US20070132186A1

US20070132186A1 - Disc toss putting game and method of playing

Info

Publication number: US20070132186A1
Application number: US11/301,507
Authority: US
Inventors: Larry Koralia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-13
Filing date: 2005-12-13
Publication date: 2007-06-14

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disc toss putting game and method of playing the game. The game involves the use of a game target, at least one disc for tossing at the game target, at least one golf ball, and at least one ball striking implement such as a putter. The game is played by one or more players who initially place the game target at a desired location. Then, each player tosses his disc at the target. The location where each player's disc lands determines where each player must putt from, if required, to complete the hole. The players can continue to repeatedly play the same hole or can move the target to other locations for different holes. The game target can have markings which make it easy for the players to determine where to putt a ball from and the game may include a mat with markings to facilitate target and ball placement and to identify the disc tossing location.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc toss putting game and method of playing the game. The game involves the use of a game target, at least one disc for tossing at the game target, at least one golf ball, and at least one ball striking implement such as a putter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a disc toss putting game and method of playing the game. The game involves the use of a game target, at least one disc for tossing at the game target, at least one golf ball, and at least one ball striking implement such as a putter. The game is played by one or more players who initially place the game target at a desired location. Then, each player tosses his disc at the target. The location where each player's disc lands determines where each player must putt from, if required, to complete the hole. The players can continue to repeatedly play the same hole or can move the target to other locations for different holes.
The game target can have markings which make it easy for the players to determine where to putt a ball from and the game may include a mat with markings to facilitate target and ball placement and to identify the disc tossing location.
More particularly, the present invention comprises a disc toss putting game including a game target having an inclined face and a back member extending downward from a top edge of the face, the face having an opening therein; at least one disc, said at least one disc being sized such that it can be received entirely within said opening; and at least one golf ball. Most preferably, the inclined face has a length of about 12 inches and a width of about 12 inches; the opening has a diameter of about 3 inches, is centered along the face width, and centered along said face length at a location about 7½ inches from a front edge; and where the back member has a height of about 2 inches. Most preferably, the disc has a diameter of about 2 inches. The game target is preferably made of a magnetically attractive material and the disc includes a magnetic material, such as being a vinyl coated flexible magnet. The game target can include a plurality of distance arcs and distance indications on the face, the distance arcs and distance indications indicating distance from the opening. The game can also include a playing mat having a length and a width and having a plurality of distance lines and distance indicators. Even further, discs and golf balls can be color coordinated.
The disc toss putting game is played by placing a game target at a desired location, the game target having a face with an opening therein; deciding a player playing order; each player tossing a disc from a disc toss location toward the game target, the disc being sized such that it can be received within the opening; determining if the disc tossing results in the disc: (1.) being received entirely within the opening thereby resulting in a hole score of one; (2.) being received on the face of the game target with at least a portion of the disc overlapping the opening thereby resulting in a hole score of two; (3.) having at least a portion being received on the face of the game target but with no portion overlapping the opening thereby resulting in a partial score of one and requiring putting from a first location; or, (4.) being received without any portion of the disc on the face of the game target or within the opening thereby resulting in a partial score of one and requiring putting from a second location which is the location where said tossed disc stops; and, putting a ball from the first location until the ball is received within the opening, if said tossed disc had at least a portion thereof received on the face of the game target but with no portion of the disc overlapping the opening, the number of putts being added to the partial score of one to determine a hole score; or putting a ball from the second location until the ball is received within the opening, if the tossed disc had no portion of the disc on the face of the game target or within the opening, the number of putts being added to the partial score of one to determine a hole score. Preferably, the first distance for putting is related to how far the tossed disc is from the opening, the first distance being greater the further the tossed disc is from the opening. Then, if desired, with or without moving the game target, the player or players can repeat the tossing step, the determining step, and the putting step as many times as desired with each player's hole scores for all of the holes played being added to determine a total hole score.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows the game target and playing area for the game of the instant invention;
FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the game target of the instant invention;
FIG. 3 shows a rear end view of the game target;
FIG. 4 shows a front end view of the game target;
FIG. 5 shows a left side view of the game target;
FIG. 6 shows the game target and playing area where the playing area includes a playing mat; and,
FIG. 7 shows the game target face where the face includes distance markings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the game and method of playing the game of the instant invention is shown. The following designations are used: 1—playing area/mat; 2—golf ball; 3—disc toss location; 4—possible hazard location; 5—distance lines on mat; 6—distance indications on mat; 10—game target; 12—top face of game target; 13—distance arcs on game target face; 14—opening in top face of target; 15—distance indications on game target face; 16—back member of game target; 17—bottom edge of face 12; 18—top edge of face 12; 20—disc; M1—represents location where disc could land where disc misses the game target; M2—represents location where disc could land on the face of the game target but not overlapping opening 14; M3—represents location where disc could land where a portion of the disc overlaps opening 14; M4—represents disc being received entirely into opening 14; d—the distance “x” in inches from the edge of the disc to the edge of opening 14; and, D—the distance “x”, but in feet instead of inches, from the front edge of the game target to the golf ball 2.
The playing area 1 for the game could be any area in any location. The game can be played anywhere. A flat surface, an undulating surface, or any other surface could be used. For example, the game target 10 could be placed at one end of a room and a disc toss location 3 identified distant from the target 10. As an example, the disc toss location 3 could be about 10 feet in front of target 10, or closer or further depending on the skill or wishes of the players. The surface where the game is played could be covered by a rug or anything else. The disc toss location 3 could even be at the top of a set of stairs and the target 10 could be located at the bottom of the stairs. Location is totally up to the imagination of the players.
The game target 10 can be left in one location and played multiple times by the players, such as eighteen times to complete a round of golf. Also, after the players all complete a hole, the target 10 can be moved to a different location for the next hole.
Playing area 1, as shown in FIG. 1 could be an additional playing mat 1, such as, for example, a piece of outdoor-type green colored carpet as is shown in FIG. 6. The mat 1 could be about 12 feet long and 3 feet wide and include a plurality of distance lines 5 and distance indicators 6. The distance indicator “0” is where the bottom edge 17 of the game target 10 is placed. As shown, the distance lines 5 and distance indicators 6 are every foot from the “0” indicator to the “10” foot indicator. The word “TOSS” can be on mat 1 behind the “10” foot indicator so that the “10” foot indicator is the disc toss line 3 and the word “TOSS” indicates where a player is to be when he tosses his disc 20 at game target 10.
With particular reference to FIGS. 2-5, the game target 10 is preferably constructed of a light weight steel. Game target 10 has a face 12 which has preferable length and width dimensions of 12 inches by 12 inches. A hole or opening 14 is located on the face 12. Preferably opening 14 is centered left to right on the width of face 12 and is slightly above center from the bottom edge 17 to the top edge 18 of face 12 on the length of face 12. Assuming a 3 inch diameter opening 14, opening 14 would preferably have a center 7½ inches from the bottom edge 17 of face 12 and start 6 inches from the bottom edge 17 and ends 9 inches from the bottom edge 17, which is 3 inches from the top edge 18.
The game target 10 also has a back member 16 which gives target 10 a height at its back or rear. When the target 10 is made from a steel sheet, the back member is formed by bending down, for example, a 2 inch portion of the steel sheet so that it would be transverse to a level surface on which target 10 is placed. In this situation, you would start with a 12 inch by 14 inch steel sheet to form the target 10. The back member 16 allows the face 12 of the target 10 to slope downward from top edge 18 to bottom edge 17 and has the opening 14 raised so that it can receive a disc 20 or a ball 2.
The game is provided with a plurality of discs 20. In the case where target 10 is made of steel or other magnetically attractive material, then the discs 20 preferably include magnetic material. For example, each disc could be a vinyl coated flexible magnet. The vinyl material for each disc 20 could be a different color so that the players can identify their disc 20. Each disc 20 should have a diameter less than the diameter of opening 14 so that the disc 20 can be received entirely within the opening 14. With a 3 inch diameter opening 14, each disc 20 could, for example, have a 2 inch diameter.
