Fun Facts

It really does seem that everything in this world does come around full circle. Look at golf shoes. When people discovered the joys of hitting a ball around with a club, they didn’t give much thought to their footwear. Spiked golf shoes were born out of the need to stabilize the golfer’s feet on wet, sloshy greens. Around the turn of the 20th century, golf shoes were pretty much bowling shoes with spikes – and not loved by course groundskeepers. But as sneaker technology advanced, so did golf shoe technology. Today’s golf shoe design, like the one patented by Kazuhiko Kobayashi in 2003, provides more comfort to the golfer while providing improved traction without spikes. Groundskeepers everywhere are celebrating! We at BIG IP Law will be celebrating golf all month long. Photo by Courtney Cook via Unsplash

The first golf equipment patent was awarded to Thomas Johnson in 1876. Rather than wood, Mr. Johnson’s club had a hard rubber substance for the clubhead. These clubs were a far cry from the titanium and steel clubs of today! Wonder how far Tiger Woods could hit a ball from the tee using one of Mr. Johnson’s clubs. Sadly, only a few of the 1876 clubs are known to still exist so we’ll probably never know. We at BIG IP Law will be celebrating golf all month long. Interested in sports patents? Ready to take a swing with your new performance patent idea? Photo by Cristina Anne Costello on Unsplash

Why are golf balls dimpled? Is there a scientific logic behind dimple shapes and sizes? You better believe it! Golfers have preferences for the type of ball they use and golf equipment manufacturers are happy to offer many different options. In the 1960s, James Bond was partial to the Penfold Heart golf balls, while his opponent, Goldfinger, prefers the Slazenger 1. Callaway owns a golf ball patent from 2001 (US6,464,601) which documents eighteen different dimples on the ball – 382 dimples in total. I’m happy whenever all those dimples don’t end up in the woods! We at BIG IP Law will be celebrating golf all month long. Interested in sports patents? Ready to get the ball rolling with your new performance patent idea? Photo by Peter Drew on Unsplash

Golfers will forever debate the type of club they use, what works best, and why dimples on balls matter. However, do they ever really stop to think about the importance of the golf tee? They’re pretty much disposable, but using them allows for the golfer to get under the ball and drive it further – in theory. Dr. George F. Grant patented the first wooden peg golf tee in 1899, replacing the centuries-old “tuitje”, a small pile of sand that elevated the ball. Dr. Grant was a dentist so he must have come up with the idea on the golf course after his 2:30 start time. (Get it? Tooth-hurty?) We at BIG IP Law will be celebrating golf all month long. Interested in sports patents? Ready to tee off with your new performance patent idea? Photo by Macau Photo Agency via Unsplash