The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

A golf ball including a spherical body, first regions, and second regions. The spherical body includes a core layer and a cover layer made from a synthetic resin covering the core layer. Dimples are formed in a surface of the cover layer. First regions that are electrically conductive are formed on a surface of the spherical body. The first regions are formed on a spherical surface having a center of the spherical body as a center. The first regions are positioned at six vertices of an imaginary regular hexahedron such that the vertices are positioned on the surface of the spherical body and, thus, six of the first regions are formed. The second regions are formed in areas of the surface other than where the first regions are formed. The second regions have a radio wave reflectance lower than that of the first regions.

The present invention concerns a golf ball having dimples with a cross-sectional profile comprising a conical top portion and a non-conical bottom portion. More particularly, the profiles of the present invention are defined by three independent parameters: dimple diameter (D.sub.D), edge angle (.sub.EDGE), and saucer ratio (S.sub.r). These parameters fully define the dimple shape and allow for greater flexibility in constructing a dimple profile versus conventional spherical dimples. Further, conical dimples provide a unique dimple cross-section which is visually distinct.

The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aesthetics and desirable aerodynamic properties due, at least in part, to the novel shape of the dimples on the surface thereof. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a shape obtained from the intersection of a toroid and a sphere. The resulting curve of intersection represents the dimple perimeter and the intersecting portion of the surface of the toroid represents the dimple surface shape.

A golf ball has a plurality of dimples 12 and a land 14 on a surface thereof. The golf ball further has a large number of minute projections 18 formed on surfaces of the dimples 12 and the land 14. The minute projections 18 are exposed on the surface of the golf ball. The surface of the golf ball has an arithmetic average height Sa of not less than 0.5 m and not greater than 30 m. The surface of the golf ball has a maximum height Sz of not less than 5 m and not greater than 200 m.

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

A golf ball has a main body 12 and a paint layer 10 positioned outside the main body 12. The main body 12 has a plurality of minute projections 18 on a surface thereof. The paint layer 10 has a thickness Tp of not less than 5 m and not greater than 30 m. Each minute projection 18 is embedded in the paint layer 10. An average value Hav of heights H of the minute projections 18 is not less than 0.5 m and not greater than 80% of the thickness Tp. A ratio Pp of a sum of areas of all the minute projections 18 to a surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball is not less than 7%. An average value Dav of diameters D of the minute projections 18 is not less than 5 m and not greater than 50 m.

Golf ball comprising dimple(s) incorporating three or more linear channels having the same channel length L and same channel width CW; all linear channels extend radially outward from a centroid of the dimple toward a perimeter of the dimple without intersecting the dimple's centroid. Each linear channel may extend radially outward from a location on the dimple that is a distance Cd from the dimple's centroid, wherein Cd>0. Alternatively, at least one of the three or more linear channels has a different channel length L and/or a different channel width CW than at least one other linear channel. Dimple may have circular or non-circular plan shape; channels may not intersect each other; at least one linear channel may intersect the dimple's perimeter; and linear channels may be spaced by n separation angles .sub.S, wherein n is number of linear channels, which may be equal, or at least two differ.

The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. The present invention also describes a method for creating the dimple pattern including providing a spherical section having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface, arranging at least two dimples located solely on the first subsurface and then tessellating the spherical surfaces around the golf ball.