do this the index has to be
adjusted as required. Suppose the two balls are lying 1 and 3 squares diagonally
from the hole, adjust the inner circle of the index so that 3 right or 3 left is
opposite 3 of the outer circle. If 3 by 3 to right or left is attained and the ball

page_text: moved accordingly it will fall into the hole. This is the only case where the inner
circle is to be used with the outer one when on the green.
When playing for strokes should the balls lie as above, the ball nearest the hole
is to be played first.
When a player moves his opponent's ball the penalty is one stroke or the loss of
the hole, if playing for holes.
The following may be the table of distances :—
No text detected.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.