Abstract: A golf ball comprising: a core comprising a polybutadiene rubber having a cis-content of greater than 90%, a crosslinking agent, and an initiator, the core having an ATTI compression of less than 20; an inner cover layer comprising ethylene, from 5 weight % to 30 weight % of an ?, ?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and from 5 weight % to 25 weight % of a softening comonomer; and a cover comprising ethylene and from 5 weight % to 35 weight % of an ?, ?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid; wherein 100% of the carboxylic acid groups of the inner cover layer are neutralized.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a pre-formed selectively-weighted inner core insert including a hub having a specific gravity of greater than 1.2 and a plurality of outer elements connected to the hub and having a specific gravity of less than 0.9; an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and a cover disposed around the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface; wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent or translucent.

Abstract: A method for making a golf ball including the steps of providing a core; providing a nanoparticulate; providing a first monomer including an olefin; providing a second monomer including an ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid; in-situ polymerizing the first monomer and the second monomer in the presence of the nanoparticulate to form a nanocomposite non-ionic polymer; and forming a cover layer about the core from the nanocomposite non-ionic polymer.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core; an intermediate layer having a flexural modulus of between about 65,000 psi and about 120,000 psi and being formed from a polymer blend comprising a first material selected from the group consisting of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyetheresters, and thermoset polyetheramides and a second material comprising a grafted-metallocene polymer; and a cover layer comprising a castable reactive liquid thermoset polyurea.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a golf ball, comprising the steps of providing a golf ball; providing a first light source emitting a first color of light; illuminating a first area of the golf ball with the first light source; providing a second light source emitting a second color of light different from the first color of light; illuminating a second area of the golf ball with a second light; providing a first detector comprising a first filter for transmitting the first color of light and filtering out the second color of light; providing a second detector comprising a second filter for transmitting the second color of light and filtering out the first color of light; rotating the ball about an axis; and detecting a shadow resulting from illumination by the first or second light sources.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core comprised of a polymer containing an acid group that has been neutralized 90% or greater by a salt of an organic acid, a cation source, or a suitable base of the organic acid, the core having a compression of 90 or less and a diameter of between 1.00 inch and 1.64 inches; and a thermoplastic cover layer including ionomeric copolymers and terpolymers, ionomer precursors, thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, non-grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, single-site polymers, high-crystalline acid polymers and their ionomers, or cationic ionomers.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core having a compression of about 50 or less and a coefficient of restitution of 0.800 or greater, the core including a hollow, liquid, gel, or gas-filled center and an outer core layer; a thermoset polyurea cover having a hardness of 64 Shore D or less and a thickness of 0.02 inches to 0.1 inches; and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, the intermediate layer having a thickness of 0.110 inches or greater; wherein a combination of the core and the intermediate layer results in a compression of 60 or greater and the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of 0.805 or greater when measured at an incoming velocity of 125 ft/s and greater than 0.75 when measured at an incoming velocity of 160 ft/s.

Abstract: A golf ball a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core or the cover includes a blend of a highly neutralized ionomer formed from a reaction between an ionomer having acid groups, a suitable cation source, and a salt of an organic acid, the cation source being present in an amount sufficient to neutralized the acid by 80% or greater; and a crosslinked or vulcanized diene rubber.

Abstract: A golf ball including a center, a cover, and, optionally, at least one intermediate layer disposed between the center and the cover, wherein the cover is formed from a polyurethane composition, or a reaction product thereof, including at least one polyol; at least one polyisocyanate; at least one curing agent; and at least one color stabilizer; wherein the color stabilizer is present in an amount sufficient to provide a ?C* of less than about 22 upon exposure to UV light over a timeframe of 1 hour.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core; and a cover comprising an inner cover layer; an outer cover layer having a material hardness of 60 Shore D or less; and an intermediate cover layer disposed between the inner and outer cover layers; wherein at least two of the inner, intermediate, and outer cover layers comprise a non-ionomeric material.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a layer disposed concentrically about the core; wherein at least one of the core or the layer is formed of a polymer composition including a lipid-based nanotubule-encapsulated healing agent; the healing agent being present in an amount between about 0.1% and about 20.0% of the composition by weight.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core comprising a halogenated thiophenol and having a diameter of from about 1.30 inches to about 1.40 inches, a compression of about 45 or less; and a coefficient of restitution of about 0.780 or greater at about 125 feet per second; and a cover having a thickness of from about 0.14 inches to about 0.16 inches and being formed from a composition comprising a Na-ionomer and a Li-ionomer blend having a Shore D hardness of about 60 to about 70; wherein a combination of the core and the cover results in the golf ball having a compression of from about 85 to about 95, and a coefficient of restitution of from about 0.815 to about 0.825 at about 125 feet per second.

