Golf-driving ranges

Abstract

A golf-driving range includes a target ( 1; 60; 90 ) which is spaced from bays ( 2 ) from which balls ( 7, 20 ) are driven to land on an impact surface ( 9; 61; 91 ) of the target ( 1; 60; 90 ) and roll into a partly-peripheral catcher ( 6; 62 - 64; 94 ) of the target ( 1; 60; 90 ). Kinetic energy of each ball ( 20; 80 ), entering the catcher ( 6; 62 - 64; 94 ), is dissipated by impact with a weighted flap or other energy absorber ( 34; 82; 99 ), to bring the ball ( 7; 80 ) momentarily to a halt, before dropping onto inclined gutters or guides ( 30, 31; 83; 98 ), or directly, for funnelling into a ball collector ( 36 ). The balls may be RFID tagged and data for computer analysis from travel parameters of each ball is derived by instrumentation ( 41 - 44; 85, 86 ) in at least part of its passage between its launch position ( 2 ) and collection at the catcher ( 6; 62 - 64; 94 ).

1 . A golf-driving range comprising a target having an impact surface, a plurality of launch positions from which golf balls are driven individually to land on the impact surface of the target, the target being set at a distance from the launch positions, and a catcher that extends peripherally of a section of the impact surface for receiving entry therein of balls that after landing on the impact surface roll on the impact surface into the catcher,
 wherein the catcher comprises a collection hub, and an energy absorber that is operative for dissipating kinetic energy of each ball entering the catcher to bring the ball to a halt before the ball passes to the collection-hub of the catcher, and the golf-driving range includes instrumentation for determining data related to parameters of travel of each ball in at least part of its passage between its launch position and the collection-hub of the catcher.   
     
     
         2 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the energy absorber comprises flexible material weighed down to form a flap suspended within the catcher for deflection on impact by individual golf balls entering the catcher. 
     
     
         3 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the energy absorber is located above pathways onto which balls that have been brought to a halt by the energy absorber fall to travel by rolling into the collection-hub. 
     
     
         4 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 3  wherein the pathways are defined by one of gutters and channels inclined downwardly towards the collection-hub from opposite directions. 
     
     
         5 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the instrumentation includes sensors for deriving data related to entry of individual balls into the catcher and their entry into the collection-hub. 
     
     
         6 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the instrumentation includes piezoelectric cables in the target for deriving data related to time and location of landing of individual golf balls on the impact surface. 
     
     
         7 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the instrumentation includes microphones at the target for deriving data related to time and location of landing of individual golf balls on the impact surface. 
     
     
         8 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the instrumentation includes sensors for deriving data related to at least one of times of launch and velocity vectors at launch of individual balls from the launch positions. 
     
     
         9 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 8  wherein at least some of the golf balls launched are tagged for identification purposes, and the sensors for deriving data related to at least one of times of launch and velocity vectors at launch of individual balls also derive from tagged balls data related to their respective identifications. 
     
     
         10 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 9  wherein data related to identification is derived from tagged balls received at the collection-hub of the catcher. 
     
     
         11 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 10  wherein the collection-hub involves a passage of square cross-section through which balls received at the collection-hub are caused to roll, the passage of square-cross-section being oriented with a diagonal of the cross-section vertical to have lower sides, and a sensor for sensing tagged balls is located on one of the lower sides. 
     
     
         12 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 9  wherein the data derived from tagged balls is derived by RFID sensing. 
     
     
         13 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the instrumentation supplies data related to parameters of ball-travel to a data analysis and communication system of the range. 
     
     
         14 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 13  wherein the data analysis and communication system determines the identity of balls received by the collection-hub from data identifying the launch positions from which those balls were launched. 
     
     
         15 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 14  wherein the data analysis and communication system identifies the launch position from which a ball is launched in dependence upon data conveyed to it representative of time of launch of the ball and time of its arrival at the target. 
     
     
         16 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein a velocity rebound coefficient of a standard golf ball on the impact surface of the target is not more than 0.24 at impact velocities of at least 10 meters per second. 
     
     
         17 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein the velocity rebound coefficient of a standard golf ball on the impact surface of the target is less than 0.1 at impact velocities of at least 24 meters per second. 
     
     
         18 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1  wherein a coefficient of rolling friction of a standard golf ball on the impact surface of the target is less than 0.05. 
     
     
         19 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 1 , comprising a multiplicity of targets located at different distances from the launch positions. 
     
     
         20 . Ihe golf-driving range according to  claim 19  wherein each target has a plurality of catchers that each extend peripherally of respective sections of the impact surface of the individual target for receiving entry therein of balls that after landing on the impact surface of the target roll on the impact surface into the catcher. 
     
     
         21 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 20  wherein each catcher includes an energy absorber that is operative for dissipating kinetic energy of each ball entering the catcher to bring the ball to a halt and allow the ball freedom to fall from the energy absorber as part of its travel to a collection-hub of the respective catcher. 
     
     
         22 . A golf-driving range comprising a target having an impact surface, a plurality of launch positions from which golf balls are driven individually to land on the impact surface of the target, the target being set at a distance from the launch positions, and a catcher that extends peripherally of a section of the impact surface for receiving entry therein of balls that after landing on the impact surface roll on the impact surface into the catcher, the catcher comprising a collection-hub, and an energy absorber that is located to be impacted by balls entering the catcher in dissipation of the kinetic energy of each such ball before passing the ball to the collection-hub of the catcher,
 wherein the golf-driving range includes instrumentation for determining data related to parameters of travel of each ball within the catcher.   
     
     
         23 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 22  wherein the energy absorber comprises flexible material weighed down to form a flap suspended within the catcher for deflection on impact by individual golf balls entering the catcher. 
     
     
         24 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 22  including pathways for rolling balls into the collection-hub, the energy absorber is located above the pathways to allow balls from the energy absorber to fall onto the pathways for rolling into the collection-hub. 
     
     
         25 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 24  wherein the pathways are defined by one of a plurality of gutters and channels that are inclined downwardly towards the collection-hub. 
     
     
         26 . The golf-driving range according to  claim 22  wherein the instrumentation includes sensors for deriving data related to the entry of individual balls into the catcher and their entry into the collection-hub.