Combined golf club and ball retriever

Claim 1

IN A GOLF CLUB HAVING A TUBULAR SHAFT, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SLIDE MOVABLE AXIALLY IN THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, AT LEAST THREE BOWED SPRING FINGERS HAVING THEIR LOWER ENDS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SLIDE IN EQUALLY CIRCUMAXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP SO THAT THE CONCAVE FACE OF EACH FINGER IS DISPOSED INWARDLY, A CAP SECURED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT AND HAVING CIRCUMAXIALLY SPACED RADIAL SLOTS WHICH ARE SPACED FROM ITS CENTER TO RECEIVE AND PERMIT SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE SAID FINGERS AS THE SLIDE MOVES BETWEEN AN EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN IT AND THE FINGERS ENGAGE THE CENTER PORTION OF THE CAP, THE FINGERS ALSO ENGAGING THE OUTER EDGES OF THE SLOTS, AND A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN THE FREE ENDS OF THE SPRING FINGERS ARE NESTED WITHIN THE SAID SLOTS ADJACENT THE CENTER PORTION OF THE CAP, THE RADIALLY INNER AND OUTER SURFACES OF SAID SLOTS BEING SHAPED TO GUIDE SAID FINGERS SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY DURING INITIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE FROM ITS RETRACTED POSITION AND THEN TO SPREAD SAID FINGERS OUTWARDLY DURING FINAL MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE INTO ITS EXTENDED POSITION AND TO RETAIN THEM IN SPREAD POSITION FOR RELEASABLE RESILIENT ENGAGEMENT WITH A GOLF BALL, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SLIDE SELECTIVELY BETWEEN ITS EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS.