Portable putting green

Abstract

A practice putting device that includes a putting mat, a housing, and ball return arrangement.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A practice putting device that includes a putting mat, a housing, and a ball lift return arrangement; said putting mat configured to be connected to said housing; said putting mat including a golf hole opening to enable a golf ball to pass through said golf hole opening and into a ball well of said housing; said ball lift return arrangement includes a ball unit and a drive mechanism; said drive mechanism configured to cause said ball lift to lift a golf ball from said ball well in said housing and to deposit the golf ball on a top surface of said putting mat. 
     
     
         2 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a top surface of said putting mat includes markings to provide information to a user; said marking include one or more of distance markings, one or more lines along the longitudinal length of the putting mat to inform a user how straight a putted golf ball travels along said putting mat, and/or markings to indicate one or more targets on the putting mat. 
     
     
         3 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a front-end portion of said putting mat includes a weighted device to facilitate in maintaining the flatness of said front end portion of said putting mat on a floor surface. 
     
     
         4 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ball well that is configured to receive a golf ball that has moved past a back end of said putting mat or has fallen through a golf ball opening located at or near a back-end portion of said putting mat; said ball well is configured to a) temporarily retain golf balls that have fallen into said ball well, or b) cause the golf ball in said ball well to be fed said ball lift return arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ball well includes a) a bottom sloped surface to cause the golf ball to roll toward said ball lift return arrangement, and/or b) a channel to cause the golf ball to roll toward said ball lift return arrangement. 
     
     
         6 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ball lift return arrangement includes a return opening; said return opening configured to enable a golf ball to exit said ball well and to move into an interior of said ball lift return arrangement. 
     
     
         7 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said putting mat includes a plurality of edge rails on one or both side edges of said putting mat; said plurality of edge rails used to a) facilitate in folding of the putting mat, 2) facilitate in forming a flat putting surface when said putting mat is in the open and fully installed arrangement, and/or 3) facilitates in limiting movement of said putting mat on a floor surface when said putting mat is in the open and fully installed arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said edge rails one or more side edges of said putting mat are spaced from one another so as to facilitate in folding of said putting mat between two adjacently positioned edge rails. 
     
     
         9 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said housing includes a first side panel, a second side panel, and one or more of a ramp, a back panel, and a spacer. 
     
     
         10 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 9 , wherein an inner surface of one or both of said first and second side panels includes one or more ramp supports to support one or both sides of said ramp when said ramp is positioned between said first and side panels. 
     
     
         11 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said ramp includes a front lip used to engage one or more of said ramp supports to inhibit or prevent said ramp from sliding down on said ramp supports. 
     
     
         12 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ball lift includes a first side face, a second side face, and a lift system that is moveable between said first and second side faces; said lift system includes one of more lift arrangements that are each configured to receive a golf ball that has passed through a return opening in said ball lift and to carry a golf ball up to or above a top surface of said putting mat. 
     
     
         13 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said lift system is rotatable between the first and second side panels of the ball lift. 
     
     
         14 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 12 , wherein each of said lift arrangements include a ball base portion and a ball ramp portion; a portion of said ball base portion includes a curved surface; a longitudinal length of said ball ramp portion is longer than a longitudinal length of said ball base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 1 , further including a golf hole adjustment arrangement configured to adjust a size of a golf opening in said putting mat. 
     
     
         16 . The practice putting device as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said golf hole adjustment arrangement includes a handle, a size ring, and a body that extends between said handle and said size ring; said size ring configured to be removably positioned in said golf hole opening to adjust said size of said golf hole opening.