Abstract: A golf ball having at least a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the ball is formed from a material resulting from the isomerization of an amount of polybutadiene in solution to create a resulting polybutadiene having an increased content of trans-polybutadiene, is disclosed. Isomerization can be accomplished by mixing a photo-sensitizer into the polybutadiene solution and exposing the resulting mixture to a radiation source such as ultraviolet radiation. Isomerization can also be accomplished thermally by mixing nitrogen dioxide into a sufficiently heated solution of polybutadiene and maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature for a sufficient period of time to increase the trans-polybutadiene content of the polymer. The resulting polybutadiene is recovered, mixed with other additives as desired and formed into one or more portions of a golf ball.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a non-ionomeric fluoropolymer having a formula: wherein X1 to X12 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, CH3, CF3, linear or branched alkyl group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl group, linear or branched alkoxy group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkoxy group, aromatic, or alicyclic; at least one of X1 to X4 comprises a fluorine; m ranges from 100 to 1 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; n ranges from 0 to 50 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; and o ranges from 0 to 35 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising at least one thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable material formed from a composition comprising at least one telechelic polycarbonate having a generic structure of: where R1 and R2 independently include hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alicyclic, cycloalkyl, and alkoxy groups; R3 to R6 independently include linear, branched, cyclic, aliphatic, alicyclic, araliphatic, aromatic, and ether moieties having 2–60 carbon atoms; x is 1 to 200; and y and z are independently 0 to 200.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising at least one thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable material formed from a composition comprising at least one telechelic polycarbonate copolymer formed from at least one polyol telechelic and at least one carbonate-forming compound; wherein the polyol telechelic is a dimer diol having a structure of: where R is the same or different moieties chosen from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alicyclic, cycloalkyl, and alkoxy groups; x+y?8; and m+n?8; and wherein the dimer diol is mixed with at least one C3 to C12 aliphatic polyol before being reacted to the carbonate-forming compound.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core having a first outer surface; a cover; and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, the intermediate layer including a non-ionic hydrophobic stiff fluoropolymer having a surface energy of less than about 75 dyne/cm2 and having a second outer surface; wherein at least one of the first or second outer surfaces are treated with an functional silane such that a sufficient number of surface amine, hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, or epoxy groups are available for binding to an adjacent layer.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core formed from a polymer composition including a blend of a diene rubber, a halogenated organosulfur compound, and a salt of a mono- or poly-unsaturated long chain organic acid; and a cover having a thickness of about 0.05 inches or less and including a polymer containing an acid group fully-neutralized by a salt of an organic acid, a cation source, or a suitable base of the organic acid.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core formed from a polybutadiene having Mooney viscosity of about 40 to about 65 and a salt of a halogenated thiophenol, and having a compression of about 30 to about 60; a first cover layer including a highly neutralized ethylene copolymer having a Shore D hardness of less than about 65; and a second cover layer including a thermoset or thermoplastic polyurethane having a Shore D hardness of about 40 to about 55.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core having a diameter of between about 1.54 inches and about 1.57 inches, a compression of between about 70 and 80, and comprising a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising a magnesium salt of pentachlorothiophenol; a cover having a thickness of about 0.04 inches or less and comprising a castable polyurethane or polyurea composition; and an inner cover layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer, the inner cover layer having a thickness of about 0.04 inches or less and selected from the group consisting of ionomers, vinyl resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyamides, acrylic resins, thermoplastics, polyphenylene oxide resins, thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic rubbers, partially-neutralized polymers, highly-neutralized polymers, and fully-neutralized polymers.