Behold the modern golf ball
Broadcast Date: May 15, 1982
It's a question that perplexes and taunts pros and amateurs alike. How does a golf ball slice through the air? In this CBC Radio feature, Quirks and Quarks host Jay Ingram speaks with writer Jearl Walker about the physics of the modern golf ball. The curious white and shiny ball is the product of centuries of experimentation. The first balls were smooth and wooden. The balls we play with now are dimpled with divots to boost lift and distance. Walker explains the principles of flight as applied to the modern golf ball.Behold the modern golf ball
• The first golf balls that the Dutch played with in the 1400s were made of elm or beech. The ball then evolved in the 1600s when golfers began using leather balls stuffed with feathers. In 1848, golfers turned to the Gutty ball, made of cured gum derived from gum trees.• In 1848, players observed that scuffed-up golf balls travelled further and higher than the Gutties. Golfers began to knock tiny dents into balls and in 1898 manufacturers began to sell them covered with small indents. In 1909 Spalding produced the first machine-dimpled ball.
• Dimpled balls travel farther because the tiny divots create a pocket of turbulence around the ball. The ball accordingly travels higher and farther afield.
• In 1979, Top Flite released the first golf ball designed especially for ladies. This ball was coloured hot pink and named "the Pink Lady."
• Regulation golf balls weigh 45.93 grams (maximum) and have a minimum diameter of 4.27 centimetres. The number of dimples is either 336 for an American ball or 330 for a British ball.
Behold the modern golf ball
Medium: Radio
Program: Quirks & Quarks
Broadcast Date: May 15, 1982
Guest(s): Jearl Walker
Host: Jay Ingram
Duration: 4:26
Last updated:
June 29, 2005
Behold the modern golf ball.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: June 29, 2005.
[Page consulted on Feb. 13, 2012.]