Golf flag pole

Abstract

A golf flag 1 having a pole 2 including a first upper region having a first end to which the flag is attached, wherein in its use state a second lower end of the pole 2, consisting of a transparent portion or section 3, coincides with the area of ​​the pole 2 closest to the hole 4 of the green. The present invention can reduce the "slow play effect" in golf by eliminating the need to remove the flag when making a putt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf flag pole that indicates the position of a hole into which a ball can be put in as few strokes as possible. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flag pole that helps to improve the so-called "slow play problem" in said sport.

Background Art

[0002] In golf, since it was devised around the 15th century, a flag, along with its corresponding pole, has been used to indicate the position of a hole into which a ball needs to be put in as few strokes as possible. The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal & Ancient (R&A) located in the town of St. Andrews in Scotland are two organizations that operate golf globally and are responsible for enforcing the rules of the game. Occasionally, both organizations collaborate to propose amendments to these rules to bring golf in line with applicable requirements.

[0003] The hole and the flag are always in an area called the green, which the R&A and USGA rules simply define as "an area specially prepared for putting." Putting is an operation of hitting the ball with a club called a "putter" that allows the ball to roll with appropriate accuracy on the smooth surface of the green and enter the hole.

[0004] The pole of a golf flag is designed such that it can be inserted and easily removed from the golf hole. The reason for this characteristic is that historically, the rules required the flag to be removed when the golf ball was on the green, and thus, the putting operation was always performed with no flag in the hole. Conversely, when the ball is not on the green, the competitor can choose to maintain or remove the flag. That is, when the stroke is made from outside the green, even if the ball rolls onto the green and enters the hole with the flag in a predetermined position, no penalty is imposed.

[0005] The above rules have always generated some controversy. As an example, the reason for the rule can be understood to be that putting with the flag in a predetermined position has become a certain advantage for very fast putts that would never enter the hole without the assistance of the pole. On the other hand, other views are not compatible with this explanation, and they believe that the hole is more difficult to visually recognize with the flag than without it.

[0006] The unique point of the aforementioned rule is that while it is true that the ball was not allowed to enter the hole with the flag in a predetermined position, however, there was someone (a caddie or another competitor) responsible for the flag to remove the flag immediately after the competitor's stroke. As a result, the ball never hits the pole in the hole, and thus, it is recognized that even when the flag is in a predetermined position when the competitor makes a putt, as long as the rule of not incurring a two-stroke penalty is not violated. Usually, it is the competitor who is required to handle the flag when the competitor's ball is at a long distance from the hole. Then, when the pole that serves as a landmark is not in a predetermined position, the competitor cannot see the hole well.

[0007] Among all the players (up to a maximum of four) who make up the applicable match, the fact that the golfer farthest from the hole should take the next stroke is also relevant. There may be a player whose ball is outside the green, but even so, it may happen that that ball is closer to the hole than the ball of another player whose ball is on the green. Therefore, this last player should play first and, historically, that player could choose whether the flag would be handled or directly requested to remove it to comply with the rules. If it was the turn of a player outside the green and that player chose to play with the flag in a given position, the flag had to be returned to the hole. Then, when all the players were on the green, the flag had to be removed again to comply with the rules, i.e., to putt without the flag.

[0008] This way of playing, among other situations, especially due to the obligation to remove the flag for a ball on the green, allows a player to choose to request that the flag be handled, someone then has the obligation to remove it, and due to the situation described in the previous paragraph where the flag is first removed for a player on the green and then, since a player closer to the hole is outside the green, needs to be reinstalled, consumes a great deal of time.

[0009] Golf is perhaps the sport with the longest competition time, averaging about 5 hours at the amateur level and about 4.5 hours at the professional level. This fact is due to many characteristics inherent to the sport, such as the vast size of the playing field, the course (18 holes) being 5 - 7 kilometers in total length where the competition is played, the competition being played on foot rather than run, the concentration required to exercise the skills acquired to bring about various ball trajectories, especially in strokes such as club selection based on distance and wind, ball path selection, the numerous decisions made in strokes such as the risks the player wants to take, the excessive time spent searching for the ball in areas of tall grass or thickets, which occurs more at the amateur level than at the professional level where the maximum search time is strictly limited and the rules regarding the maximum search time are strictly applied, and finally, the slowness of the competition is also affected by the time wasted in applying the rules regarding the setting and removal of flags in all the aforementioned special cases, such as handling the flag and reinstalling it for players who are closer to the green but outside it.

