A problem arises when two or more golfers living hundreds of miles apart, or even golfers who play different courses within the same community, wish to play each other in a game of golf and compete head-to-head or by teams. For instance, each player may be a member of a different golf course or club. Typically, each player plays at his or her local golf course, but finds it impractical to travel hundreds of miles simply to play against a friend. Even those players living in the same community have no indisputable, objective method to compare scores achieved at different courses within the same community. While players may compare scores with each other, the two or more golf courses may greatly differ and the scores cannot be directly compared. The two or more golfers may have previously established handicaps, United States Golf Association ("USGA") Handicap Index, and may have even attempted to compare their golf scores based on the USGA Slope Rating and Course Rating systems, but this requires making numerous calculations and is seldom if ever done and is generally not entirely accurate in terms of who would win if the players played a game or tournament on the same course.
Existing internet games allow individuals to compete in a limited fashion in what is known as "fantasy leagues." Typical fantasy golf games involve users selecting a foursome for each tournament from qualified professional players. Users draft real-life professional players as members of their fantasy teams. This provides a way for individuals to compete against each other to see who has superior managing skills in any given sport, such as golf. Users may compete against friends, family members and co-workers by forming their own private division or league. However, these programs do not provide a way to compare user's real golf scores played on different golf courses.
Some existing golf games involve software applications and are generally directed towards virtual golf simulations. Users play golf in the virtual world via computers and/or a network of computers. The golf game system simulates the speed and the direction of a golf swing. The user swings a real golf club while the computer, software and other devices sense and interpret the swing and enter and display results via the software package. Although the game might seem highly realistic in some aspects, an actual round of golf under actual playing conditions is never played.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,549 (Walker et al.) is directed towards a database-driven online distributed tournament system. This patent discloses a method for an online tournament in which many remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller that manages the tournament. Electronic tournaments allow players to compete at a virtual location at any time. Thus, participants are not required to travel and coordinate a time and place to meet. This patent discloses a method for collecting entry fees and payment of prizes and allows for the coordination of multiple tournaments. However, this patent does not involve actual golf scores achieved at actual golf courses by the players and does not disclose a method of comparing golf scores played on different golf courses.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds