Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/308,393, filed on Feb. 26, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to golf accessories, and more particularly, to a golf towel transport and retrieval system that may make the process of cleaning golf balls during the course of a golf game easier and more convenient. 
     Currently, during the course of a golf game, a golf ball that has been played onto the putting green area of a golf course usually has its position on the putting green marked before the golf ball is lifted from the putting green surface. 
     The lifting of golf balls played onto the putting green helps to provide an unobstructed putting line for other golfers while also providing an opportunity to clean the golf ball of any dirt or refuse that may have accumulated on the surface of the golf ball during the course of play. By cleaning their golf ball of any accumulated dirt or refuse, a golfer may prevent the dirt or refuse from unpredictably affecting the path of their golf ball when it is putted on the putting green. 
     While professional golfers usually have a caddy that will clean their golf ball for them, amateur golfers are usually forced to clean their own golf ball. However, because carrying, using, and retrieving a towel used for cleaning a golf ball may be inconvenient, many amateur golfers may decide to forgo the opportunity to clean their golf ball, thus putting themselves at a disadvantage by leaving dirt or refuse on their golf ball. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus and/or a method to more quickly and easily clean their golf ball during the course of a golf game. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a receptacle operable to accept at least a portion of a golf club head; and one or more attachment points operable to attach to a towel. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method for forming an apparatus comprises forming a receptacle between a first end plate and a second end plate, the receptacle being able to accept at least a portion of a golf club head; and attaching one or more attachment points to one or more of the first end plate and the second end plate, the one or more attachment points operable to attach to a towel. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus in use in transport mode without a club head cover; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus of  FIG. 1  in alternate use in transport mode without a club head cover; 
         FIG. 3  shows a side elevation view of the golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus of  FIG. 1  in retrieval mode; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus of  FIG. 1  in an alternate golf club retrieval mode. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
     Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally provide a golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus that may help a golfer to more easily and quickly clean his golf ball on a golf course in the course of playing a golf game than by transporting a towel by hand. Embodiments of the present invention may be marketed under the name GREENSCADDY™. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus  10  may have a towel  14  attached to it, and the apparatus may be attachable to the club head of a golf club  12 , such as a putter, wood, iron, wedge, driver, or any other type of golf club. A golfer that wishes to clean his golf ball on the putting green may simply attach the head of his golf club  12  to the apparatus  10  to conveniently take the towel  14  attached to the apparatus  10  to his golf ball on the putting green. 
     When the golfer reaches his ball on the green, the golfer may mark the ball, lift the ball to allow his playing partners an unobstructed shot, and use the towel  14  attached to the apparatus  10  to clean any dirt or debris on the surface of his ball. When it is the golfer&#39;s turn to putt, he may place the ball back where he had marked it, he may detach the apparatus  10  from the golf club  12 , he may place, drop, or throw the apparatus  10  onto the playing surface, and he may putt his ball using the now-freed golf club  12 . 
     After the golfer has finished his or her putt, the golfer may easily retrieve the apparatus  10 , without needing the golfer to bend or squat down, by engaging the apparatus  10  with the putter  12  and subsequently reattaching the putter  12  to the apparatus  10  with the strap  16 , or alternatively reinserting the putter  12  into the club head cover  28  if so equipped. 
     The golf towel transport and retrieval apparatus  10  may include four stringers  22  that connect a pair of end panels  20  to create a structure, such as a rectangular box structure, that acts as a receptacle  30  between the pair of end panels  20  and one or more of the stringers  22  that may accommodate a club head of a golf club  12 . A strap  16  may also be attached to each end panel  16  so that the strap  16  may be used to secure the apparatus  10  with a club head of a golf club  16  inserted into the receptacle  30  in the apparatus  10 . One or more of the ends of the strap  16  may be a hook and loop fastener  18 , such as VELCRO ™, so that one or more ends of the strap  16  may be detachable from and re-attachable to the end panels  20 . 
     The apparatus  10  may also include one or more eye screws  24  attached, such as by screws and bolts, to one or more of the end panels  20 . The eye screws  24  may be used as attachment points to attach the towel  14  to the apparatus  10  via a pin  26  that may fasten the towel  14  to one of the eye screws  24 . 
     To attach a golf club  12  to the apparatus  10 , the strap  16  may be disconnected from one of the end panels  20 . The club head of the golf club  12  may be inserted into the receptacle  30  on the apparatus  10  between the end panels  20 . The strap  16  may then be reattached to the previously disconnected one of the end panels  20  to secure the club head of the golf cub  12  to the apparatus  10 . 
     To disengage the golf club  12  from the apparatus  10 , the strap  16  may be disconnected from one of the end panels  20 , and the club head of the golf club  12  may be removed from the receptacle  30  of the apparatus  10 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , a golf club head cover  28  may also be attached to the apparatus  10  via a pin  26  that may fasten the golf club head cover  28  to one of the eye screws  24 . Thus, an apparatus  10  may have a towel  14  attached to one end panel  20  and a golf club head cover  28  to another end panel  20 . The golf club head cover  28  may be used as an alternative way to attach a golf club  12  to the apparatus  10  by inserting the club head of the golf club  12  into the golf club head cover  28 . 
     The components of the apparatus  10  may be made of any material that is of suitable strength, weather resistance, and club head abrasion protection. The stringers  22  may be square or may be of any cross sectional design, such as but not limited to a circular or oval shape. The end plates  20  may be square, but may not be limited to a circular or triangular design. The end plates  20  may be attached to the stringers  22  via adhesives, screws, or any other suitable method. Alternatively, the stringers  22  and the end plates  20  may be formed in one piece such as, but is not limited to, injection molding or any other forming techniques. 
     The apparatus  10  may be made by forming a receptacle  30  from the end plates  20  and the stringers  22  so that the end plates  20  and the stringers  22  may govern the depth of entry of a club head of the golf club  12  into the formed receptacle  30 . The eyelet screws  24  may be mounted to the end plates  20  so that they are near the center of each end plate  20 . The strap  16  may be attached to the end plates  20 . The towel  14  and the golf club head cover  28  may be attached to the eyelet screws  24  via pins  26 . 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

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