[0010] In addition, in both amateur tournaments and professional tournaments, the number of players participating exceeds 100, which implies that the first person to start playing does so in the morning and the last person finishes the competition just before sunset. That is, the schedule for playing golf with clubs can continue for more than 12 hours until all rounds of all players participating in all competitions are completed.

[0011] Therefore, as a result of the above, slow play has always been regarded as a major problem (https: / / golfdigest.com.ar / no-momento-golf-profesional-solucione-problema-juego-lento / ). For example, in January 2020, the competition committee of the European Golf Circuit imposed economic sanctions and stroke penalties on particularly slow players who were more than one hole behind the preceding competition due to slow progress or who took an excessive amount of time to make a stroke in order to address slow play (https: / / www.golfchannel.com / news / european-tour-gets-tougher-slow-play-display-abu-dhabi). However, all these attempts to solve slow play have been achieved by focusing on the psychological / cognitive aspects (such as concentration or judgment) and the physiological aspects (such as walking speed) of the players, and it should be noted that there have been attempts to solve the slow play problem by focusing on these aspects that are very sensitive to the players, but that has always partially or entirely failed at both the professional and amateur levels.

[0012] Therefore, it is no coincidence that many of the new golf rules proposed by the R&A and USGA and effective at the beginning of 2019 attempt to address the issue of slow play (https: / / golfdigest.com.ar / no-momento-golf-profesional-solucione-problema-juego-lento / ). One of the proposed changes affects the time allowed to search for a ball, reducing it from five minutes to three minutes. Another of these changes, and one particularly relevant to the present invention, is new Rule 13.2a(2), which states that, whether the ball is played from on or off the green, "there is no penalty if the ball hits the flagstick remaining in the hole. If a player makes a stroke with the flagstick remaining in the hole and the moving ball hits the flagstick, (i) there is no penalty (except as provided in Rule 13.2a(1)), and the ball must be played as it lies."

[0013] When checking the impact of this amendment in the event that no player in the competition wishes to remove the flag, it is confirmed that the ball is on the green and that the flag needs to be reinstalled for that player, that the ball is further away than that of other players whose ball is not on the green, that there is no need to remove the flag for that player, and that the flag does not necessarily need to be handled for those who cannot see the hole well due to it being at a significant distance. In summary, it can be confirmed that the time savings that may necessarily accompany this new rule are extremely large.

[0014] The new rule regarding the ability to play with a flag in a given location when the ball is on the green was, a priori, considered an excellent solution for slow play because, like increasing walking speed for example, it involves no great physical requirements, and thus has no impact on the physiological aspect, as with the other proposals above, or on the psychological or cognitive aspect, since not removing the flag has no impact on concentration, judgment, or the exercise of the skill of the putting motion in this case.

[0015] However, the new rule has not been very well received by some golfers, as can be read in the following article (https: / / www.golfdigest.com / story / the-science-behind-why-the-flagstick-should-be-pulled-999-percent-of-the-time), because (a) in short putts, the flag appears visually intimidating to those golfers, which is felt to be a distraction; (b) in short putts, those golfers feel that the hole looks smaller when the flag is in place at a given location, which confuses them; (c) in long downhill putts where the speed can increase, in particular, those golfers feel that with the flag in place, there is a sense of the presence of a "buffer"; and (d) those golfers dislike having something "radically different" from what they are used to entering their field of vision / coming to mind, as they state that they are mentally distracted by the relevant cues that they work on during their pre-putt routine or during the execution of the putt. Other golfers, on the other hand, support the new rule and talk about feeling that the hole can be recognized better for putts in the short to medium range because they can see the flag within their peripheral vision when they are in the proper stance before the stroke (https: / / www.golfdigest.com / story / the-science-behind-why-the-flagstick-should-be-pulled-999-percent-of-the-time).

