Readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that I love inventions intended to reduce the number of lost golf balls… primarily because I can’t help asking myself the question… “how many golf balls would this device have to prevent me from losing just to pay for itself?” Not to mention, what would it do to a billion dollar industry that lives on the fact that golfers lose a lot of golf balls.

Check out the following past posts on the subject to give you a flavor for what inventors have come up with in the past to eliminate lost golf balls:

The Quest for the Perfect Lighted Golf Ball…. Does It Exist?

Can it Be? A Practical Golf Ball Location System

The Latest Invention Intended to Eliminate the Lost Golf Ball

Golf Inventions Directed to Tracking Errant Golf Shots; Everything from a 1925 Spring-Wound Noise Generating Golf Ball to a 2007 GPS Golf Ball Location System

Today a patent issued on the subject that actually seems a little more feasible than most of the prior attempts. The patent issued as USPN 7578603 titled “Acoustic Wave Induced Light Emitting Golf Ball” and describes the invention as:

A light emitting golf ball is provided that includes a spherical housing, a fixing container, a light emitting device, a first fitting portion, and a second fitting portion. The light emitting device is disposed in the fixing container and includes an acoustic wave sensor, a controller, one or more light emitting elements and an electricity supplier. When the acoustic wave sensor receives an external acoustic wave signal higher than a predetermined value, it sends out an activating signal to the controller so that at least one light emitting element emits light. This invention is irrelevant to the hitting direction. It has an extremely low defective rate. Furthermore, the product life can be prolonged.

How about the profile of that zero loft hybrid!

The patent goes on to explain:

The advantages and functions of the present invention can be summarized as follows:

[1] It is irrelevant to the hitting direction. In this invention, it utilizes an acoustic wave sensor to determine whether the golf club hits the golf ball or not. When the golf club hits the golf ball, it suddenly generates a strong sound (accompanying a hitting shock wave). When the acoustic wave sensor receives an external acoustic wave signal higher than a predetermined value, the acoustic wave sensor sends out an activating signal to the controller so that at least one light emitting element emits light. No matter which hitting direction, the present invention can work fine.

[2] It has an extremely low defective rate. Due to the first fitting portion hardened under a room temperature for a while, the light emitting device is firmly secured and well protected inside the fixing container. After which, the heat will not damage the light emitting device during the high temperature injection process for the second fitting portion inside the spherical housing. Therefore, the function of the final product is stable. Hence, it has an extremely low defective rate.

[3] The product life can be prolonged. The light emitting device is surrounded by the first fitting portion, by the fixing container and then by the second fitting portion. So, the structure this invention is very solid. It can afford more impact (hitting force). Thus, the product life can be prolonged.

Interesting, but I would still need to see one work to believe it.

Dave Dawsey  - Tracking Golf Ball Inventions

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