Apparatus for a golf course and method of assembly

Abstract

A golf teeing device 5, comprising a tee rod 10, preferably of polyurethane, configured to support a golf ball, a housing 20 defining an elongate slot extending from an open end for receiving the tee

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an apparatus for a golf course and to a method of assembling such an apparatus. BACKGROUND A golfer taking a swing to launch a golf ball will endeavour to use the club’s sweet spot which is an area located at the centre of the golf club’s flat impact face. Golfers generally carry a mixed selection of golf clubs in their golf bags and the heads of the clubs and therefore the impact face may differ in size, which in turn means that the height of the sweet spot from the playing surface varies. Owing to these differences the appropriate or optimum height for the golf ball will vary with the club that is to be used. When playing on a golf course a golfer may carry a mixture of various fixed height tee pegs or teeing devices and may select the most appropriate one for the preferred club and for the particular type of shot to be taken next. Practice ranges may have fixed electrical teeing devices that will on the push of a button raise a golf ball on a rubber tee from below ground to the required height. However, owing to the size and rural location of many golf courses many of the tees may not have access to electricity and as such an electrical teeing device may not be appropriate. SUMMARY A first aspect provides an apparatus for a golf course comprising: a tee rod having a first end and a second end, the second end being configured to support a golf ball; a housing having a closed end and an open end, the housing defining an elongate slot extending from the open end for receiving at least the first end of the tee rod; and a means for fixing a position of the tee rod relative to the housing, wherein, when the tee rod is received within the elongate slot, the means for fixing is configured to provide friction between the tee rod and the housing, the friction being sufficient for the tee rod to support a golf ball without the tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction being small enough to allow the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball such that the position of the tee rod relative to the housing can be adjusted. The first aspect provides an elegant solution to the requirement for adjustable height tees on a golf course by providing a tee rod that can be fixed in an adjustable position relative to a housing using frictional forces to maintain it in position. These forces are sufficient to support the weight of a golf ball but allow the height to be adjusted with the use of manual force such as rotating and pulling or pushing on the tee rod. As no electricity or other powering is required this provides a height adjustable teeing device that can be placed on any teeing off area and adjusted as appropriate by the different players. This provides a convenient and environmentally friendly solution to the problem of height adjustable teeing devices particularly those in remote locations. In some embodiments, the tee rod comprises an elastic material. In some embodiments, the elastic material comprises polyurethane. Such a material may be a suitable material to form a hardy, damage resistant tee rod that does not cause damage to the golf club. In some embodiments, the tee rod comprises a shaft and a stand for supporting a golf ball at the second end of the tee rod, wherein the shaft comprises a uniform circular cross section along a length of the shaft. In some embodiments, a diameter of the shaft is at least 6mm, preferably at least 8mm, more preferably at least 10mm. By having an elastic material with a significant diameter, the tee rod is robust and resistant to damage and wear. In some embodiments, the means for fixing comprises at least one formation extending from the tee rod, the at least one formation being configured to engage an inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create the friction. Having a formation extending from the tee rod, which may be a separate formation fixed to it or may be part of the tee rod, and which extends to contact the housing provides contact surfaces between the housing and the tee rod, which surfaces provide a frictional force to resist relative movement between the surfaces. The strength of this force will depend on the nature of the materials, the nature of the surfaces and the area of the contacting surfaces. In this way and with appropriate design of one or more of these properties a desired frictional force may be provided. In some embodiments, the at least one formation comprises a cross section which is complementary to a cross section of the elongate slot. In some embodiments, the at least one formation comprises a circular cross section. Having a circular cross section allows the tee rod and attached formations to rotate, rotational movement of the tee rod providing a way of reducing resistance to vertical movement. In some embodiments, the means for fixing comprises a means for mounting the at least one formation to the tee rod. In some embodiments, the means for mounting comprises at least one screw, the at least one formation comprising at least one threaded hole for receiving the at least one screw. In some embodiments, the at least one formation comprises at least one sleeve mounted on the tee rod. The at least one formation may comprise one or more sleeves that are mounted around the tee rod, a portion of the surface area of the sleeves will contact the inner surface area of the housing and provide the frictional force. In some embodiments, the at least one sleeve comprises a through-hole for receiving the tee rod, the through-hole being parallel to an axis of the at least one sleeve. In some embodiments, the through-hole of the at least one sleeve is off-centre relative to the axis of the at least one sleeve such that, when the tee rod is received within the through-hole, a portion of the tee rod within the through-hole is held away from