[0016] In summary, the problem of slow play is a serious issue in golf that has historically required technical solutions. Generally, various solutions are described in the background art, and these solutions attempt to solve the problem using generally complex electronic means that necessarily require a power supply, wiring, or the implementation of many wireless devices. Among these solutions, the following patents may be emphasized: U.S. Patent No. 5,438,319, U.S. Patent No. 8,460,111, or WO2018 / 192863, all of which describe the problem of slow play in golf.

[0017] On the other hand, golf flag poles including a screen for displaying advertisements (see, for example, U.S. Patent Application No. 2008 / 127881 or WO2007 / 132218) are known, and further, golf flag poles that emit light internally for night use (U.S. Patent No. 6,699,137) are also known. However, none of these poles will be able to solve the problem of slow play in golf. On the contrary, they may include distractions to concentration during the game that could further delay it.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0018]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Non-Patent Documents

[0019]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0020] An object of the present invention is to provide a tool that facilitates the application of new rules for golf competitions. The intention of the new rules is to overcome the problem known as "slow play" by allowing the flag not to be removed in situations where it was previously obligatory to remove the flag and the competition time was wasted. Thus, the object of the present invention is to focus on the pole with the flag, rather than the flag itself, i.e., the cloth covering the top of the pole, which is designed to assist the player in choosing the path of the ball by indicating the wind direction. This object is achieved by using the pole described in claim 1. Specific embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0021] In accordance with claim 1, it is advantageous for the application of the new rule 13.2a(2) to recognize that the golf flag remains in a predetermined position when the ball is on the green, thus being able to address slow play, which is currently undoubtedly one of the biggest problems in the game. Considering the different views on the application of the rule, with some players in favor and some opposed, the difficulty becomes even greater. The new rule recognizes that the flag is not removed, thus encouraging players not to remove the flag to speed up the game, but it should be noted that it does not enforce the non-removal of the flag. The goal of the proposed invention is to ensure that the design of the golf flag, particularly its pole, meets the requirements without causing disputes among players.

[0022] For groups of players who do not apply the possibility of the flag remaining in a predetermined position when the player's ball is on the green, it is most likely due to any one of the reasons listed in the background art, generally related to the visual perception of the flag (i.e., the flag is visually intimidating and the hole appears smaller) or psychological reasons (i.e., the flag gives a feeling like a "buffer"). However, the present invention proposes a pole in which the end portion of the pole closest to the hole is made of a transparent material, so that the entire hole can be seen through the transparent portion of the pole, creating a feeling very similar to when playing without a flag in a predetermined position, thus having the advantage of not requiring the removal and rearrangement of the flag and solving the problem of slow play.

[0023] By looking at the flag, the position of the hole can be better recognized for short or medium distance putts, so the new Rule 13.2a(2) is applied. Thus, for the group of players where the player's ball is on the green and there is no longer a need to remove the flag, the present invention proposes means to cancel the transparency effect. These means can be in two forms: a simple outer cover for the pole that can be deployed and retracted at will, or an electronic device that can make the transparent part of the present invention appear opaque by means of an electric current.

[0024] Throughout the specification and the claims, the term "comprises" and its variations are not intended to exclude other technical features, additions, components or steps. To those skilled in the art, other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become partially apparent from the present invention and partially from the practice of the present invention. The following examples and drawings are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention includes all possible combinations of the specific and preferred embodiments indicated in this specification.

