One guy just wanted a greener and healthier golf game. The other just wanted to play better.

Springville's Howard Fullmer and Steve Nelson — unacquainted with each other — are just two of many Utah inventors who have invested hours of thought and days of tinkering into an idea that began on the golf course. But both, unlike many other Utah inventors, are actually on the doorstep of seeing those ideas converted to profits.

"I love golf, I love being around golf, and I can think of no better way to spend my work day than making the game more enjoyable for someone else," said Fullmer, a graphic artist by profession.

Fullmer's TowCaddy, a golf push cart that can be attached to and pulled behind a bicycle, is gearing up for full manufacturing this month — with a full marketing campaign expected to follow a short time later. Soon, the TowCaddy can be purchased at local golf stores or online.

Nelson's Automatic Swing Trainer is a little more advanced and is a gadget that has taken 25 years to perfect. It will finally be promoted worldwide through an infomercial that will begin airing on the Golf Channel in early August.

"It teaches the same swing theory that I've been teaching my clients for 25 to 30 years," said Nelson, a former mini-tour player turned teaching professional.

All golfers seem to come up with ideas of how to make their game better, more comfortable or accommodating. Few, however, have the time, energy, connections or resources to take those ideas from inside the head to an actual product. Fullmer and Nelson both admit that for them it's been a long road full of many sacrifices but a journey they're glad they and their families have remained loyal to.

"I've enjoyed every minute of the ride, even though we've spent every dime we've had four or five times just to get to this point," Nelson said of his family's persistence in finally getting the Automatic Swing Trainer to market.

Golf is a game of numbers, and numbers are what inventors like Fullmer and Nelson are banking on. More than 100 million people play golf worldwide, and more than $65 billion is spent in the golf business every year. If one invention — like Fullmer's or Nelson's — can catch even a little piece of that industry, that's a pretty good return on the investment.

"As many people as there are that play golf, I'm sure there's enough that share my philosophy that they'll want to use my product," Fullmer said.