the axis of the at least one sleeve and provides a biasing force towards the inner wall of the housing on an opposite side of the axis from the portion of the tee rod. One way of providing the desired friction or force and providing some centring of the tee rod within the housing is to provide each sleeve with an offset through-hole such that they contact the inner housing of the wall at different circumferential positions and thereby find a more uniform force on the tee rod. In some embodiments, the at least one sleeve comprises a plurality of sleeves, preferably three sleeves. Three formations / sleeves allow for an effective force from three different areas which with suitable configuration may provide for good centring and stable holding of the tee rod. In some embodiments, the off-centre through-holes of the plurality of sleeves are located in different directions away from the axis. In some embodiments, the off-centre through-holes of the plurality of sleeves are equidistantly spaced around the axis. In some embodiments, the at least one formation is made from a plastic, preferably an engineering plastic. In some embodiments, the closed end of the housing comprises a channel which permits airflow between the elongate slot and outside of the housing. It may be desirable for there to be an air hole in the housing which may be in the end surface and impedes the buildup of pressure within the housing as the tee moves up and down. Rotational movement of the tee rod may also help equalise pressures on either side of the formations. In some embodiments, the housing further comprises a cap, the open end of the housing being defined by the cap, the cap comprising a through-hole for the tee rod to pass through. Having a cap at the top of the housing body allows it to be simply removed and the tee rod and / or formations to be replaced as required. The cap may be secured to a main body of the housing using a threaded connection. In some embodiments, the tee rod, the housing and the at least one formation are dimensioned and arranged such that the distance between the second end of the tee rod and the open end of the housing can be adjusted between Omm and 152.4mm (6 inches), optionally between Omm and 127mm (5 inches), and optionally between Omm and 101.6mm (4 inches). The housing may be formed of a metal or preferably a plastic or more preferably an engineering plastic. A cap of the housing may be made of the same material as the main body of the housing or a different material. In some embodiments, the means for fixing is configured to provide friction which allows the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball plus a margin, the margin being selected such that the tee rod may be manually moved within the elongate slot. The fictional force provided by the means for fixing may be changed by changing one or more of the material of the housing, the material of the formations, the contacting surface area between the formations and the inner wall of the housing or the surface roughness. In this way the frictional force may be controlled in a predictable and relatively simple manner and may be selected to be such that it will not move when supporting a golf ball but will move with a manual force which may be several times that of a golf ball. In this regard, it should be noted that a twisting force may reduce the amount of vertical force required to move the tee rod vertically. In some embodiments, the margin is the weight of a golf ball, preferably two times the weight of a golf ball, and more preferably four times the weight of a golf ball. A further aspect provides a method for assembling an apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, the method comprising: passing a first end of a tee rod through a through-hole defined in a cap of a housing; mounting at least one formation to the tee rod such that the at least one formation is fixedly attached to the tee rod and extends from the tee rod such that, when the tee rod is received within an elongate slot defined by a main body of the housing, the at least one formation is configured to engage an inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create friction which is sufficient for the tee rod to support a golf ball without the tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction being small enough to allow the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball such that the position of the tee rod relative to the housing can be adjusted; inserting the tee rod together with the at least one formation into the elongate slot of the housing; and securing the cap to the main body of the housing. In some embodiments, the method further comprises anchoring the main body of the housing in a fixed position. In some embodiments the anchoring of the main body of the housing comprises securing the main body within a hole in a tee off area for golf. A yet further aspect provides a method of replacing a tee rod in an apparatus for a golf course, the method comprising: removing a cap from a main body of a housing; removing a tee rod attached to the cap together with at least one formation attached to the tee rod from an elongate slot defined by the main body of the housing; removing the at least one formation from the tee rod; separating the tee rod from the cap by passing a first end of the tee rod through a through-hole defined in the cap, a tee rod having a first and a second end, the second end being configured to support a golf ball; passing a first end of a second tee rod through the through-hole defined in the cap of the housing; mounting the at least one formation or at least one second formation to the second tee rod such that the at least one formation or at least one second formation is fixedly attached to the second tee rod and extends from the second tee rod such that, when the second tee rod is received within the elongate slot defined by the main body of the housing, the at least one formation or at least one second formation is configured to engage the inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create friction which is sufficient for