Patent ID: 8360236

Claim:
A golf ball carrier, comprising: a hollow tubular support member having at least one open end and configured to hold a plurality of golf balls stacked axially therein; a base attached to the hollow tubular support member at or near the open end of the hollow tubular support member, wherein the base comprises a hollow central tube axially aligned with the hollow tubular support member and having one or more sidewalls with an opening formed therein; a ladder having at least one vertical portion fixedly attached to the base proximate the opening formed therein and having at least one lateral portion; and a ball release tab rotatably attached to the ladder, wherein the ball release tab is biased in a first position relative to the base, and operable to rotate to a second position relative to the base, the ball release tab including: a first stopper portion configured to extend into the hollow central tube in the first position and configured to extend outward of the hollow central tube in the second position, a second stopper portion fixed to the first stopper portion and configured to extend outward of the hollow central tube in the first position and configured to extend into the hollow central tube in the second position, a manipulation portion positioned outward of the hollow central tube and configured to actuate the ball release tab from the first position to the second position when pulled in a direction away from the hollow central tube, and a pivot joint rotatably attached to the lateral portion of the ladder, wherein the first stopper portion, the second stopper portion, and the manipulation portion each extend in different directions from the pivot joint, wherein an angle between the first and second stopper portions and a length of each of the first and second stopper portions is such that when the ball release tab is actuated from the first position to the second position and then back to the first position, only one golf ball is released from the hollow tubular support member.