WO1991000128A1

WO1991000128A1 - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1991000128A1
Application number: PCT/GB1989/000721
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Robin Baugh
Original assignee: Michael Robin Baugh
Priority date: 1987-11-12
Filing date: 1989-06-28
Publication date: 1991-01-10
Also published as: GB8726526D0; GB2212067A; GB2212067B

Abstract

Board game apparatus comprises a board showing a golf course. Each hole of the course comprises a teeing area, a fairway presenting certain golfing hazards, and a green. A series of counters or players are moved over the playing surface in a series of moves in accordance with printed rules of the game. When a player reaches the green of each hole, he employs additional putting apparatus comprising a miniature golf club, a putting surface, such as green baize, and a central hole in the putting surface. Two radially spaced rings centred on the hole are used by the player according to the rules of the game. Play over the fairway is determined by chance means, such as a dice. Putting on the green is carried out with miniature golf club and ball.

Description

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BOARD GAME APPARATUS

This invention relates to board game apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to such apparatus providing a simulated game of golf.

To the best of the applicant's knowledge, few if any board games exist relating to the game of golf. Prior proposals in relation to board game versions of well known sports have tended to he complex and therefore not particularly attractive.

An object of the present invention is to provide board game apparatus providing for a simulated game of golf, such game having sufficient resemblance to the actual game of golf to be attractive to players of that game, and being relatively simple, while including apparatus providing for a novel input from the player which enchances his enjoyment, and/or improvements in one or more of these respects, or generally.

According to the invention there is provided board game apparatus as defined in the accompanying claims.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig 1 shows a scrap view of a small section of the - t- game board or playing surface; and

Fig 2 shows a plan view of putting apparatus forming part of the game played with the board of Fig 1.

As shown in the drawings, board game apparatus 10 comprises a board or playing surface 12, shown in Fig 1 , and additional putting apparatus 14 shown in Fig 2.

Board 12 comprises the usual foldable assembly of game board portions having printed thereon markings identifying a series of holes of a golf course. Usually, the course will comprise 18 holes and the arrangement of holes on the board is a matter of choice, the whole being attractively presented in simulation of a conventional golf course, including club house, surrounding landscape including lakes, bunkers etc.

Fig 1 shows a small section of the whole board, including the fourth and fifth holes. As shown, the fourth hole 16 comprises a teeing area 18, a fairway 20 of length 100 yards, and a green 22 having a hole 24.

Likewise, the fifth hole 26 comprises a teeing area 28, three sections of fairway 30, 32 and 34, a green 36 and a hole 38.

In the game, each of the sections of a given hole is designated as being of length 100 yards. As shown in Fig 1, the section 32 of hole 26 is marked "Fore!". The relevance of this is as follows. In the course of playing any given hole on the course, a player throws the dice (not shown) from any suitable shaking device, such as a simulated minature golf bag. The dice is marked with units of 100 yards corresponding to the sections of the fairways mentioned above. For example, the dice may be marked with 3 faces of 200 yards, 2 of 100 yards, and 1 face marked "bunker". Players throw the dice in turn and move their markers or minature players from the teeing area along the fairway, and so to the green of each hole. When a player lands onthe section of the fairway marked "Fore!", according to the rules of the game he will pick up the top card of a stack of Fore cards, and printed on this card will be one of a series of hazards, which he has thereby encountered. These hazards refer to conventional golfing hazards in various light-hearted ways, and the player thereby incurs a penalty of one or more strokes, which are added to his score for that hole. Thus, for each hole of the course, each throw of the dice counts as one stroke, to this score may be added one or more strokes resulting from a Fore! card. In addition, there will be one or more further strokes arising from putting on the putting apparatus 14.

