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[0002] In some embodiments, the upper tier has a front, two sides, bottom and back. The back acts as a stop to catch the ball. The upper tier can either be attached to the lower tier or mounted separately to a wall, window or any other surface. The bottom tier has a beveled front to accept putted balls. Sides, bottom and back are to retain the putted ball. Balls that are pitched into a raised tier may either be retained by that tier or funneled down to the lower tier. The bottom tier may have an device, such as a mechanical or air driven, to send the balls back to the player. The tiers can be provided integrally with the substantially vertical support, in a kit with the substantially vertical support, or separately with the substantially vertical support provided separately by a user, for example where the substantially vertical support is a wall.
[0003] The substantially vertical support can comprise a wall or a panel that can be, if desired, connected to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure. The substantially vertical support can also comprise one, two or more vertical support legs each attached to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such that the substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standing structure. For example, the substantially vertical support can be a single leg attached substantially at the middle of the lower tier, or the substantially vertical support can be two legs attached substantially at opposed sides of the lower tier. The leg(s) can be attached at any other desired location on the various tiers, as well.
[0004] The substantially vertical support and the tiers can be made of wood, steel, glass, plastic or any other desired material.
[0005] The game can be played on carpet or grass or other desired surface.
[0006] In one embodiment, the game can be played with a three tiered device as follows:
[0007] 1) Each player starts with 0 points.
[0008] 2) Each player places his ball a distance, for example at least about 10 feet, from the target, which is the apparatus.
[0009] 3) Each player may either pitch or putt at his discretion for first two tries. After two tries the ball must be putted.
[0010] 4) A pitch in the upper tiers will score 3 or 4 depending on difficulty.
[0011] 5) A putt in the middle will score 2.
[0012] 6) A putt in the sides will score 1.
[0013] 7) Players may either play until they score or alternate strokes.
[0014] 8) First player to reach 10 points wins. play to 20 when you get better.
[0015] In another embodiment, the game can be played similar to the game above except that each player starts with 10 points. A miss will add one +1 point to the players score. A pitch in an upper tier will score −3 or −4. A putt in the middle of the lower tier will score −2. A putt in the sides of the lower tier will score −2. First player to reach 0 points wins.
[0016] In a further embodiment, the game can be played by selecting two, three or more separate spots around the device. Each player tries to pitch a ball into the top tier or other designated tier. Whoever makes the shots in the least tries wins.
[0017] Games can be played with multiple holes (devices) set in various locations around an office, play room, lawn or otherwise as desired.
[0018] Accordingly, the present invention provides a golf game comprising an upper box and a lower box each attached to a substantially vertical support. The lower box forms a lower tier and the upper box forms an upper tier. The boxes and support can be attached by any desirable mechanism, such as nails, screws, glue, clamps, velcro or formed integrally with each other. In some embodiments, the attachment devices can be permanent; in others they can be releasable. Also in some embodiments, for example where the substantially vertical support is a wall, the lower box may not be attached to the substantially vertical support but can abut it or be adjacent to it. The boxes can be of any desired shape, such as rectangular, square, circular, triangular, etc. The lower box preferably comprises an open front so the balls can be either putted or pitched into the box. Typically, the upper boxes comprise walls on all sides so that a golf ball striking the upper box is retained within the upper box. If desired, there can be a clear line of demarcation between the floor of the box and the walls, or there can be a continuous gradation between the floor and the walls (indeed, depending upon the desired shape, there may be no specific “floor” and “wall”). The game is suitably designed for use in an office, at home, or anywhere else that may be desired. The boxes can be small, medium or large in any of the tiers, as desired.
[0019] Accordingly, the game is suitably designed to be used with either real golf balls or with soft golf balls, such as golf balls made of nerf foam, solid plastic or hollow plastic such as whiffle balls or hollow dimpled plastic balls or any other desired material; the golf balls can all be of the same or different colors. The game can comprise one or more additional middle boxes, which can be substantially the same size as the lower box or larger or smaller than the lower box. The various boxes can be essentially stacked in a straight line, staggered with some boxes further to the right and others further to the left, or in series, for example each of the boxes disposed a bit further to the right relative to the box below it, or otherwise as desired. The game can be played in any of a variety of fashions. For example, the game can merely comprise pitching or putting balls at the various boxes either for practice or as part of an actual scoring game. In addition, the game can be played using a single golf game as described above, or a plurality of golf games located in different locations. In addition, the game can comprise either awarding players points for achieving a certain goal, or subtracting points from an initial total, with the first person to get to a particular low score, such as 0, being the winner. In addition, a certain number of strokes can be designated “par” and then points can be either subtracted or added depending upon whether or not the player achieves the given shot within the par number of strokes. The various boxes can, if desired, comprise a variety of indicia designating particular awards, such as points, or even specific dollar values or prizes. Various embodiments of the game are also described further above and in the claims below.