GB2198651A - Board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game includes a design of a golf course showing holes, tees and areas of rough, each hole being divided into areas of semi-rough, fairway and a green, said fairway areas having yardage lines drawn across them to indicate distances from the tee, tokens for movement around the course to signify the progress of balls, a first set of cards for selection each marked with a symbol, a table setting out the possible lengths a ball can be hit using a particular club other than the putter, a table setting out the length of shot played and final position of a ball struck using each of the clubs other than the putter for each of said first set of cards for selection, a second set of cards for selection to determine the progress of chipping shots when near the green areas, and a third set of cards for selection to determine the progress of putting shots on the green areas. The game may also include means to indicate whether a ball is in a bunker or has been hit out of a bunker. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to a board game which aims to simulate e skill and excitement of playing the game of golf. The game if based as near as possible on the rules of golf as played throughout the world.

According to the invention there is provided a board marked with a diagram of a golf course showing holes, tees and areas of rough, each hole being divided into areas of. semi-rough, fairway and a green, said fairway areas having yardage lines äraai across them to indicate distances from the tee, tokens for movement around the course to signify the progress of balls, a first set of cards for selection each marked with a symbol, a table setting out the possible lengths a ball can be hit using a particular club other than the putter, a table setting out the length of shot played and final position of a ball struck using each of the clubs other than the putter for each of said first set of cards for selection, a second set of cards for selection to determine the progress of chipping shots when near the green areas, and a third set of cards for selection to determine the progress of putting shots on the- green areas.

As an alternative to the first set of cards and the table setting out the length of shot, a second set of cards for selectuig plurality of sets of cards may be used each of which relate to a particular club other than a putter, each card setting out the length of shot played and the final position of.a ball struck using the club.

The players of the ,game count their number of shots according to the progress of their tokens as determined by said sets of cards.

Preferably said holes are marked with bunkers on the fairway and in the semi-rough and the board game includes means to indicate when a ball is in a bunker and when it has been hit out of the bunker.

Conveniently said means comprise a dice half of the faces of which are marked to indicate whether the ball goes in the bunker and the other half to indicate a shot landing clear of the bunker. The board may be marked with further hazards such as for example a stream. The conventional rules of golf would apply to a ball landing in such a hazard.

Perferably the board game includes a plurality of score cards marked as those used in real golf, each hole being designated with a par score.

A board game according to the invention can be played with one to four players. The score of the players may be calculated accorcL ig to any method used in real golf, for example, stroke play, Stapleford or car competition.

This invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyg drawings in which: Figure 1 is an illustration of part of the board of a board game according to the invention; Figure 2 is an illustration of a typical card of the first set of cards for selection; Figure 3 is an illustration of a table setting out the possible lengths a ball can be hit using a particular club other than a putter; Figure 4 is an illustration of part of a table setting out the length of shot played and final position of a ball st.-E:c using each of the clubs other than the putter for each of the first set of cards; Figure 5 is an illustration of a typical card of the second set of cards for selection to determine the progress of chipping shots when near the green areas; and, Figure 6 is an illustration of a typical card of the third set of cards for selection to determine the progress of putting shots on the green areas.

The board is marked with a diagram of a golf course, part of which is shown in Figure 1. The board is designed to be a facsimile of a real competition golf course. Areas of rough 10, tees 12 and holes are indicated. Each hole is divided into areas of semi-rough 14, fairway 16 and green i8. The course includes wooded areas 20. The fairway 16 have lines 22 drawn across then every ten yards after a 100 yards from the tee. These lines show the distance from the tee.

Bunkers 24 are distributed on the fairway areas and in the se..i-rou . .

With reference to Figure 2 the card has marked thereon a number, there may be for example, 30 cards in the first set, each designated with numbers from 1 to 30.

With reference to Figure 3 the table sets out the range of distances a ball may be hit using any of the four woods, and the nine irons or the wedge. These distances correspond to the distances a ball wouid be hit by a competant golfer in competition golf.

With reference to the left hand half of Figure 4 the part of the table shows the length of the shot played and the foal position of a ball struck using a two wood when any of the cards bearing the the.symbo1 1 to 14 are selected. The table is divided into three columns 'Shot played from', 'Distance', 'Ball finishes'. The table is extended (not shown) to cover the remaining cards numbered 15 to 30. The ritrilt nar.d half of Figure 4 illustrates a similar table for a ball struck with a 6 iron.Again the table is extended (not shown) for the cards 15 to 0. Similar tables exist for the driver, the three and four woods,the three, four, six, seven, eight, nine irons and the wedge; In each case the distances and the situations specified for final position of the ball are similar to those encountered in competition golf.