the second tee rod to support a golf ball without the second tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction being small enough to allow the second tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball such that the position of the second tee relative to the housing can be adjusted; inserting the second tee rod together with the at least one formation or at least one second formation into the elongate slot of the housing; and securing the cap to the main body of the housing. The configuration of the housing, the cap and the tee rod, allow the tee rod and / or formations to be replaced as they wear extending the lifetime of the apparatus. Further particular and preferred aspects are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. Where an apparatus feature is described as being operable to provide a function, it will be appreciated that this includes an apparatus feature which provides that function or which is adapted or configured to provide that function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross section through a golf course apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 2 shows the golf course apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 3 shows a removable portion of the golf course apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 4 shows the golf course apparatus according to an embodiment embedded in a golf course; Figure 5 shows the golf course apparatus according to an embodiment; Figure 6 shows a flow diagram schematically illustrating steps in a method of assembling a golf course apparatus according to an embodiment; and Figure 7 shows a flow diagram schematically illustrating steps in a method of replacing a tee rod of a golf course apparatus according to an embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a golf course apparatus or height adjustable teeing device 5 according to an embodiment. The height adjustable teeing device 5 comprises a flexible polyurethane tee rod 10 that is configured to support a ball in a dimple cup 12. The height adjustable tee is designed as a permanently fixed item of golf course equipment that will be present in the teeing area of a golf course and in particular may be used on concrete tee boxes and / or below grass teeing areas. It is formed of two separate parts, these comprise the fixed hollow cylinder housing body 20 and the removable portion or unit that comprises the tee rod 10 with associated sleeves 30 and the housing cap 26. This removable portion may be kept in separate storage until it is required. The removable portion shown in detail in Figure 3 is connected to the cylinder 20 via a threaded connection. The tee rod 10 extends through an aperture in cap 26. When mounted on the golf course, the upper portion of the tee rod 10 comprising the dimple cup 12 extends above the playing surface and can be raised or lowered by the golfer to place his golf 7 ball in a desired position. The teeing rod 10 comprises three sleeves or formations 30 that are fixed to the teeing rod using fixing screws 32. They are offset mounted and combine to provide outward impact pressure on the inner round surface of the cylindrical housing body 20 at various angles and thereby provide a force to hold the tee centrally in position. Figure 2 shows the outside view of the height adjustable teeing device 5 with tee rod 10 comprising dimple cup 12 extending through the cap 26 attached to housing body 20. Figure 3 shows the removable portion or unit 24 that is configured to be mounted to the housing body and can be removed as required. Unit 24 comprises the flexible polyurethane tee rod 10, the housing cap 26, the sleeves or formations 30 that are offset mounted around the tee rod at different circumferential positions and which comprise fixing means 32 for fixing them to the teeing rod. Figure 4 shows the height adjustable tee 5 in position. The housing body or cylinder 20 which may be formed of metal or may be formed of a plastic such as acetate is positioned vertically below the playing surface. It has a closed lower end with an air relief hole and an external threaded section at the top. The cylinder 20 may be permanently fixed in position with mortar 44 into a pre-drilled hole comprising a gravel or grit portion 46 below the mortar. The pre-drilled hole may be below the concrete surface level of a gold course tee box. The externally threaded section is however left exposed at the top, within a cavity 47. This provides a threaded surface to screw an internally threaded cap 26 into the housing body 20. The assembled components comprise the housing body 20 with the threaded cap 26 that enclose and support a portion of the tee rod 10 to form the height adjustable tee. The tee rod 10 is deployed in a vertical position and has a flexible shaft and a dimple cup located at the top which is designed to support a golf ball 40. The lower end of the tee rod 10 is inserted through a centrally located hole in the flat surface of the cap 26. The through-hole or circular aperture for receiving the tee rod has a similar dimension to the shaft of the tee rod 10. Three formations or pressure sleeves 30 each with an off-centre hole are secured onto the lower end section of the tee rod 10 and prevent the full extraction of the tee rod when it is raised. A small inset and a threaded hole are drilled into the sides of each of 8 the three pressure sleeves 30 and this provides access for the insertion of a threaded grub screw 32 to grip the tee rod and secure it in place. The off centred holes and the sleeves are arranged such that they are offset at substantially equally circumferentially displaced positions allowing each of them to contact and grip a different circumferential position of the inner wall of the housing body 20. The tee rod 10 may be moved vertically through the aperture in the cap 26 to protrude to a selected height that may be set to be less than, for example, 4 inches from the playing surface 45. The full height adjustment is governed by the enclosed upper-most sleeve 30 and the depth of the housing body 20. The playing surface 45 may be a thick