Automated golf sweepstakes game

Claim 2

Apparatus for participation by a plurality of participants in a sweepstakes-type game wherein said participants seek to win said sweepstakes by accurately predicting a portion of the results of a golf tournament, said apparatus comprising: (a) a coding means for coding said participants' predictions of said portion of the results of the tournament to produce coded predictions comprising sets of numbers, (b) a processor entry means adapted to accept said coded predictions, (c) a means for determining at least one set of winning numbers where said at least one set of winning numbers is based at least in part on the golfers in said golf tournament who shoot par or closest to par, (d) a processor means communicating with said processor input means and adapted to compare said coded predictions with said at least one set of winning numbers and to determine identification of the winning participant or participants.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising an access identification means for providing each of said participants with an access identification indicating the participants' right to participate in said sweepstakes game.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said coding means is a list of all or essentially all of the golfers participating in said tournament with each such golfer having assigned to him or her his or her own individual number.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means of determining said at least one set of winning numbers comprises determining the individual number of the golfer who won the tournament.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processor input means is an optical reader.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said processor input means is an optical mark reader.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processor input means comprises a touchtone telephone.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said processor input means further comprises a computer operated telephone answering and recording system.

Claim 10

Method of conducting a sweepstakes game utilizing a digital computer and a computer input device controlled by said digital computer wherein the winner of the sweepstakes is a participant who wins by correctly predicting a portion of the results of a golf tournament, such method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning golfers participating in the tournament individual numbers, (b) requiring said players to predict the winner of the tournament and a plurality of golfers who will shoot par and to form those predictions into a numerical form using said golfers'0 individual numbers, (c) requiring said participants to input said predictions in numerical form into said computer input device, (d) programing said digital computer to store said predictions, (e) inputing the results of said tournament into said digital computer, and (f) programing said digital computer to determine the winner or winners of said sweepstakes based on the results of said tournament.

Claim 11

Method of conducting a sweepstakes game utilizing a digital computer and a computer input device controlled by said digital computer wherein the winner of the sweepstakes is a participant who wins by correctly predicting a portion of the results of a golf tournament, such method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning golfers participating in the tournament individual numbers, (b) requiring said players to predict the winner of the tournament and a plurality of golfers who will shoot par and to form those predictions into a numerical form using said golfers'0 individual numbers, (c) requiring said participants to input said predictions in numerical form into said computer input device, (d) programing said digital computer to store said predictions, (e) inputing the results of said tournament into said digital computer, and (f) programing said digital computer to determine the winner or winners of said sweepstakes based on the results of said tournament.

Claim 12

The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said computer input device in an optical mark reader.

Claim 13

The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said computer input device comprises a touchtone telephone.

Claim 14

The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said computer input device further comprises a computer operated telephone answering and recording system.