Golf scorekeeping and analysis system

Abstract

A golf scorekeeping and analysis system ( 10,11 ) is provided for facilitating concurrent entry of score data on a handheld computing device ( 12 ) during a round of golf and display of a variety of results statistics in numerical and graphical fashions on a display screen ( 16 ) at the user's convenience. Data entry and program manipulation is accomplished using only the cursor keys ( 20 ). Results comparisons are selectable based on a variety of criteria, particularly including comparison of a golfer's own scoring and shot making averages versus professional statistics. The +/− comparison ( 94 ) is used to calculate an optimum practice ( 106 ) regimen to facilitate improvement to approach professional statistical values. Each user's data may be separately maintained and a consistency differential for each player is calculated.

1 . A golf scorekeeping and analysis system, comprising: 
 a handheld computing device including data entry and information display capability; and    embedded software in said handheld device for receiving input from said data entry, collating said input and displaying raw and summarized results relating to said input, including;    hole by hole score results on a per player basis;    summary score results per type of hole, with said type of hole being defined by different par numbers for the hole; and    average putts.    
   
   
       2 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said embedded software further included multi-round comparison features for comparing rounds of a player on the basis of selection criteria selected from the group of all rounds, all rounds on a particular course; dream rounds and published results.    
   
   
       3 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said published results include professional tour statistics.    
   
   
       4 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 2 , wherein 
 said multi-round comparison features include +/− comparison versus said selection criteria    
   
   
       5 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 4 , wherein 
 said +/− comparison versus published results include comparison against published tour statistics for the golfer's type and said +/− comparison is utilized to calculate optimum practice regimens for the golfer to attempt to approach said published tour statistics.    
   
   
       6 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 1 , and further including 
 a remote server for communicating with said handheld device and storing said data for retrieval.    
   
   
       7 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 6 , wherein 
 said remote server provides a source of downloadable modules, including additional course profiles and published professional statistics for comparison purposes.    
   
   
       8 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said handheld computing device is a cellular telephone and data entry is accomplished by way of a graphical user interface in which only the cursor keys of the telephone are needed to accomplish all command entries.    
   
   
       9 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the golfer is able to select the detail of data entry desired, ranging form basic scoring data to greater detail including criteria selected from the group including: fairways hit, and direction of miss; shot distance; up and down; sand saves; chip and pitch; oops! factors; and length of putts.  
   
   
       10 . The golf scorekeeping and analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said embedded software collates data on a per player basis over multiple rounds and calculates and displays a consistency differential for each player.    
   
   
       11 . In a computing system for golf scorekeeping and analysis, the improvement comprising: 
 providing a method for concurrent score and shot making detail entry into a portable device accompanying the golfer during a round of golf; a    providing data comparison calculating and display capability to permit the golfer to review scoring and shot detail results at leisure, said data comparison capability including the capacity to compare multiple rounds.    
   
   
       12 . The improvement of  claim 11 , and further comprising: 
 a course detail facility for recording hole by hole par data for named courses, wherein the user may select preexisting course profiles or create new custom profiles for use.    
   
   
       13 . The improvement of  claim 11 , and further comprising: 
 download facility for downloading external data to said portable device, said external detail including professional tour statistics on scoring and shot making.    
   
   
       14 . The improvement of  claim 12 , and further comprising: 
 download facility for downloading external data to said portable device, said external detail including preexisting course profiles and professional tour statistics on scoring and shot making.    
   
   
       15 . The improvement of  claim 13 , wherein 
 said data comparison capability includes facility for comparing each golfer's individual scoring and shot making detail data versus said professional tour statistics to create +/− results on each compared statistic.    
   
   
       16 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein 
 said +/− results are utilized to calculate optimum practice regimens.    
   
   
       17 . The improvement of  claim 11 , wherein 
 said data comparison provides comparison of multiple round scoring data for each golfer and calculation of a consistency differential for each.    
   
   
       18 . The improvement of  claim 11 , wherein 
 said shot making detail includes facility for entering and comparing data on criteria selected from the group including:    fairways hit, and direction of miss; shot distance; up and down; sand saves;    chip and pitch; oops! factors; and length of putts.    
   
   
       19 . The improvement of  claim 11 , wherein 
 default score and shot making detail information is provided in the system, based on hole type and score entry, in order to streamline concurrent data entry.