With reference to Figure 5, the illustrated card is one of a second set of 30 cards Which are selected to determine the progress Ol a shot chipped from a position adjacent the green, in this example, the distance is defed as 90 yards. The chip shot card sets out three situations defining the position of the ball after the chip shot depending on whether the initial shot is from the fairway, the sen-i-rough or a bunker. These situations need not all be different.

With reference to Figure 6 the illustrated card is one of a third set of 30 cards which are selected to determine the progress of a ball once it has been placed on the green by a direction from one of the chip shot cards described above. Each putting card defines the final positions of the putt This position is specified according to the distance the ball was from the hole prior to putting. The distance has in turn been specified either from the tables shown partly in Figure 4, from the column where the ball finishes, or from the chip shot cards.

In addition to the elements described aboveXthis example of a board game' 'a"dcording' to the invention inclffdes a cubical dice marked with a symbol on half the faces to indicate that a players ball which has landed at the same distance and position where bunkers are indicated has either landed in, or remained clear of the bunker. A conventional dice could be used with the odd numbers forming one of the symbols and the even numbers the other.

The game is played as follows: The following description will be based on the holes 7 and 8 illustrated in Figure 1. The play at the other holes is identical. As in real golf the player A who won the last hole tees off first from the tee of hole No.7. This is a par 4 hole 4i0 yards long. The player must first select the club he is going to use for his first shot. The selection will be governed by the distance it is necessary to hit the ball and the distances prescribed in the tabie of Figure 3. The player will as in competition golf, select a wood, for example a two wood which can hit the ball from 230 to 250 yards and hope to miss the bunkers positioned on the fairway at 240 and 270 yards.To find out the kind of shot he will play, the player selects a card from the first set of cards which bear symbols.

Let us suppose the card selected bears the symbol 2. Reference to the table shown in Figure 4 shows that the ball will be driven 250 yards and will finish on the fairway. The player's token is then placed on the 250 yard line on the fairway of hole 7.

The next player B then performs the same operation. Conlreiliently the first set of cards are arranged in a pack the first player taking the top card, the second player the next card and so on. After selecting his club, player B takes a card and looks at the table, part of which is shown in Figure 4, to ascertain the final position of his ball. This operation is then repeated the player furthest from the hole playing next. Let us suppose this is player A. The pin is now 160 yards from his ball. To reach the green he will therefore need to take a 5, 6 or 7 iron as determined from the distances shown in the table of Figure 3.Suppose fez he selects a 6 iron and the card from the first set bears the symbol 12 then by-reference to the table of Figure 4 his ball travels 150 yards and lands on the fairway. Player A moves his symbol to this point on the fairway.

The rules of the game specify that when 90 yards or less from the green the player must perform a chip shot. To perform this operation player A selects a card from tne second set of chip shot cards. Suppose he selects the card shown in Figure 5, then his ball is deemed to have landed on the green 6ft. from the pin. In order to putt out player A selects a card from the third set of ?pt't ing' cards.

Suppose he selects the card shown in Figure 6, then his ball is deemed to have been struck too hard, to hit the hole and to finish 6 inches away from the hole so that another putt is required. Thus player A has taken 2 shots cn the fairway, 1 chip shot, and 2 putts making a total of 5 strokes, 1-over par. Player B repeats the process performed by player A, i. e. selecting clubs and reading the table shown partly in Figure 4, until he is within 90 yards then selecting a 'chip shot' card and finally a 'putting' card. At successive holes the process is repeated.

'Ball finishes' columns of the table shown partly in Figure 4 will sometimes specify a position level with one of the bunkers. which are positioned on the fairway and the semi-rough. To decide whether the ball lands m the bunker or on the fairway or semi-rough it is necessary to throws the dice. If one specified half of the faces turn up, the ball is clear of the bunker, and if the othe r half of the faces, the ball lands in the bunker. In order to proceed from a bunker the player must select a club which must be a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 iron, or a wedge,or a chip shot card if closer than 90 yards to the pin. If a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 iron is selected the position of the ball will be determined by reference to the 'shot played from' column under the heading of the table shown partly in Figure 4.In the case of a chip shot the section under 'From bunker' on a selected 'chip shot' card must be followed. If the player fails with a shot to get out of the bunker he must add an extra stroke to his score.