heavy duty rubber surface of a tee matt that is spread over the surface of the concrete tee box and is commonly employed on golf courses to prevent damage to expensive golf clubs. With only the flexible height adjustable tee rod 10 protruding up through the aperture in the rubber cover matt the adjustable height tee box is visibly ready for use. Twisting the tee rod 10 during the process of raising or lowering may help release trapped air and may reduce the friction allowing it to be pulled up slowly and accurately. Figure 5 shows an example embodiment in which the height adjustable tee 5 is mounted to a base 50. The end of the housing 20 is received within a hole in the base 50 which has a complimentary shape to the housing 20. A screw 52 is used to fix the housing 20 in position in the base. The screw 52 is accommodated by a hole extending from a side surface of the base 50 to the hole for receiving the housing 20. It will be appreciated that any means suitable for affixing the housing 20 to the base 50 may be used. For example, a threaded connection may be used to join the housing 20 to the base 50. The thread for the threaded connection may be integrally formed with the housing and / or base member, or a separate threaded component may be used. In some embodiments, the base 50 may not comprise a hole and the housing 20 is mounted to the top surface of the base 50. In use, the base 50 is buried or otherwise secured in place. When the tee 5 is mounted to the base 50, the base 50 provides additional resistance to vertical movement because the top (and bottom) surface of the base will engage the soil or other retaining material to inhibit the tee 5 moving vertically and potentially rising out of the ground. Figure 6 shows steps in a method of assembling a golf course apparatus according to an embodiment. In a first step S10 a first end of a tee rod is passed through a through-hole that is at the centre of the cap of the screw threaded end cap. At step S20 one or more, in this case three, formations or sleeves are mounted on the tee rod and secured in position. These sleeves or formations are configured to engage an inside wall of the housing and to create sufficient friction for the tee rod to support a golf ball without the tee rod sliding within the elongate slot, while the friction is small enough to allow the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a manual force which is significantly greater than the weight of a golf ball. The step S20 of attaching the sleeves may comprise inserting a grub screw into a threaded hole within an indent in the side of the sleeve and rotating it inwards providing compression in the side of the tee rod. This screw will grip and secure the enclosed tee rod such that the sleeve is held at the required position on the tee rod. A further step S30 which may be performed either before or after steps S10 and S20 comprises anchoring the housing body in a hole in the tee-off area of a golf course. The upper portion of the housing body is left exposed within a cavity such that the cap can be secured to the housing body in a subsequent step. At step S40 the tee rod is inserted together with the attached sleeves into the elongate slot of the housing. The cap is secured in position on the housing at step S50. When the unit is fully assembled, the three tee rod sleeves are provided at three different vertical positions and at suitable angles preferably offset from each other by equal angular amounts to produce a controlled amount of radiating gripping pressure. The combined gripping action of the offset washers or sleeves on the inner wall of the housing body will sufficiently support the weight of the golf ball at the selected height which can be adjusted by pulling or pushing the tee rod and, in some cases, simultaneously rotating the tee rod. Figure 7 shows a flow diagram schematically illustrating steps in a method of replacing a tee rod in a golf course apparatus according to an embodiment. In a first step S100 a cap is removed from the housing. At step S110 the cap is lifted to remove the tee rod that is attached to the cap along with the sleeves attached to the tee rod from an elongate slot in the housing. The sleeves are then removed from the tee rod at step S120, in some cases, by undoing the grub screws holding them in position. At step S130 the tee rod is separated from the cap by pulling a first end of the tee rod through the through-hole in the cap. A first end of a replacement tee rod is then passed through the through-hole in the cap and either the removed sleeves or replacement sleeves are attached to the replacement tee rod at step S150, in some embodiments, by using grub screws. These can be placed at different vertical positions and at different offset angles to each other. At step S160 the replacement tee rod together with the attached sleeves are inserted into the housing and at step S170 the cap is secured to the housing. In summary, the tee rod of embodiments is formed of a resilient elastic material such as polyurethane and has properties such that it will remain semi-flexible and withstand numerous high speed impacts from golf clubs without causing club face damage. The tee rod is configured to resist deterioration and cracking and to be impervious to adverse weather conditions such as rain or heavy frost. Where there is a faulty tee rod or it does become damaged then it can be easily and quickly replaced by lifting the rubber cover mat and performing the method according to figure 7. In summary, embodiments provide a height adjustable golf teeing device that incorporates a flexible polyurethane tee rod with a cup dimple at the top and which with a manual twisting and pulling motion can be adjusted to a desired height. The tee rod is kept in a cylindrical housing below the playing surface and when it is raised up it will bear the weight of a golf ball in the dimple cup at the selected height which may be up to four inches above the playing surface. It does not require electricity or regular maintenance to function effectively. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

