A Brief History Of The Golf Ball
The evolution of the golf ball began in Europe over 500 years ago when the game of golf was in its infancy. The first golf balls were probably made of wood and these early balls, with their minimal aerodynamic properties, bore little resemblance to the modern ball that we know today. Indeed, a good drive with a wood ball might yield a drive of 100 yards or so, and be very difficult to control. It was a less than ideal standard for the golf ball.
Golf ball technology took a big leap forward with the development of the feather ball in the early 1600’s. The feathery, as it was known, was a handmade ball consisting of a hide stuffed with goose or other feathers. These feathers were boiled to soften them, stuffed into a leather casing, and then stitched shut. Finally, the ball was pounded into roundness and coated with a white paint-like substance and allowed to harden.
The feathery differed from its predecessor, the wooden golf ball, in a couple of major ways. First, it played vastly longer with drives of 200 yards being possible. The second big change was in the price of a ball. The feathery, due to its handcrafted nature, cost many times the price of the wooden ball. In fact, a feathery could cost as much as a club! The economics of the ball, combined with the fact that it became unplayable when wet, made it a less than ideal standard for a golf ball. Nevertheless, without a better alternative, the feathery golf ball lasted 100’s of years.
The gutta percha ball was introduced in 1848 and its vastly lower price did much to increase golf’s popularity. Made from the gum of a Malaysian tree, the “gutty” was at first hand formed and eventually produced in molds which allowed for the formation of a surface pattern. These patterns greatly enhanced the play of the ball, allowing it to fly straighter when hit. Unfortunately, the gutta percha golf ball had a tendency to break up in flight, forcing the player to locate the largest piece, from which spot the next shot was played.
The reign of the gutta percha ball was short lived, however. The early 1900’s saw the invention of the rubber golf ball, which consisted of a rubber core wrapped with elastic bands. A gutta percha cover was then applied. Balata soon replaced gutta percha as the cover of choice.
The rubber golf ball was not immediately accepted but when Sandy Herd, in the 1902 Open, defeated some of the worlds best players using this new golf ball, its popularity increased greatly. Soon the ball was being mass produced and its increased affordability, combined with greater distance off the tee, insured its adoption as the standard golf ball.
The next 20 years saw a tremendous amount of improvement with the golf ball as manufacturers tried different cores, wrappings, and coverings. Dimple patterning was introduced and various patterns were experimented with in an attempt to refine the golf ball’s aerodynamic properties.
In 1921 golf’s ruling bodies set standards for the size and weight of the ball, and with minor changes these remain the guidelines for the modern golf ball.
Today, of course, you can tailor your choice of golf ball to your own level of play and preference as to feel, control, spin, or distance and indeed this subject is worthy of its own article. Suffice it to say that the today’s golfer has much to appreciate in the modern golf ball
