Shoe cleaning sand rake

Abstract

A sand rake which serves two purposes: 1) raking the sand in a bunker to provide a smooth sand surface; and 2) efficient and safe removal of the sand trapped or lodged on or near the soles of a player's golf shoes. The dual purpose sand rake may be used to conveniently clean the player's shoes before stepping foot on the putting green, thereby reducing the amount of sand and other debris tracked onto the green, or, alternatively, before the player attempts another shot, thereby enhancing the player's footing. The sand rake removes the need for the player to walk to the next tee box or wait until the round is finished to clean his or her shoes. Moreover, the sand rake removes the need for the player to tap his or her shoes with the golf club to clean his or her shoes, thereby eliminating the risk of injury to the player's ankle or foot as well as damage to the shoes.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to sand rakes, and, more particularly, to sand rakes adapted for cleaning shoes. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] During a typical round of golf, a player may find his or her golf ball in a bunker. In order to continue play, the player must hit a shot from the bunker which normally requires a player to stand in the sand. After advancing the golf ball out of the bunker, the player exits the bunker and may have sand stuck to or lodged near or on the sole of the player's golf shoes, i.e., golf spikes. Common courtesy in the game of golf provides that the player or the player's caddy should rake the bunker after exiting to provide a smooth surface for the next player to hit from the bunker. Although the bunker is thus restored to its prior condition, a player's golf shoes or a caddy's shoes remain encumbered with sand on or near the soles. The sand stuck or lodged on the player's shoes is often...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] The present invention generally provides a sand rake which serves two purposes: 1) raking the sand in a bunker to provide a smooth sand surface; and 2) efficient and safe removal of the sand trapped or lodged on or near the soles of a player's golf shoes. Advantageously, the dual purpose sand rake may be used to conveniently clean the player's shoes before he or she steps foot on the putting green, thereby reducing the amount of sand and other debris tracked onto the green, or, alternatively, before the player attempts another shot, thereby enhancing the player's footing. The sand rake removes the need for the player to walk to the next tee box to clean his or her shoes before finishing the current hole, or, alternatively, removes the need for the player to wait until the round is finished to clean his or her shoes. Moreover, the sand rake removes the need for the player to tap his or her shoes with the golf club, thereby eliminating the risk of injury to the player's ankle or foot as well as damage to the golf shoes.

[0008] In yet another form thereof, the present invention provides a method for preventing sand from being tracked from a bunker to a green in a golf course environment, the method including the steps of providing a sand rake adapted for cleaning shoes, the rake including a handle and a rake head connected to the handle, the rake head including a plurality of tines connected to and extending from the rake head in a first direction, and at least one brush extending from the rake head in a second direction different from the first direction; and subsequent to stepping in the bunker and prior to stepping on the green, brushing a sole portion of a shoe with the at least one brush of the sand rake to dislodge sand particles from the sole portion.

Problems solved by technology

After advancing the golf ball out of the bunker, the player exits the bunker and may have sand stuck to or lodged near or on the sole of the player's golf shoes, i.e., golf spikes.

The sand stuck or lodged on the player's shoes is often tracked onto the green, next to which most bunkers are situated, thereby possibly encumbering his or her own putting line or another player's putting line.

Also, if the bunker is distant from the green, e.g., next to or in the fairway, the sand stuck or lodged on the player's shoes may hinder the player's footing and stability for the next shot.

Alternatively, the player may try to remove the sand from his or her shoes by tapping his or her shoes with the golf club used to hit the sand shot, thereby risking injury to the player's ankle or foot as well as damage to the golf shoes.

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