The game is played by each player taking a disc 20 and going to the identified disc toss location 3. On the first hole, the players can decide who has “honors” and thus gets to be the first to throw the disc. On subsequent holes, as with regular golf, honors will go based on scores on the previous hole or holes.
The player with honors tosses his disc 20 at the target 10, followed in turn by the other players. All player discs 20 can be thrown at the target before any putting occurs or each player can sequentially throw his disc 20 at target 10 and then do any putting as detailed below to complete the hole before the next player tosses his disc 20.
There are four possible areas where the disc can land. These areas are identified by M1, M2, M3, and M4 and determine the initial putting locations, if any. If a player tosses his disc 20 into opening 14 and it is received totally within opening 14, location M4, then the player scores an “ace” or a 1 on the hole and does not have to putt a ball 2 on that hole. If a player's disc 20 lands at a location M1 not touching the target 12, then the player will place his ball 2 at the exact location M1 where his disc 20 lands and putt from there. The disc toss counts 1 stroke and each putt adds another stroke, so the player's score for the hole will be 1 (disc toss) plus the number of putts it takes the player to putt the ball 2 into opening 14. As shown in FIG. 1, location M1 is to the left of target 12. With the slope of target 12, the player will have to putt the ball to a location in front of the target 12 and then putt the ball toward opening 14. Assuming that the player can putt the ball 2 into opening 14 in 2 putting strokes, then the player's score for the hole will be 3.
A player tossing his disc 20 can wind up at two areas on target face 12—where the disc 20 overlaps a portion of opening 14, but is not received totally into opening 14, and where the disc 20 is touching at least a portion of face 12 but does not overlap a portion of opening 14. The non-overlap location is identified as location M2 and the overlapping location is identified as location M3. In the overlapping situation where the disc 20 is at location M3, the player is awarded a “gimmie” putt, so the player's score for the hole will be a 2, 1 stroke for the disc toss and 1 stroke for the gimmie putt. In the non-overlapping situation where the disc 20 is at location M2, the player will determine the shortest distance between the edge of the player's disc 20 and the edge of opening 14. This distance is identified by “d” in FIG. 1 and is, for example, measured in inches. Looking at FIG. 1, we will assume that the disc is about 2½ inches from the opening 14. The player rounds the measurement up to the next whole number, or 3 in this situation. Then, the player will go a distance D in feet, being the rounded up distance d. For example, where the disc was 2½ inches from opening 12, the player places a golf ball 2 the distance D, or 3 feet, from the front edge 17 of the target 10 and putts toward opening 14. The player's score for the hole will be 1 (disc toss) plus the number of putts it takes the player to putt the ball 2 into opening 14. If the player putts the ball into the opening 14 in 1 stroke, then his score for the hole will be a 2.
If the players want a greater challenge, instead of putting from a distance D, where D, in feet, is the rounded up distance d, in inches, the players can double or triple the putting distance. For example, where the rounded up number is 3, the player can be forced to putt from 6 or 9 feet from edge 17 instead of from 3 feet.
Also, the players can incorporate sand trap areas or other hazards like a lake, which could result in the player being penalized and having a higher score on the hole. For example, assume that a player putts from 3 feet in front of the target 10. If there is a water hazard 4 identified behind the target 10, if the player on his first putt putts too hard and the ball 2 goes over the target 10 and over top edge 18, then the player is in the water hazard. The player would take a stroke penalty and again putt from the same spot as the first putt. Assuming that the player made that putt (ball 2 into opening 14), then the player's score for the hole would be a 4, 1 stroke for the disc toss, 1 stroke for putt one, 1 stroke for the water hazard penalty, and 1 stroke for the made putt.
The game target 10 can also include distance arcs 13 and distance indicators 15 on the face 12 as seen in FIG. 7. These distance arcs 13 and indicators 15 mean that the player does not have to measure how far he is from opening 14 to determine where to putt from. The player simply sees where the closest piece of his disc 20 is to opening 14 and reads the indicator 15 for that arc 13. That tells the player how many feet to putt from. For example, a disc 20 is shown on face 12 in FIG. 7. That disc 20 is over 3 inches but less than 4 inches from opening 12 at its closest edge. The indicator 15 for that arc reads “4”. That tells the player that he is to putt from 4 feet for his second stroke. As seen in FIG. 6, the ball 2 is placed at the “4” foot line indicator 6 and the player putts ball 2 toward opening 14 in target 10.
If desired, the game can be provided with a plurality of discs 20 and golf balls 2 which are color coordinated. For example, golf is often played in foursomes. As such, the game could include a blue, white, red, and black disc 20 as well as a blue, white, red, and black golf ball 2.
The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom for modifications can be made by those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A disc toss putting game, comprising:

a. a game target; said game target having an inclined face and a back member extending downward from a top edge of said face, said face having an opening therein;

b. at least one disc, said at least one disc being sized such that it can be received entirely within said opening; and,

c. at least one golf ball.

2. The disc toss putting game of claim 1, where said inclined face has a length of about 12 inches and a width of about 12 inches; where said opening has a diameter of about 3 inches, said opening being centered along said face width, and said opening being centered along said face length at a location about 7½ inches from a front edge of said face; and where said back member has a height of about 2 inches.

3. The disc toss putting game of claim 2, where said at least one disc has a diameter of about 2 inches.

4. The disc toss putting game of claim 3, where said game target is made of a magnetically attractive material and where said at least one disc includes a magnetic material.

5. The disc toss putting game of claim 1, where said game target is made of a magnetically attractive material and where said at least one disc includes a magnetic material.

6. The disc toss game of claim 5, where said at least one disc is a vinyl coated flexible magnet.

7. The disc toss game of claim 4, where said at least one disc is a vinyl coated flexible magnet.

8. The disc toss game of claim 1, where said game target includes a plurality of distance arcs and distance indications on said face, said distance arcs and distance indications indicating distance from said opening.

9. The disc toss game of claim 1, further comprising a playing mat, said mat having a length and a width, said mat having a plurality of distance lines and distance indicators.

10. The disc toss game of claim 8, further comprising a playing mat, said mat having a length and a width, said mat having a plurality of distance lines and distance indicators.

11. The disc toss game of claim 1, where said at least one disc and said at least one golf ball are color coordinated.

12. A method of playing a disc toss putting game, comprising the steps of:

a. placing a game target at a desired location, said game target having a face, said face having an opening therein;

b. deciding among at least one player a playing order;

c. tossing a disc by at least one player from a disc toss location toward said game target, said disc being sized such that said disc can be received within said opening;

d. determining if said tossing a disc results in said disc:

(1.) being received entirely within said opening thereby resulting in a hole score of one;

(2.) being received on said face of said game target with at least a portion of said disc overlapping said opening thereby resulting in a hole score of two;

(3.) having at least a portion being received on said face of said game target but with no portion of said disc overlapping said opening thereby resulting in a partial score of one and requiring putting by said at least one player from a first location; or,

(4.) being received without any portion of said disc on said face of said game target or within said opening thereby resulting in a partial score of one and requiring putting by said at least one player from a second location which is the location where said tossed disc stops; and,

e. putting a ball from said first location until said ball is received within said opening, if said tossed disc had at least a portion thereof received on said face of said game target but with no portion of said disc overlapping said opening, the number of putts being added to the partial score of one to determine a hole score; or putting a ball from said second location until said ball is received within said opening, if said tossed disc had no portion of said disc on said face of said game target or within said opening, the number of putts being added to the partial score of one to determine a hole score.

13. The method of claim 12 where said first distance for putting is related to how far said tossed disc is from said opening, said first distance being greater the further said tossed disc is from said opening.

14. The method of claim 12, where tossing step c, determining step d, and putting step e are repeated by said at least one player as many times as desired.