Golf contest and method

Abstract

An efficient golf contest and methods of playing and operating it are provided. A player acquires a supply of golf balls, which may be limited, and a golf club. The player must hit golf balls from a first location into a first hole located a first distance from the first location, a second hole located a second distance from the first location, and a final hole located a final distance from the first location, all within a standard, in order to advance in the contest. The standard can be defined by any one or a combination of a limited supply of golf balls available to play all of the holes, a limited playing time to play all of the holes, and comparing the playing time to the playing times of other players in the contest such that only a selected number or percentage of players with the lowest playing times will advance.

1 . A method of playing golf in a contest, comprising the steps of:
 a) acquiring a supply of golf balls and at least one golf club;   b) hitting one or more golf balls from the supply from a first location toward a first hole located a first distance from the first location until a golf ball lands in the first hole;   c) hitting one or more golf balls from the supply from the first location toward a second hole located a second distance from the first location until a golf ball lands in the second hole;   d) hitting one or more golf balls from the supply from the first location toward a final hole located a final distance from the first location until a golf ball lands in the final hole; and   e) advancing to a higher level in the contest only if steps b)-d) are completed within a standard.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the standard includes a playing time limit. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the playing time limit is not more than five minutes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the standard includes a limit on a number of golf balls in the supply. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the number of golf balls is not more than nine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the standard is determined by recording a playing time required to complete steps b)-d), comparing the playing time with other playing times in the contest, and allowing a predetermined portion of players with the lowest playing times to advance. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the final distance is greater than the second distance. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a golf contest, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a golf course including a first location, a first hole located a first distance from the first location, a second hole located a second distance from the first location, and a final hole located a final distance from the first location;   b) allocating a supply of golf balls to a player on the golf course;   c) allowing the player a limited opportunity to hit golf balls from the first location into the first hole, the second hole and the final hole, wherein the limited opportunity includes at least one of limiting a number of golf balls in the supply and limiting a playing time;   d) recording a playing time if the player successfully hits golf balls into the first hole, the second hole and the final hole, and comparing the playing time to a standard; and   e) advancing the player to a higher level in the contest if the playing time compares favorably to the standard.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the limited opportunity includes limiting the number of golf balls in the supply to not more than nine. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the limited opportunity includes limiting the playing time to not more than five minutes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance and the final distance is greater than the second distance. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the standard includes a playing time limit. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein steps b)-e) are repeated for a plurality of players on the golf course, and the standard is set so that only a portion of the plurality of players advance to a higher level in the contest. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the standard is determined by comparing the playing times for the plurality of players, and allowing a predetermined portion of players with lowest playing times to advance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein steps b)-e) are repeated at successively higher levels in the contest until one or more top players are identified. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a golf contest, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a plurality of golf courses, each golf course including a first location, a first hole located from a first distance from a first location, a second hole located a second distance from the first location, and a final hole located a final distance from the first location;   b) providing a plurality of players on each golf course;   c) allowing each player on each golf course a limited opportunity to hit golf balls from the first location into the first hole, the second hole and the final hole;   d) recording a playing time of each player on each golf course who successfully hits golf balls into the first hole, the second hole and the final hole, and comparing each playing time to a standard; and   e) advancing each player whose playing time compares favorably to the standard, to a higher level in the contest.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein steps b)-e) are repeated on each golf course until one or more top players are identified for each golf course. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of advancing the top players from each golf course to play against each other on a successively smaller number of golf courses, and repeating steps b)-e) using only top players on the successively smaller number of golf courses until one or more contest winners are determined. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the limited opportunity includes a limited playing time and a limited supply of golf balls for each player. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the standard is determined by comparing the playing times for the plurality of players on each golf course, and allowing a predetermined portion of players from each golf course with the lowest playing times to advance.