Golf scoring and tracking system

Abstract

A system is described that allows a golfer, while playing a round of golf, which may be during an event such as a tournament, to record scores in real-time and online as play progresses using a handheld unit or terminal, such as a smart telephone. The hole-by-hole scores, individual and team, can be recorded using one hand, such as by using a thumb, to activate buttons, menus, etc. The unit can display the individual, team and all players scores via screens, such as a leader board page, as play in the tournament progresses. The unit (smart phone) wirelessly interacts with a web server during play over a communication network that provides pages (web forms) displayed to the player on the unit. The web server also interacts with a database server to store the golf game or round data for display on the handheld unit. The database server maintains the hole score, calculates cumulative scores and other scores, and maintains other information, such as the information for other competitions occurring in the tournament, such as birdies, player's handicap, player contact information, tournament leader board, rules of play, etc. A desk top computer can access the web server for player registration, tournament sign in, tee time setting as well as to allow a person not playing in the tournament to watch the progress of the tournament.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf scoring system, comprising:
 a database server storing golf scores;   a web server updating the golf scores in the server; and   a hand held unit, wirelessly, in real time and on-line, allowing a player to record a golf score for a hole while on a golf course as play during a round of golf progresses as the player carries the unit and to view the player score and other players scores as the round progresses.   
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the score can be recorded via the unit with one hand. 
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the score can be recorded via the unit with one hand using a thumb. 
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the unit comprises a smart telephone. 
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the web server produces a post score web page and provides the post score web page to the unit,   the unit allows the user to record a hole score on the post score web page and send the score to the web server, and   the database server updates a score database with the hole score provided by the web server.   
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the score is a team score. 
     
     
         7 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the unit runs a mobile application. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 allowing a player to record a golf score with one hand while on a golf course as play during a round of golf as the round progresses using a handheld computer based unit carryable during the round; and   allowing the player to view the player score and other players scores as the round progresses.   
     
     
         9 . A golf scoring method, comprising:
 interacting, by a handheld unit, wirelessly, in real time and on-line, with a web server to allow a player to record a golf score for a hole while on a golf course as play during a round of golf progresses as the player carries the unit, to view the player score and other players scores as the round progresses, wherein the interacting produces web pages for the player to view and interact with comprising a log-in page that can be used to produce a main menu page, the menu page can be used to produce a rules of play page, a post score page, a post birdies page and a leader board page, the post score page can be used to produce a hole score page, the post birdies page can be used to a hole birdie post page, and the leader board page can be used to produce a player leader board detail page.