Golf balls have been developed for over the last 500-600 years or so and it’s very interesting to note that golf balls in the beginning, consisted of bird feathers stuffed inside some cow/horse leather called, “Featherie”.
Now, these featheries were great for couple hundered years.
Here’s an excerpt from golfeurope.com on featherie history:
In 1618 the feather golf ball or ‘Featherie’ was introduced. This was a handcrafted ball made with goose feathers tightly packed into a horsefeatherie golf ball or cow hide sphere. The feathers and leather were fashioned into a ball while wet. As the assembly dried out the leather shrank and the feathers expanded to create a hardened ball. The ball was then finished off by painting it and punched with the ball-makers mark. Quality varied according to the skill of the craftsman. Unfortunately, the handcrafted nature of the balls meant that they were priced beyond the pockets of the masses, sometimes more expensive than a club. Notable ball-makers of the 1600s were Andrew Dickson, Leith and Henry Mills, St Andrews.
Next up is the Gutta Percha, made from the rubber tree sap given off by the Gutta tree. These balls were definitely easy to mold but couldn’t really travel beyond 200 yards. They still didn’t have “dimples” which allow golf balls to travel further.
Here’s an excerpt from thedesignshop.com on Gutta Percha history:
The first “Gutta” ball is believed to have been made in 1848 by the Rev. Dr. Robert Adams Paterson from gutta-percha packing material. Gutta-percha is the evaporated milky juice or latex produced from a tree most commonly found in Malaysia. It is hard and non-brittle and becomes soft and impressible at the temperature of boiling water. Gutta balls, were handmade by rolling the softened material on a board. The new durability of the Gutta, together with its much lower cost, resistance to water, and improved run, provided rejuvenation to the game of golf. Not without some resistance from traditionalists, the Gutta gradually replaced the Feathery.
After that, there’s the rubber core golf ball, then balatas, and now 3-piece core balls.
Perhaps, one day, golf manufacturers will start making these cool featheries and gutta perchas for the masses to enjoy. Imagine playing your same 7,000 yard championship course with these old balls. Then, you will be able to appreciate modern golf equipment.
Well, there it is and I hope you enjoyed a little history of golf balls.
Here’s some golf ball history resource links you might want to check out:
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