Abstract: Golf entertainment venues with a computing system configured to optically identify and track graphical images located on golf balls hit by players. The graphical image located on a golf ball can be associated with a player and the computing system can assign the player a score when that player's golf ball successfully arrives at a target area. In some embodiments, the graphical images can be printed on the golf balls using, for example, a single pass inkjet printing technique. In some embodiments, the computing system can be configured to sort golf balls based on optically identified graphical images.

Abstract: A golf club identification apparatus includes a feature identification module that receives digital images of a golf club from a camera, automatically identifies features of the golf club in the digital images using a machine learning model, and generates feature confidence values for the identified features of the golf club. Each one of the feature confidence values represents a numerical likelihood that the identified feature associated with the feature confidence value corresponds to an actual feature of the golf club.

Abstract: A golf club head has a cast cup including a forward portion of a crown and a forward portion of a sole of the golf club head. A polymeric rear ring is coupled to heel and toe portions of the cast cup to form a club head body defining a crown opening and a sole opening. A crown insert is coupled to the crown opening, and a sole insert coupled to the sole opening. The club head has an inertia generator including an outwardly extending protrusion formed in the sole and a rear weight positioned at an aft end of the protrusion, the sole insert defining at least a portion of the protrusion of the inertia generator. The sole insert includes a composite material having a thickness between 0.45 mm and 1 mm, and a plurality of ribs positioned along an internal surface, and at least one rib is inside the inertia generator.

Abstract: A golf club head that comprises a hollow interior cavity, a first piece, a second piece, adhesively bonded to the first piece along a first bonded joint, a third piece, adhesively bonded to the first piece along a second bonded joint, and a fourth piece, adhesively bonded to the first piece along a third bonded joint. A volume of the golf club head is at least 120 cubic centimeters (cc) and at most 600 cc. The first bonded joint has a first-joint bond area. The second bonded joint has a second-joint bond area. The third bonded joint has a third-joint bond area. A summation of the first-joint bond area, the second-joint bond area, and the third-joint bond area is at least 1,950 mm2 and at most 3,400 mm2.

Abstract: A golf club including at least one component with a construction that includes a composite material with color/metallic coated fibers. In some embodiments, at least a portion of an outer surface of the golf club head is defined by a layered structure including color/metallic coated fibers. The layered structure may include a non-woven composite layer comprising a plurality of unidirectional fiber composite plies and woven composite layer disposed over the non-woven fiber composite layer and including color/metallic coated fibers. In some embodiments, an optically transparent coating may be disposed over the woven composite layer. In some embodiments, the color/metallic coated fibers may be electroplated fibers.

Abstract: A golf club head and a method of making the golf club head including bonding tape. The method additionally includes positioning the first piece, the second piece, and the bonding tape, interposed between the first piece and the second piece, in a vacuum bag, and reducing a pressure within the vacuum bag, relative to a pressure external to the vacuum bag, such that the vacuum bag collapses onto the first piece and the second piece and compresses the bonding tape between the first piece and the second piece. The method also includes heating the bonding tape, at least to a curing temperature of the bonding tape, when the pressure within the vacuum bag is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a driver-type golf club head that has a strike face. The strike face has a central region, defined by a 40 mm by 20 mm rectangular area centered on a geometric center of the strike face and elongated in a heel-to-toe direction. The driver-type golf club head is configured such that after 500 impacts of a standard golf ball at the geometric center of the strike face, where at each impact the standard golf ball has a velocity of 52 meters per second, the CT of the strike face at any point within the central region is less than 256 microseconds and the CT at the geometric center of the strike face is no more than five microseconds different than the initial CT value.

Abstract: Apparatus for a machine-learning-based golf club fitting platform is disclosed. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores code executable by the processor to receive a first set of golf swing data for a user, the first set of golf swing data representative of one or more characteristics of a golf swing of the user; determine one or more optimal specifications of at least one hypothetical golf club that is a best fit for the user using a property prediction machine learning model based on the first set of golf swing data; and determine at least one pre-existing golf club, comprising predefined specifications, that is a best match for the user based on a comparison of the determined one or more optimal specifications of the at least one hypothetical golf club to the predefined specifications of a plurality of different pre-existing golf clubs.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an iron-type golf club head that comprises a strike plate, an enclosed internal cavity, and a rear aperture formed in a rear wall. The iron-type golf club head also comprises a stiffening plug, within the internal cavity and compressed between the back surface of the strike plate and the rear wall. The stiffening plug is insertable, through a rear aperture, into the internal cavity. The iron-type golf club head further comprises a rear fascia covering the rear aperture and at least a portion of the rear wall. A characteristic time (CT) at a geometric center of the strike face is at least 250 microseconds. A maximum thickness of the strike plate, at the strike face, is less than 3.5 millimeters, inclusive. The strike plate, excluding grooves, has a minimum thickness between 1.1 millimeters and 2.2 millimeters.

Abstract: A golf club head that includes a plate opening, a plate-opening recessed ledge defining the plate opening, and a strike plate attached to the plate-opening recessed ledge. The golf club head also comprises a hollow interior cavity. At least a portion of a top half of the plate-opening recessed ledge is made of a first material having a first density and at least a portion of a bottom half of the plate-opening recessed ledge is made of a second material having a second density that is greater than the first density. The top half of the plate-opening recessed ledge is closer to a crown portion of the golf club head than the bottom half of the plate-opening recessed ledge and the bottom half of the plate-opening recessed ledge is closer to a sole portion of the golf club head than the top half of the plate-opening recessed ledge.