It is also possible for a player's ball to land in the rough under the directions of the table shown partly in Figure 4. In this case he must use a 9 iron or a wedge to play the shot from the rough. The ultimate position of his ball is determined from the table shown partly in Figure 4, by reading the section 'Sr.oi played from' under 'Rough'.

In the full board, part of which is shown in Figure 1; there is a brook which passes across a particular yardage line of the 10th, 12th and 15th holes. If the ball lands in the brook, there is a 1 stroke.

penalty. The ball must be played from the nearest .yardage line ,to the brook in the direction of the tee.

The board also includes a lake and out of bounds portion.

Certain of the 'Ball finishes' columns of the table, part of which is shown in Figure 4, specify that the ball lands in the lake or out of bounds or is lost. In this case another shot must be played from the same place and a two stroke penalty is incurred. In addition it may be specified that the ball is in an unplayable lie, and the ball must be moved back to the next yardage line and played from this position. A 1 stroke penalty is incurred. These rules are similar to those of competition golf.

The following additional rules are to be followed: 1. The driver can only be played from the tee, all other woods can be played from the tee, fairway or semi-rough.

2. If the ball lands the correct distance of the hole, and the shot produced lands on the fairway, read green for fairway in every case.

3. If the ball lands on the green and the distance from the pin is not stated, the ball is more than 7ft. from the hole in every case.

4. When playing a shot to the green and the shot goes a lot further because the wrong club has been chosen, the 'Ball finishes' section of the table partly shown in Figure 4, must be ignored. The next shot must be played from the position denoted on the plan of the golf course. If the ball however, goes in the rough or trees at the back of the green you must assume the ball lost and play another shot to the green from the same position.

Each player counts the number of shots his opponents take at each hole. This is marked on score cards provided which are similar to those used in real golf, i. e. they contain-columns for markers score, hole number, length of hole, par score, and the player's score.

All the Variations of scoring used in competition golf may be used when playing the board game according to the invention depending on the number of players. Thus the following variations are possible.

Method of scoring No. of players 1. Medal or stroke play . 1 to 4 players 2. Stapleford Competition 1 to 4 players 3. Fuzz r Competition 1 to 4 players 4. Match play 2 to 4 players 5. American Competition 3 players 6. Foklrsome Competition 4 players .7. Greensome Foursome Competition 4 players 8. Best ball Stapleford Competition 4 players 9. Best ball Bogey Competition 4 players If for example, Stapleford Competition is played, scoring is as follows:- Points are awarded depending on the number of shots taken at each hole, they are awarded as follows: 1 point - if the number of shots taken is 1 more than par; 2 points - for par; 3 points - for 1 shot under par (a birdie); 4 points - for 2 shots under par (an eagle); 5 points - for 3 shots under par (an albatross).

The player getting the highest number of points is the winner.

Claims (6)

1. A board game including a design of a golf course showing holes, tees, and areas of rough, each hole being divided into areas of semi-rough, fairway and a green, said fairway areas having yardage lines drawn across them to indicate distances from the tee. Tokens for movement around the course to signify the progress of balls, a first set of cards for selection each marked with a symbol, a table setting out the possible lengths a ball can be hit using a particular club other than the putter, a table setting out the length of shot played and final position of a ball struck using each of the clubs other than the putter for each of said first set of cards for selection, a second set of cards for selection to determine the progress of chipping shots when near the green areas, and a third set of cards for selection to determine the progress of putting shots on the green areas.

2. A board game as claimed in claim one in which the first set of cards and the table setting out the length of shot, a second set of cards for selecting plurality of sets of cards may be used each of which relate to a particular club other than a putter, each card setting out the length of shot played and the final position of a ball struck using the club.

3. A board game as claimed in claim 2 in which the players of the game count their number of shots according to the progress of their tokens as determined by the said set of cards.

4. A board game as claimed in claim 1 in which said holes are marked with bunkers on the fairway and in the semi-rough and the board game includes the means to indicate when a ball is in a bunker and when it has been hit out of the bunker.

5. A board game as claimed in claim 4 in which said means comprise a dice half of the faces of which are marked to indicate wether the ball goes in the bunker and the other half to indicate a shot landing clear of the bunker.

6. A board game as claimed in claim 5 in which the board may be marked with further hazards such as for example a stream.