I Have Been Playing Over 20 Years and Have Never Thought to Myself… Is Sand Stuck to the Bottom of My Shoe? Might it Cause an Injury?

Today a patent application published as US Publication No. 20070101524 titled “Shoe Cleaning Sand Rake.” The title was so compelling that I had to check it out.

The following is a figure from the application.

A sand rake which serves two purposes: 1) raking the sand in a bunker to provide a smooth sand surface; and 2) efficient and safe removal of the sand trapped or lodged on or near the soles of a player’s golf shoes. The dual purpose sand rake may be used to conveniently clean the player’s shoes before stepping foot on the putting green, thereby reducing the amount of sand and other debris tracked onto the green, or, alternatively, before the player attempts another shot, thereby enhancing the player’s footing. The sand rake removes the need for the player to walk to the next tee box or wait until the round is finished to clean his or her shoes. Moreover, the sand rake removes the need for the player to tap his or her shoes with the golf club to clean his or her shoes, thereby eliminating the risk of injury to the player’s ankle or foot as well as damage to the shoes.

I must not fully appreciate the dangers of the vast amount of sand stuck to the bottom of my golf shoes when I exit a bunker! Although I will admit that at some point in my life I have probably hit my ankle with a club while trying to tap something off of the bottom of my shoe. Interesting invention. 

David Dawsey – The Golfing Patent Lawyer