Rec and Sports

Golf Balls – How They Have Evolved

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The way that golf Balls are made, as with any golf accessories, has changed drastically since the time that they were invented. The first golf ball was made from wood; the next concept in the ball came in the early part of the 17th century. When it came to tee times in this era, the golf ball that was used was a cowhide outer hull stuffed with the feathers of a goose. While these balls worked well at the time, it took a long time to manufacture the balls and they were very expensive, relative to the era.

The next innovation in golf balls came in 1848, when the “guttie” ball was invented by Dr. Robert Adams. It was made from the sap of the Sapodilla tree. When heated the sap could be shaped and molded. It was noticed accidentally that an irregular ball flew better than a true spherical ball; therefore, they were intentionally made with discrepancies to make sure the flight of the balls would be true. Every golf club in the country converted to these balls very quickly as they were much cheaper and easier to make than the previous ones.

In the last century, golf balls were made with multiple layers, consisting of a liquid center, a rubber thread wound tight over it and having a cover put on it to make our modern ball. The country club hills of today have slowly played a part in refining the design to what it is today. Nowadays, they are made as 2, 3 or 4 layered balls, and materials like surlyn or urethane are used to form the layers. The dimples on these balls make it possible for them to be hit farther than plain balls because of the lift and drag effect on them.

Today, to be considered regulation golf balls, the balls need to be completely spherical in shape. This is a requirement of the US Golf Association. They must also be 1.62 ounces or less in weight. There are other sizes of balls that are available; however, those balls are never used in regulation play. The two types of balls in existence are the recreational ball and the advanced balls. Balls that are used for recreational play are most often made with two layers, while the advanced balls are made with three layers. The advanced balls are more expensive and have more spinning power.