US Patent 7406844 Golf club lock apparatus

A golf club lock apparatus for securing at least one golf club having a club shaft with a narrow segment and two shaft ends and a club head secured at one shaft end includes an interconnection line; two club shaft engaging mechanisms secured in spaced apart relation to the interconnection line, each shaft engaging mechanism having a locking and retaining structure for lockingly retaining at least one club shaft. Each shaft engaging mechanism preferably is a padlock having a lock mechanism case and a lock U-bolt having two U-bolt legs, one U-bolt leg extending slidably into the lock mechanism case and the other U-bolt leg lockably slidable into and out of the lock mechanism case and sized to closely fit around a narrow segment of a golf club shaft, so that the padlock must be opened to release the club. Each U-bolt preferably includes two U-bolt legs which are separate members interconnected by a hinge structure.