The uncertain times in which we live have forced some people to make the most out of a less-than-ideal situation, and that appears to be exactly what Roger Hood of Lockport, NY has done.
In the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, golf courses around the world made adjustments to their day-to-day operations to eliminate common touchpoints in an effort to allow golfers to continue enjoying the game they love while not taking unnecessary risks as it pertains to contracting the virus.
One of the first things to be done around the globe was figuring out how to handle perhaps the most important aspect of the game: holing out.
Courses took measures to avoid the number of hands going into the same 18 cups by raising liners above the surface or placing something inside the cup that would allow for the ball to be retrieved without excessive touching.
GC Supts have always been a creative & problem solving group! Great ideas popping up on ensuring golf continues to be played right now. Here are a few we have seen: raising cups 1″, turning cups upside down, pool noodles inside cups, using old cups to add height. Awesome stuff! pic.twitter.com/mUq9Hv5EdA
— Par Aide Products Co (@ParAide) March 18, 2020
Despite the USGA making a temporary ruling allowing balls to be considered holed if it hit a raised cup, the intrepid Hood came up with a better way with his E-Z Golf Lyft, a touch-less golf ball retrieval system.
The patent-pending design was submitted for application on April 7 and it appears Hood may be on to something.
The design allows players to hole the ball as they previously would have, albeit with the flagstick still in the hole. From there, a simple system allows you to retrieve your ball from the hole by using your club to raise the ball out of the hole.
With no one knowing exactly how life will change in a post-pandemic world, the E-Z Lyft seems like an ingenious solution for creating fewer touchpoints on the course.
The E-Z Lyfts are available in single, three, nine and 18 packs ranging from $39.00 for one to $495.00 for a full 18.
