Golf balls have quite a colourful history. From ancient wooden balls of the 15th century to the featherie and today's resin-covered dimpled balls, there are many choices of golf balls tailored to a player's preferences, allowing golfers to enhance their game.
Soon after the original wooden balls (beech wood or elm designed as if a small croquet ball) were no longer used, feather balls (featherie) came into play. These balls were made out of goose feathers sewn inside ball-shaped leather. This formation is then boiled and cooled so that the feathers would expand inside the shrunken leather. This gives the ball excellent flight, which is a very important characteristic in the sport. However, the featherie is not quite a durable alternative as the hand stitches would easily break especially when the sport is played during the wet season. The balls are also easy to burst when met by solid surfaces. In addition to these limitations, featheries were also extremely difficult to manufacture, making them very expensive. It was not until the mid-19th century that the gutta percha ball was discovered, replacing the expensive, hardly durable feather ball. The gutta Percha ball was made out of the dried sap of Sapodilla (a tree whose gum has a rubbery characteristic that can easily be shaped and moulded when heated, perfect for creating golf balls). However, it wasn't until the 20th century that resin and rubber become key components for making golf balls.
Today, various choices of golf balls are available and found everywhere, some designed according to purpose (budget, mid-range or premium golf balls), and some according to a player's preference e.g feel, distance or control. Distance golf balls are much cheaper and are often designed for amateurs and those with high handicap, while premium golf balls are made for professionals and are often much more expensive as they are made out of 3 to 5 layers of material.
Soon after the original wooden balls (beech wood or elm designed as if a small croquet ball) were no longer used, feather balls (featherie) came into play. These balls were made out of goose feathers sewn inside ball-shaped leather. This formation is then boiled and cooled so that the feathers would expand inside the shrunken leather. This gives the ball excellent flight, which is a very important characteristic in the sport. However, the featherie is not quite a durable alternative as the hand stitches would easily break especially when the sport is played during the wet season. The balls are also easy to burst when met by solid surfaces. In addition to these limitations, featheries were also extremely difficult to manufacture, making them very expensive. It was not until the mid-19th century that the gutta percha ball was discovered, replacing the expensive, hardly durable feather ball. The gutta Percha ball was made out of the dried sap of Sapodilla (a tree whose gum has a rubbery characteristic that can easily be shaped and moulded when heated, perfect for creating golf balls). However, it wasn't until the 20th century that resin and rubber become key components for making golf balls.
Today, various choices of golf balls are available and found everywhere, some designed according to purpose (budget, mid-range or premium golf balls), and some according to a player's preference e.g feel, distance or control. Distance golf balls are much cheaper and are often designed for amateurs and those with high handicap, while premium golf balls are made for professionals and are often much more expensive as they are made out of 3 to 5 layers of material.