Foggy Twilight Golf At David L. Baker Golf Course

Playing at David L. Baker Golf Course the other night, there was a pretty thick fog that rolled in and our twilight round turnned into something out of "The Hounds of Baskerville".

Even though it added another element of difficulty, with a glow ball it was very easy to find your ball and it was a lot of fun!

Golfing at night can make for great practice, and with less people on the course, you can play a much faster round too.

Foggy Tree at David L. Baker
Golf Cart in the Fog at David L. Baker Sand Bunker int he Fog at David L. Baker
Foggy Green at DLB Golf Course Golf Approach Shot in the Fog Putting in the Fog at DLB

Glow & Light Up Golf Balls Patent Infringement Lawsuits

There are 4 main different kinds of glowing or light up night time golf balls, made by 2 different companies, Chemical Light, Inc. and Sun Products USA, Inc.

Glow Flyer Night Golf BallNight Flyer Light Up Night Golf Ball
    Chemical Light makes:

  • Glow Flyer – Golf ball with single use glow stick inside.
  • Night Flyer – Golf ball with LED light inside.

Twilight Tracer Blinking LED Golf BallTwilight Supernova Glowing Golf Ball
    Sun Products USA makes:

  • Twilight Tracer Balls – Golf ball with red blinking LED lights inside.
  • Twilight Supernova Balls – Golf ball with non-blinking blue LED lights inside.

Chemical Light is currently suing Sun Products for patent infringement. Also Sun Products is trying to get a Judgement saying they are not infringing on United States Patent No. 6,042,487 entitled "Illuminated Golf Ball".

First Chemical Light sued Sun Products back in 2003, Sun Products agreed to a settlement, by becoming a licensed distributor under Chemical Light and administratively dissolved through the Secretary of State of Minnesota. But then after that, it seems they rescinded on the settlement and reopened as Sun Products USA and began selling the Twilight Supernova. Seems that Sun Products then filed for Judgement to show they were not infringing on the Chem Light Patent. The third case shows that Chemical Light then sued them again for patent infringement.

The most recent updates we have are:

    1:11-cv-05667 Chemical Light, Inc. v. Sun Products USA, LLC. et al:

      There is that there is a phone conference scheduled for 12/5/2011.

    • Filed & Entered:  11/03/2011
      Docket Text: MINUTE entry before Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly: Status hearing held with attorneys for plaintiff and Mr. Gill appearing for himself and for the "LLC" defendant. The Court advised Mr. Gill that an "LLC" defendant cannot appear pro se and must have an attorney and that the Court will hold Sun Products, LLC in default unless an answer has been filed by counsel representing Sun Products, LLC. A telephone status hearing, to be initiated by the parties, is set for 12/5/2011 at 9:00 A.M. Mailed notice by judge’s staff. (srb,)

    0:11-cv-02107-JNE-JJG Sun Products USA, LLC v. Chemical Light, Inc.

      Sun Products are reissued the Summons with Complaint.

    • Filed & Entered: 11/21/2011
      Docket Text: Summons Reissued as to Chemical Light, Inc.

We will try to keep everyone up to date to see what the courts say about this. We are very interested because it could change what night golf balls are available on the market and in the end it could even effect the quality of the balls, depending on whom is still making them.

Email us with any questions or comments, we will post them here…

More Updates

1:11-cv-05667 Chemical Light, Inc. v. Sun Products USA, LLC. et al:

    12/06/2011 Expedited referral to magistrate judge

  • Docket Text: Pursuant to Local Rule 72.1, this case is hereby referred to the calendar of Honorable Jeffrey T. Gilbert for the purpose of holding proceedings related to: settlement conference. (gl) Judicial staff mailed notice.
  • 12/06/2011 set/reset hearings

  • Docket Text: MINUTE entry before Honorable Jeffrey T. Gilbert: This case has been referred to Magistrate Judge Gilbert for the purpose of conducting a settlement conference. Status hearing scheduled for 12/15/11 at 9:45 a.m. No initial status report required. However, the parties should be prepared to address the subjects referenced in Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s Standing Order for Initial Status Report posted on the Court’s website as applicable to referral cases. Mailed notice (ep)
  • 12/05/2011 text entry

  • Docket Text: MINUTE entry before Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly: The parties’ disclosures and materials under the Local Patent Rules (LPR) are due as follows: LPR 2.1 – 12/23/11; LPR 2.2 – 1/6/12; LPR 2.3 – 1/20/12; LPR 2.5 – 2/3/12; LPR 3.1 – 6/1/12; LPR 3.2 – 6/29/12; LPR 4.1 – 7/13/12; opening claim construction brief is due 8/17/12; response is due 9/14/12; reply is due 9/28/12; joint claim construction chart and status report per LPR 4.2(f) is due 10/5/12. Claim construction hearing pursuant to LPR 4.3 is set for 11/9/12 at 10:00 a.m. The Court calls to the parties’ attention its decision in Illinois Computer Research, LLC v. Harpo Productions, Inc., 2010 WL 2136665 (N.D. Ill. May 26, 2010). (mk)
  • 12/06/2011 status hearing

  • Docket Text: MINUTE entry before Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly:Rule 16(b)status hearing held on 12/5/2011, with attorneys for both sides. The case is referred to Magistrate Judge Gilbert to conduct a settlement conference. Status hearing is set for 2/7/2012 at 09:30 AM.Judicial staff mailed notice (gl)
  • 12/02/2011 attorney appearance

  • Docket Text: ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants John M. Gill, Sun Products USA, LLC. by Howard B. Rockman (Attachments: # (1) Notice of Filing)(Rockman, Howard)

Hummingbird in it’s Nest at Brea Creek Golf Course

In Southern California you find find many types of wildlife on a golf course. Over the years some of us have seen a range from coyotes and rattlesnakes at Hidden Valley, or cunning squirrels that will steal your food at Coyote Hills, and even a variety of geese and ducks at Tustin Ranch.

While playing at Brea Creek we have seen some amazing hawks catching birds in mid-flight, but recently we got a great picture of a Hummingbird sitting in it’s nest.

Hummingbird in Nest at Golf Course

Most of us had always seen Hummingbirds flying by, blurry, never sitting still for a moment. It’s really rare to find a Hummingbird sitting in their nest, and be able to get a picture of it too.

Find Orange County Golf Tournaments

Looking for local upcoming golf tournaments in Orange County and other surrounding Southern California areas?

It’s been quite difficult until now, Golf ETA has a centralized calendar of events for all the local courses.

Golf Every Tournament Available Membership

Whether your in South County areas like San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, Central OC areas like Irvine ad Tustin, Coastal cities like Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, and Northern OC cites like Fullerton or Brea you can find a golf tournament near you.

Golf ETA is a "Members Only" website but a "Basic Membership" is Free!

Sign-up now, get in the loop with what golf events and tournaments are going on around you.

Don’t just here about it, be a part of it…

Call 1-855-GOLF-714 or visit GolfETA.com

Golf Game For 3 Players

There are many games golfers play out on the course, but if your not playing in a golf tournament and your out there with 2 of your buddies, not many people know a game for 3 players.

Three Player Golf Game

A fun game to play is most commonly called "Nines"

It’s a very easy game to play, and can be fun even if the 3 of you all play at different handicaps.

Each player plays their own ball the entire time, if you want to give any high handicap players stokes that is OK too. At the end of each hole you figure out who was 1st, 2nd and 3rd and divide up the "9 Points" as follows…

  • 1st place gets 5 points
  • 2nd place gets 3 points
  • 3rd place gets 1 point
  • If any golfers tie…

  • 1st/2nd tie, they get 4 points each and the 3rd place gets 1 point.
  • 2nd/3rd tie, they get 2 points each and the 1st place gets 5 points.
  • If all 3 players tie, then each player get 3 points.

Simple and fun, give it a try next time you have 3 golfers together.

Upcoming Glow Ball Golf Tournament

There will be a Orange County Glow Ball Golf Tournament on November 19th (11/19/11). At Brea Creek Golf Course in Orange County, Southern California.

Orange County Glow Ball Golf Tournament 2011

If you are interested, or would like more details you can click the link above and fill out the form.

From what we heard it will be a Shotgun Start, 2-Man-Scramble. Meaning everyone starts at the same time on a different hole. The scramble means, each player hits their first shot, decides which is better and the other player drops next to it, and then decide which is better and do it again, until it’s in the hole.

For the newbies out there, a glow ball tournament can be played different ways, with different types of glow balls. The basic idea is you play at night, the golf ball glows and there are certain markers in the fairway and on the flag and cup.

Past Glow Ball Tournament

It’s a lot of fun, everyone is on the same level, since it is dark and it’s 2 man team, so anyone can ejoy it!

What is a 2 or 4 Man Scramble?

Putting

Scramble: A 2 or 4 Person Scramble is a golf tournament or outing that is played with 2 or 4 person teams.

Most commonly played with 2 people, a “2-Man-Scramble” (or 2-Woman-Scramble), is a tournament where each player tees off their first shot and then decides which ball’s lie is better, and then the player with the lesser shot picks up their ball and drops within one club length (no closer to the hole), of the “better ball”.

Both players hit their 2nd shot and again pick which is better, and both play from there. This is repeated until the ball is in the hole, even when putting.

Once both players hit their approach and you pick the best shot on the green. Mark the ball and place another marker one putter head directly above it. Then replace the ball.

Once the first player putts, your teammate can now use the mark left and place their ball one putter head below it, back in the same spot as the original ball.

With a 4 person team, it’s exactly the same just with 4 players.