Abstract: A method of removing a backing layer from a panel, made of an uncured pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced polymer, comprises a step of orienting the panel into a backing-separation orientation relative to an edge-engagement tool. The method also comprises a step of positioning the panel into a backing-separation position relative to the edge-engagement tool. The method further comprises a step of moving the edge-engagement tool, when the panel is in the backing-separation orientation and the backing-separation position, so that backing-engagement features of the edge-engagement tool engage the backing layer, at only an edge portion of the backing layer, and just the edge portion of the backing layer separates from the panel. The method additionally comprises a step of gripping the edge portion of the backing layer, and, when gripped, moving the backing layer relative to the panel so that an entirety of the backing layer separates from the panel.

Abstract: A method of creating a multi-layer composite strike face of a golf club head includes positioning a first non-cluster panel. The method also includes creating and attaching a cluster panel to the first non-cluster panel, which includes attaching a first elongated strip to the first non-cluster panel at a first strip angle, attaching a second elongated strip to a portion of the first elongated strip and a portion of the first non-cluster panel at a second strip angle, and attaching a third elongated strip to a portion of the second elongated strip, and a portion of the first non-cluster panel at a third strip angle.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a first impact sensor that is fixed to a toe-side interior surface of the golf club head opposite the curved strike face and located on a toeward side of the golf club head, and a second impact sensor that is fixed to a heel-side interior surface of the golf club head opposite the curved strike face and located on a heelward side of the golf club head. The golf club head further includes an electronic controller, fixed to the golf club head and electrically coupled with the first and second impact sensors, and a battery, fixed to the golf club head and electrically coupled with the electronic controller to supply electrical power to the electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to communicate impact data received from the first and second impact sensors to an external computing device.

Abstract: A golf club head including a crown defining the top surface of the club head and including a crown portion, a crown recess region formed in the crown portion and defined by a crown ledge and a bonding wall, and a crown insert disposed at least partially within the crown recess region. The size and uniformity of the junction between the crown insert and the bonding wall may be determined by measuring the dimensions of the junction at critical points on the club head.

Abstract: A golf ball having a North pole and a South pole, an equator and a primary meridian, the equator and primary meridian divide the ball into North, South, East and West hemispheres, and Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest quadrants. A grid pattern projected on the ball surface divides the ball laterally and longitudinally into a number of overlapping zones. The dimples within the zones have average depths hex, hsx, hpx, hei, hsi and hpi and selected values of ?e, ?s and ?p which are the difference between the minimum and maximum values of the relative ratios of the dimple depths, hexr/heir, hsxr/hsir and hpxr/hpir determined when the ball is rotated by a value of ? from 0 to 360° about its polar axis.

Abstract: Apparatus for a machine-learning-based golf club fitting platform is disclosed. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores code executable by the processor to receive a first set of golf swing data for a user, the first set of golf swing data representative of one or more characteristics of a golf swing of the user; determine one or more optimal specifications of at least one hypothetical golf club that is a best fit for the user using a property prediction machine learning model based on the first set of golf swing data; and determine at least one pre-existing golf club, comprising predefined specifications, that is a best match for the user based on a comparison of the determined one or more optimal specifications of the at least one hypothetical golf club to the predefined specifications of a plurality of different pre-existing golf clubs.

Abstract: A method of removing a backing layer from a panel, made of an uncured pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced polymer, comprises a step of orienting the panel into a backing-separation orientation relative to an edge-engagement tool. The method also comprises a step of positioning the panel into a backing-separation position relative to the edge-engagement tool. The method further comprises a step of moving the edge-engagement tool, when the panel is in the backing-separation orientation and the backing-separation position, so that backing-engagement features of the edge-engagement tool engage the backing layer, at only an edge portion of the backing layer, and just the edge portion of the backing layer separates from the panel. The method additionally comprises a step of gripping the edge portion of the backing layer, and, when gripped, moving the backing layer relative to the panel so that an entirety of the backing layer separates from the panel.

Abstract: A method of making a golf club head includes interposing bonding tape between a first piece and a second piece of the golf club head such that the first piece is temporarily adhered to the second piece via a tackiness of the bonding tape. The method additionally includes positioning the first piece, the second piece, and the bonding tape, interposed between the first piece and the second piece, in a vacuum bag, and reducing a pressure within the vacuum bag, relative to a pressure external to the vacuum bag, such that the vacuum bag collapses onto the first piece and the second piece and compresses the bonding tape between the first piece and the second piece. The method also includes heating the bonding tape, at least to a curing temperature of the bonding tape, when the pressure within the vacuum bag is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf club head that comprises a strike face. The strike face has a central region, defined by a forty millimeter by twenty millimeter rectangular area centered on a center of the strike face and elongated in a heel-to-toe direction. Within the central region, the strike face has a characteristic time (CT) of no more than 257 microseconds. Within the central region, no less than 25% of the strike face has a coefficient of restitution (COR) of at least 0.8. Within the central region, no less than 60% of the strike face has a CT of at least 235 microseconds. Within the central region, no less than 35% of the strike face has a CT of at least 240 microseconds.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf club head that includes a forward portion, including a strike face, a crown portion, a rear portion, an interior cavity, and a trihedral corner reflector permanently embedded in, integrally formed in, or attached to at least one of the crown portion or the rear portion.