The Evolution of Golf Balls
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The golf Balls that were first invented were made of wood. Around the 17th century another type of ball was invented; these were called “featherie” balls. They were given this name because they were literally stuffed with goose feathers and the outside of the ball was made of cowhide. In order to shrink the cowhide around the feathers, the balls were boiled in water. Production of these balls was very slow, as it took a long time to make just one and very few could be produced in the span of a day. They were also expensive, thus many could not afford them.
One large advancement in golf balls happened in 1848, when Dr. Robert Adams, invented the “guttie” ball. It was made of sap from the Sapodilla tree. This tree sap was heated and formed into spherical shapes. While the balls worked well when perfectly rounded, it was discovered that they worked much better if their shape was not perfect. Once it was found that the shape of the heated sap affected the way that the balls flew, all of them were purposely misshapen. It was after this discovery, along with the fact that they were much cheaper to make than the balls produced before, that most every golf club in the country began to use them.
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.
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