Golf ball
Golf ball
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A golf ball next to a hole
Golf ball with hard rubber core
A golf ball is a piece of golfing equipment.
Table of contents
1 Properties and structure
2 The golf ball in play
3 Physics
4 See also
5 web links
6 Itemised records
Properties and structure
The size and characteristics of a golf ball are defined in the golf rules. The diameter of a golf ball is at least 42.672 mm (1.68″), the maximum weight is 45.926 g (1.62 oz.). The surface of the ball is provided with 300 to 450 small dents (so-called dimples), although the exact number of "dimples" is not defined. Almost every manufacturer has a different arrangement of dimples, which are supposed to improve the flight characteristics. [1] The first golf balls did not have dimples, but were simply round and smooth. However, it was found that the golf balls, which had dimples and furrows due to years of use, flew further and better. So they started to carve dimples into the smooth golf balls as well [2].
A golf ball consists of a hard plastic shell (in the past gutta-percha was used) with different cores. Besides hard rubber cores, multilayer cores made of different flexible materials are increasingly being used. Depending on the number of different layers, we speak of 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece (and so on) balls. Most golf balls have a number printed on them. This number is used to distinguish the ball from balls of other players (or another own ball) if they use a ball of the same brand and type.
