Binks Forest Golf Club

Posts Tagged ‘The golf ball used in modern golf’

While its exact origins are unknown, golf is a sport that has been played in countries throughout the world since at least the 1600s. One of the most significant components of the sport–the golf ball–was refined before the current standard was adopted in 1932.

Feathers

One of the first types of golf balls on record, the so-called featherie, was introduced in 1618. It was made of a horsehide or cowhide leather and stuffed with feathers from a goose or chicken. The ball was stitched together. The manufacturing process was elaborate and, for this reason, the ball was expensive.

Later Versions

As time went on, other iterations of the golf ball were introduced. For example, inventor Robert Adams Paterson is credited with creating the gutta ball in 1848. Its name is derived from the material used. Gutta-percha, tapped from a tree in Malaysia, is a milky juice or latex substance.

Modern Standard

The golf ball used in modern golf was introduced in 1932. It was developed after the British Golf Association and United States Golf Association began adopting standards for the sport in their countries. Golf balls today are made with a combination of space-age plastics, silicone and rubber.