Turning now to the putting apparatus 14 shown in Fig 2, it will be noted that there is a rectangular playing area 40 which is covered with green baize, or other material exerting a suitable drag on a playing ball for the game, such as a ball-bearing. The rectangular periphery 42 of playing area 40 has raised edges formed of card or the like. A central hole 44 is provided in the conventional golfing manner, and below the playing surface is a tube or channel 46 to receive the ball and direct it back to a receiving box 48 which forms part of the structure supporting playing surface 40. This structure is in the form of a cardboard box with box-like compartments 50, 52, 54 and 56 to receive the dice shaker, the Fore! cards, the minature golf clubs, and further Fore! cards respectively

Playing surface 40 is raised with respect to the surface on which it stands, by about one or two centimetres. Marked or printed on the playing surface 40 are two concentric circles 58, 60 referred - to as the "birdie" and "regular" putting lines. According to the rules of the game, each hole of the course has a par figure. In Fig 1, the hole 16 is par 3 and hole 26 is par 4. If a player reaches the green on his hole at a score of par minus 2 or better, he then putts from the outer or birdie line. If he arrives on the green at par minus 1 or worse, he putts from the inner regular putting line. Thus, a hole in 1 from the birdie line results in a score of par minus 1, or an eagle. When putting from the regular line, obviously no better than par can be achieved. - 6 -

Fig 1 shows only 2 of the 18 holes. In a complete game, the players proceed around all 18 holes, scoring in the manner indicated above, so that the winner is the player with the lowest score, in the conventional golfing manner.

Many modifications could be made in the above embodiment while remaining within the scope of the invention. These modifications include variations in the design of the board and the individual holes, their par scores, the means of encountering hazards in the game, and the detailed rules. The putting apparatus 14 could be modified in various ways, with different surface finishes, having various degrees of drag according to the nature of the ball used. The individual minature golf clubs can vary somewhat in size and design. The cirles 58 and 60 can of course vary in spacing from each other and distance from hole 44. The putting apparatus could be made part of the main board game apparatus if desired.

Claims

CLAIMS : _ ^ _

1 Board game apparatus comprising a board or playing surface carrying markings identifying a series of holes of a golf course, each hole comprising a teeing area, a fairway presenting certain golfing hazards, and a green, and a series of counters or players to be moved over the playing surface in a series of moves in accordance with printed rules of the game, characterized by additional putting apparatus for use in accordance with said rules when each player reaches the green of any of the holes of the apparatus, the additional putting apparatus comprising a generally flat putting surface surrounding a hole, said putting surface comprising a material such as green baize exerting a surface drag on a ball (such as a ball-bearing or the like) being putted, so that such ball does not tend to roll freely thereon under the effect of the slightest slope, and a minature golf club and a ball therefor, and said putting surface being marked with two radially spaced rings centred on said hole, and chance means, such as a dice, for each player to use to advance over the playing surface from the teeing area of each hole to the green thereof, each hole being played by putting from one or other of said concentric rings.

2 Board game apparatus comprising a golf course including a series of holes and additional putting apparatus for use when a player reaches the green of any particular hole.

3 Board game apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said printed rules of the game include a requirement for the use of said additional putting apparatus by each player when he reaches the green.

4 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said putting surface is generally rectangular with said hole located centrally and raised peripheral edges, whereby the four corners of the putting green are suitable for putting by four players grouped round a table.

5 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said golfing hazards comprise hazards identifiable directly by the throw of a chance device, such as a dice, and golfing hazards identified by a player landing on a particular portion of the golf course and incurring a penalty therefor, the nature of the penalty being determined, for example, by selecting a printed card from a collection of same.

6 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by ball return means associated with said central hole in said putting green. 7 Board game apparatus according to claim 6 characterized in that said ball return means comprises a tube or channel having an inlet below said putting green hole, and having a lower outlet at a ball reception area.

8 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said putting green is provided as a separate entity from the playing surface of the board game itself.

9 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said golfing hazards relate to the accumulation of strokes in the score of a player in progressing from said teeing area to said green.

10 Board game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said printed matter relating to the rules permits use of said concentric rings on said putting green, according to the score of the player on arriving at the green.