Why does a golf ball with dimples go further than a smooth surface ball?
Let’s take a brief look at some of the characteristics of a golf ball. Originally golf balls were made of wood. These were superceded by “featheries”, small leather purses filled with wet goose feathers, sewn inside-out for less drag, oiled and painted. Then came golf balls made from the gum of a Malaysian tree. It had been noted that balls with roughened surfaces travelled further than smooth ones, and after much experimentation the dimpled golf ball was accepted as standard in 1930. Golf balls are constructed with a very long thin band of rubber wound round a rubber centre, then coated with enamel patterned in dimpled rows. The featherie could be hit about 150 yards, today’s balls go 250 yards or more. Today there’s a small revolution going on to produce the best golf ball with a solid core that will travel an even greater distance. The core is made of polybutadiene, covered with polyurethane, which in turn is softened with an acrylic to give the ball a soft feel. They seem to be “th