[0025] A very brief description of a series of drawings, which are clearly related to the embodiments of the invention provided to better understand the present invention and illustrated as non-limiting examples thereof, is set forth below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The golf flag is 2.30 meters high and is currently entirely opaque. However, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the present invention claims that the lower part 3 of the pole 2 of the flag 1 is transparent, so that the part closest to the hole 4 is transparent. As indicated, the intention of this transparency is to create in the player the feeling that the flag has been removed, thus preventing any visual or psychological perception that would cause the player to comply with Rule 13.2a(2) which requires withdrawal and addresses slow play. In FIG. 1, it can also be seen that the cover 5 is in the stowed state.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the flag 1 and the pole 2 with the cover 5 deployed, with the transparency of the lower part or section 3 of the pole 2 canceled. Thus, the pole 2 is completely opaque when this can be required. The intention of providing this possibility in the present invention is that the players themselves can choose how they want to play (with or without the flag effect). As already discussed throughout the present invention, there are several reasons why players may prefer to play with an opaque pole 2. Among these reasons, in particular, an opaque pole 2 can make the hole more recognizable in putts ranging from short to medium distances.

[0029] Finally, FIG. 3 depicts the pole 2 with the cover 5 housed so that the transparent portion 3 of the pole 2 can be visually recognized. As a result, the pole 2 is visually perceived as if it has been removed from the hole 4. Also depicted in FIG. 3 is the putter 6, which is a club used when the ball is on the green, along with the aforementioned sense of putting where the flag is not consciously perceived by the golfer.

[0030] In the embodiment indicated from FIGS. 1 to 3, the transparent material of the lower portion 3 of the pole 2 has a mechanical resistance suitable for withstanding the moment of the force generated by the wind and also for withstanding the impact it receives during the course of the game (i.e., when the ball hits it). A suitable material can be glass having sufficient strength. Another material suitable for manufacturing the transparent portion 3 of the pole 2 is a device for electronically opacifying. By activating or deactivating the transparency of the glass by operating an electronic circuit that applies a current to the device for electronically opacifying, the pole 2 can include a portion 3 that can become entirely opaque or entirely transparent according to the golfer's wishes that vary with distance and further according to the conduct of the game. Thus, the device for electronically opacifying has the advantage that it does not require the use of the cover 5. However, this involves an increase in the cost of the pole 2 and the arrangement of additional circuitry and an independent power source on the pole 2.

[0031] In any case, there are advantages in terms of the range of visual perception and the psychology of the golfer during putting. Therefore, according to the present invention, in short putts, the golfer will not visually perceive the flag as intimidating and will not consider it an obstacle to concentration. In addition, the golfer will not feel that the hole is smaller when there is a flag in a predetermined position, especially in short putts. The golfer will not perceive the flag as acting as a "buffer", especially in long downhill putts where the speed can increase. Finally, by not perceiving the pole 2, the golfer will not feel something "very different" from what they are used to, and will not be distracted mentally by the relevant signs that work during their pre-putt procedure or during the execution of the putt.

[0032] In summary, on the one hand, the present invention contributes to solving the problem of slow play in golf by applying the new golf rule 13.2a(2), which allows more golfers to recognize that the flag is left when the ball is on the green. On the other hand, for golfers who already apply this new rule and prefer to feel that the flag is visible, the present invention proposes a means (i.e., the cover 5 or a device for electronically opacifying) to cancel the transparent part 3, and simply lowering this means will trigger that feeling again. As has been verified, the cover (5) can satisfy golfers who do not want to feel as if putting without a flag, so the cover (5) is an additional usefulness for the present invention, but it is optional and should be considered non-essential, that is, a flag without a cover but with a transparent end is also included in the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1: A golf flag (1), wherein the golf flag (1) comprises a pole (2) configured to be inserted vertically into a hole (4) on a golf green during play, in the golf flag (1), the pole (2) includes a first upper region having a first end portion to which a flag is attached, and a second lower region (3) extending upwardly from a second lower end portion opposite the first end portion, in the golf flag (1), the second lower region (3) of the pole (2) is formed of a completely transparent material, and the transparent material enables visual observation of the entire hole (4) through the second lower region (3) when the pole (2) is inserted into the hole (4) for use. Claim 2: The golf flag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the transparent material is glass having mechanical resistance to withstand moments of forces generated by wind and impact during the course of the competition. Claim 3: The golf flag (1) according to claim 1, comprising means for hiding the second lower region (3) of the pole (2) such that the second lower region (3) becomes visually opaque.

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