Do you know the interesting history behind the golf ball?

Until the early 17th Century wooden  UK golf balls were used in the golf game. Then the featherie was invented - a hand sewn pouch made of leather and stuffed with feathers from a goose and painted. The featherie remained the standard golf ball for more than two centuries due to its superior flight. However, because only two balls could be made in one day they were very expensive - the equivalent of $150 and $400 today.

The gutta was created in1848 from dried sap of a Sapodilla Tree by heating and shaping it while hot. It was accidently discovered that defects in the sphere could provide a ball with a truer flight than a pure sphere and so intentional defects were created on the surface. Gutties were cheaper to make and so replaced feather golf balls completely within a few years.

In the 20th century, multi-layer balls were developed, first as wound balls consisting of a solid or liquid-filled core wound with a layer of rubber thread and a thin outer shell. The design allowed manufacturers to fine-tune the length, spin and "feel" characteristics of balls. Wound golf balls were especially valued for their soft feel.

Today's golf balls are more technologically advanced with cores of titanium compounds, hybrid materials and softer shells. They usually consist of a two-, three-, or four-layer design and come in a great variety of playing characteristics to suit the needs of golfers of different abilities.