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 prismatic polyhedron and the golf ball outer surface. The resulting curve of intersection represents the dimple perimeter and the intersecting portion of the surface of the prismatic polyhedron represents the dimple surface shape.

A golf ball dimple pattern based on a square dipyramid, i.e., two square pyramids connected base-to-base, is disclosed. The dimples are arranged within four substantially identical triangular sections on each of two substantially identical hemispheres of the ball.

In a golf ball having a two-layer core consisting of an inner core layer and an outer core layer, one or more intermediate layer, and a cover serving as an outermost layer, the inner core layer and outer core layer are each formed primarily of a base rubber, the inner core layer has a diameter of at least 19 mm, the intermediate layer and the cover are each formed primarily of a resin material, and the overall core has a specific hardness profile. The golf ball has a high initial velocity while holding down the spin rate on full shots with a driver or long iron, thus enabling a good distance to be achieved. The ball also has a high controllability in the short game.

The present invention concerns a golf ball having dimples with a cross-sectional profile comprising a conical top portion and a 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. The dimples optionally have a transition surface connecting the conical top portion to the land area of the golf ball and/or a transition surface connecting the conical top portion to the bottom portion.

In a golf ball having a two-layer core consisting of an inner core layer and an outer core layer, an intermediate layer consisting of at least one layer and a cover of one or more layer, the inner core layer and outer core layer are each formed of a rubber composition made up primarily of a base rubber, the inner core layer has a diameter of not more than 30 mm; and the core has specific hardness ratios (JIS-C hardness/Shore D hardness) at specific points on the cross-section thereof and the surface and center of the two-layer core has a specific hardness difference. This golf ball has a reduced spin rate on full shots with a driver and middle irons, thus imparting an excellent flight performance, and moreover has a good controllability in the short game on approach shots, making it ideal as a golf ball for professional golfers and mid- and high-level amateur golfers.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface. At least a portion of the parting line comprises a series of main arcs connected by at least one intermediate arc.

A golf ball includes: a land portion; and a plurality of dimples each provided to be recessed with respect to the land portion. Each of the dimples has a dimple edge and a dimple plane surrounded by the dimple edge. The dimples include a plurality of eccentric dimples each having a deepest portion that is not located on a line connecting a center point of the dimple plane of a corresponding one of the eccentric dimples and a center point of the golf ball. The eccentric dimples have respective dimple axes that are oriented randomly in the golf ball, and each of the dimple axes is obtained in a plan view of the corresponding one of the eccentric dimples by connecting the center point of the dimple plane and the deepest portion of the corresponding one of the eccentric dimples.

A pre-molded dimple-free golf ball is formed before dimples are created in a thermoplastic cover of the pre-molded dimple-free golf ball.

In a multi-piece solid golf ball having a core, an intermediate layer encasing the core and a cover which encases the intermediate layer and has numerous dimples on an outside surface thereof, the intermediate layer is formed of a resin material, the cover is formed of a urethane resin material, the core has a diameter of at least 38.0 mm, the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer has a surface hardness on the Shore D hardness scale of at least 69, the cover has a material hardness on the Shore D hardness scale of 55 or less, the (intermediate layer thickness)/(core diameter) value is from 0.025 to 0.043, the (cover thickness)/(core diameter) value is from 0.014 to 0.027, and the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer has an initial velocity A and the core has an initial velocity B which together satisfy the condition AB0 m/s.

The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the alteration of the dimple surfaces. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having circular perimeters and dimple profiles having a concentric groove or a non-concentric groove on the surface of the dimple. The golf ball dimples of the present invention provide golf ball surfaces having unique appearances, while maintaining ideal aerodynamic characteristics.