Thomas E Nichols

US Patent:

6569028, May 27, 2003

Filed:

Jan 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/493850

Inventors:

Thomas J. Nichols - Phoenix AZ
James Bertoncino - Phoenix AZ
Russell C. Brown - Phoenix AZ

Assignee:

GlowRange, L.L.C. - Phoenix AZ

International Classification:

A63B 6936

US Classification:

473192, 473191, 473153, 473168

Abstract:

A system for facilitating the practicing or playing of golf may include, alone or in combination, a golf target subsystem, a detection subsystem, and a golf ball dispensing subsystem. The golf ball dispensing subsystem comprises a free standing device placed at the teeing area which may be configured to provide various functions, such as, for example, receiving and storing a quantity of golf balls, exposing non-illuminated golf balls to an illuminating source contained therein, and thereby illuminating the golf balls, and/or dispensing the illuminated golf balls to the golfer. The golf target subsystem is suitably configured to permit a golfer to locate and identify the target area while addressing the golf ball so that the golfer may attempt to land the golf ball within the target area. In addition, to facilitate the identification of the target during nighttime conditions, i. e. , conditions without external lighting, the golf target is preferably illuminated.