METHOD AND SYSTEM OF ORGANIZING AND OPERATING A PROFESSIONAL TEAM GOLF LEAGUE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of operating a professional golf league. The system involves drafting players onto teams for which they will compete. Teams can consist of many players, and can include both men and women. Teams then compete against each other in multi-stage competition involving different scoring methods for each stage. In the first stage, the teams play best-ball; in the second stage, a team's score is calculated using the lowest aggregate of the players on the hole; and in the third stage, a team plays worst-ball. Such a format places a greater emphasis on team play rather than on any one individual on the team, and further allows players to enter into a professional golf career while still developing their overall game.

Claims

1. The method of operating a professional golf league comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of courses, each of said plurality of courses comprising a starting area, a fairway, and a green, each said green including hole for receiving a golf ball; providing a first team of players, said first team of players having at least one golf ball, said first team of players having an objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses, wherein said movement of said at least one golf ball is accomplished by striking said at least one golf ball with at least one club; providing a second team of players, said second team of players having at least one golf ball, said second team of players having an objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses, wherein said movement of said at least one golf ball is accomplished by striking said at least one golf ball with at least one club; selecting a first method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; selecting a second method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; selecting a third method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; said first team of players and said second team of players playing said first method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; recording the number of times said first team of players struck said at least one golf ball during said first method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; said first team of players and said second team of players playing said second method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; recording the number of times said second team of players struck said at least one golf ball during said second method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; said first team of players and said second team of players playing said third method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; recording the number of times said first team of players struck said at least one golf ball during said third method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses; and determining a winning team.

2. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of adding the number of times said first team of players struck said at least one golf ball during said first, second, and third methods of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses to arrive at a first score, and adding the number of times said second team of players struck said at least one golf ball during said first, second, and third methods of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses to arrive at a second score.

3. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 2, including the steps of comparing said first score to said second score to determine said winning team.

4. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 3, wherein said winning team is the team of players with the lowest score.

5. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second team of players comprises of plurality of players and a coach.

6. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 5, wherein said plurality of players on each of said first and second team of players includes male players and females.

7. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plurality of players on said first team of players is selected by said coach for said first team of players.

8. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 7, including the step of drafting a plurality of player for said first team of players during an annual draft.

9. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 5, wherein for each strike of said at least one golf ball to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses said coach selects one player from said plurality of players.

10. The method of operating a professional golf league as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses is different from said second method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses, and said first and second methods of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses are different from said third method of completing said objective to move said at least one golf ball from said starting area to said hole on each of said plurality of courses.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The method of organizing and operating a professional team golf league includes creating teams ranging between four and twenty-five players. Teams can be all men, all women, or can be mixed gender.

[0029] Teams can be selected including an equal number of male and female players, leading to teams of eleven men and eleven women. Owners operating in connection with team coaches can select team members from a draft, or through trades, similar to other professional sports, where collegiate players can enter the draft as well as non-collegiate players who desire to play in the professional league. The player's abilities are assessed and then coaches/owners can draft players to their teams based on the skills and potentials of the different athletes.

[0030] Teams can then compete against each other throughout a season of play. Two teams can compete against each other over the course of a single weekend. In another embodiment, more than two teams compete against each other in a single weekend competition.

[0031] In a first embodiment teams compete head to head at a golf course in a three-stage format. The teams can compete on a traditional golf course, or alternatively, specially designed courses can be employed so long as they maintain the format of a golf course in that there are a plurality (typically 18) of holesor, mini courses each having a tee box to start, a fairway between the rough, all leading to a green with a hole. Hazards can be employed along the course as is typical with a traditional golf game to make the course more challenging.

[0032] In the first embodiment two teams compete head-to-head. Each time has between 4 and 25 players, and a coach. A format, or method of playing golf, is selected for playing each of three rounds of golf. The formats can be pre-selected before the event, or selected at the time of play. Formats can include such common formats as: traditional rules, match play, stroke play, bogey competition, skins, 9-points, stableford, foursome, fourball, scrable, champagne scramble, better ball or best-ball, greensome, or wolf.

[0033] The teams then complete a first round of golf under the rules of the format selected for the first round. The coach then selects individuals to participate during each hole of the round, either selecting the player for each shot, or the players competing in each hole of the round, depending on the format of play. The teams continue until they have played all three rounds of golf

[0034] In this embodiment, each of the three rounds is played under a different rules format, however, in an alternate embodiment, each round can be selected at random from a list of possible formats, which allows for the possibility that the same format can be selected for multiple rounds.

[0035] As the two teams complete each round, score is kept based on the rules of the format, and a running total is used by the coaches to determine how to approach each hole within the round. At the end of the three rounds, the team with the lowest score (i.e., the team that had the fewest number of strokes to complete each round) wins the competition.

[0036] In another embodiment, teams are comprised of ten men and ten women. A coach then selects four men and four women from the team to compete on a given hole. The coach selects the players for the hole based on the unique aspects of the hole, deciding which players' skill sets are best suited to help the team on each hole. The teams compete on each hole of the course in this manner, selecting different players based on each unique hole.

[0037] In another embodiment, teams compete in a multi-stage format, competing where different scoring rules are used with each stage so that the team score is based more on the team as a whole rather than on any one star individual.

[0038] One way of competing in the multi-stage format is playing a three-stage format. In the first stage, the teams play the course using the best-ball rules, where the best ball from the team counts as the score. In the second stage play the course again, but this time the teams play the aggregate score of their players on a given hole. In the third stage the teams play the course using a worst-ball scoring system, where the worst score from the team counts as the team's score for a given hole.

[0039] In another embodiment, teams can compete using a multi-stage format where scoring changes between formats using different scoring methods. An alternate embodiment can include playing a scramble as the first stage, aggregate the scores in the second stage, and play an alternate scramble as the third stage where teams play off the worst shot rather than the best shot.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment, players are instructed of the scoring method the night before or the day of play. In the event of rain each team shall receive an equal number of points for that days play for play to resume the following day.

[0041] All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0042] It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

[0043] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.