28 07 251. Apparatus for a golf course comprising:a tee rod having a first end and a second end, the second end being configured 5 to support a golf ball;a housing having a closed end and an open end, the housing defining an elongate slot extending from the open end for receiving at least the first end of the tee rod; anda means for fixing a position of the tee rod relative to the housing, io wherein, when the tee rod is received within the elongate slot, the means for fixing is configured to provide friction between the tee rod and the housing, the friction being sufficient for the tee rod to support a golf ball without the tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction being small enough to allow the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball such that the15 position of the tee rod relative to the housing can be adjusted,wherein the means for fixing comprises at least one formation extending from the tee rod, the at least one formation being configured to engage an inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create the friction,wherein the at least one formation comprises at least one sleeve mounted on 20 the tee rod,wherein the at least one sleeve comprises a through-hole for receiving the tee rod, the through-hole being parallel to an axis of the at least one sleeve, andwherein the through-hole of the at least one sleeve is off-centre relative to the axis of the at least one sleeve such that, when the tee rod is received within the25 through-hole, a portion of the tee rod within the through-hole is held away from the axis of the at least one sleeve and provides a biasing force towards the inner wall of the housing on an opposite side of the axis from the portion of the tee rod.

2. Apparatus for a golf course apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tee rod 30 comprises an elastic material.

3. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 2, wherein the elastic material comprises polyurethane.35 4. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the teerod comprises a shaft and a stand for supporting a golf ball at the second end of the28 07 25tee rod, wherein the shaft comprises a uniform circular cross section along a length of the shaft.

5. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 4, wherein a diameter of the 5 shaft is at least 6mm, preferably at least 8mm, more preferably at least 10mm.

6. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one formation comprises a cross section which is complementary to a cross section of the elongate slot.io7. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 6, wherein the at least one formation comprises a circular cross section.

8. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the15 means for fixing comprises a means for mounting the at least one formation to the tee rod.

9. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 8, wherein the means for mounting comprises at least one screw, the at least one formation comprising at least 20 one threaded hole for receiving the at least one screw.

10. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one sleeve comprises a plurality of sleeves, preferably three sleeves.2511. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 10, wherein the off-centre through-holes of the plurality of sleeves are located in different directions away from the axis.30 12. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 11, wherein the off-centrethrough-holes of the plurality of sleeves are equidistantly spaced around the axis.

13. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the closed end of the housing comprises a channel which permits airflow between the 35 elongate slot and outside of the housing.28 07 2514. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing further comprises a cap, the open end of the housing being defined by the cap, the cap comprising a through-hole for the tee rod to pass through.5 15. Apparatus for a golf course according to claim 14, wherein the cap is secured toa main body of the housing using a threaded connection.

16. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the tee rod, the housing and the at least one formation are dimensioned and arranged such io that the distance between the second end of the tee rod and the open end of thehousing can be adjusted between Omm and 152.4mm (6 inches), optionally between Omm and 127mm (5 inches), and optionally between Omm and 101.6mm (4 inches).

17. Apparatus for a golf course according to any preceding claim, wherein the15 means for fixing is configured to provide friction which allows the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball plus a margin, the margin being selected such that the tee rod may be manually moved within the elongate slot.20 18. A method for assembling an apparatus for a golf course, the methodcomprising:passing a first end of a tee rod through a through-hole defined in a cap of a housing, a second end of the tee rod being configured to support a golf ball;mounting at least one formation to the tee rod such that the at least one25 formation is fixedly attached to the tee rod and extends from the tee rod such that, when the tee rod is received within an elongate slot defined by a main body of the housing, the at least one formation is configured to engage an inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create friction which is sufficient for the tee rod to support a golf ball without the tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction30 being small enough to allow the tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the weight of a golf ball such that the position of the tee rod relative to the housing can be adjusted;inserting the tee rod together with the at least one formation into the elongate slot of the housing; and35 securing the cap to the main body of the housing,wherein the at least one formation comprises at least one sleeve mounted on the tee rod,28 07 25wherein the at least one sleeve comprises a through-hole for receiving the tee rod, the through-hole being parallel to an axis of the at least one sleeve, andwherein the through-hole of the at least one sleeve is off-centre relative to the axis of the at least one sleeve such that, when the tee rod is received within the5 through-hole, a portion of the tee rod within the through-hole is held away from the axis of the at least one sleeve and provides a biasing force towards the inner wall of the housing on an opposite side of the axis from the portion of the tee rod.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising anchoring the main body of io the housing in a fixed position.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the anchoring of the main body of the housing comprises securing the main body within a hole in a tee-off area for golf.15 21. A method of replacing a tee rod in an apparatus for a golf course, the methodcomprising:removing a cap from a main body of a housing;removing a tee rod attached to the cap together with at least one formation attached to the tee rod from an elongate slot defined by the main body of the housing;20 removing the at least one formation from the tee rod;separating the tee rod from the cap by passing a first end of the tee rod through a through-hole defined in the cap, a tee rod having a first and a second end, the second end being configured to support a golf ball;passing a first end of a second tee rod through the through-hole defined in the 25 cap of the housing;mounting the at least one formation or at least one second formation to the second tee rod such that the at least one formation or at least one second formation is fixedly attached to the second tee rod and extends from the second tee rod such that, when the second tee rod is received within the elongate slot defined by the main body30 of the housing, the at least one formation or at least one second formation is configured to engage the inside wall of the housing defining the elongate slot to create friction which is sufficient for the second tee rod to support a golf ball without the second tee rod sliding within the elongate slot and the friction being small enough to allow the second tee rod to slide within the elongate slot under a force which is greater than the35 weight of a golf ball such that the position of the second tee relative to the housing can be adjusted;inserting the second tee rod together with the at least one formation or at least one second formation into the elongate slot of the housing; andsecuring the cap to the main body of the housing,wherein the at least one formation comprises at least one sleeve mounted on5 the tee rod,wherein the at least one sleeve comprises a through-hole for receiving the tee rod, the through-hole being parallel to an axis of the at least one sleeve, andwherein the through-hole of the at least one sleeve is off-centre relative to the axis of the at least one sleeve such that, when the tee rod is received within theio through-hole, a portion of the tee rod within the through-hole is held away from the axis of the at least one sleeve and provides a biasing force towards the inner wall of the housing on an opposite side of the axis from the portion of the tee rod.28 07 25

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