A golf ball 2 has a plurality of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. Each dimple 10 has a center portion 16 and an edge portion 18. The center portion 16 has a bowl shape. The edge portion 18 has a ring shape. The edge portion 18 is smoothly continuous with the center portion 16. A cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 18 is a curved line that is convex outward in a radial direction of the golf ball 2. A ratio P1 of a number N1 of the dimples each having an edge portion 18 that is adjacent to another edge portion 18 such that the edge portion 18 shares a boundary line with the other edge portion 18, to a total number N of the dimples, is not less than 50%.

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.

Golf balls including at least one modified dimple group are disclosed. The modified dimple group comprises one or more modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a Correction Area Centroid located on an axis of symmetry at a latitude greater than 0, where 0 represents the hemispherical pole and 90 represents the equator. The modified dimples can be altered, for example, by changing dimple coverage, dimple diameter, dimple depth, dimple edge angle, dimple volume, dimple cross-sectional shape, and/or dimple plan shape. Optionally, the dimples have a catenary cross-sectional shape and the modified dimples are altered by changing the shape factor and/or chord depth. Such modifications preferably produce a golf ball that flies more consistently regardless of orientation when struck than a corresponding golf ball without such modifications.

Provided is a golf ball with air channels between adjacent dimples. The golf ball according to the present disclosure has air channels connecting adjacent dimples, and an outer tip of the air channel is chamfered or filleted. The problem of durability deterioration at the outer tip of the air channel over the entire surface of the golf ball is solved by the air channel structure in which the outer tip is chamfered or filleted. Meanwhile, it is possible to minimize the influence of wind at the outer tip of the air channel and greatly improve flight stability related with slice prevention, straightness and excellent impact point while ensuring a sufficient flight distance by uniformalizing pressure drag. In addition, the depth of the dimple itself is selectively made larger than the depth of the dimple of the conventional golf ball with the air channel in accordance with the chamfering or filleting of the outer tip of the air channel, thereby minimizing lift force and a loss of a flight distance.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface. The plurality of dimples located adjacent to the parting line consists of a first portion of dimples, each dimple of the first portion having a wave relief distance of from 0.001 inches and 0.005 inches, and a second portion of dimples, each dimple of the second portion having a wave relief distance of greater than 0.008 inches, where wave relief distance is measured as the shortest distance from the average dimple diameter of the dimple to the parting line.

The present invention is directed to golf balls having surface textures with unique appearances and improved aerodynamic characteristics due, at least in part, to the use of curvilinear dimple plan shapes. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by a number of convex or concave arcs that are derived from the vertices of a regular n-sided polygon, for example, an equilateral triangle or square.

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.

In a multi-piece solid golf ball made up of, successively, a core, an intermediate layer and a cover having numerous dimples on the surface thereof, the intermediate layer is formed of a resin material and the cover is formed of a urethane resin material, each having a specific respective Shore D hardness. The ball has a specific (intermediate layer thickness)/(core diameter) value and a specific (cover thickness)/(core diameter) value, and the core has a specific deflection. The sphere consisting of the core encased by the intermediate layer has an initial velocity A and the core has an initial velocity B which together satisfy the condition AB0 m/s. This golf ball provides an increased distance and has both a soft feel when played and a high durability to repeated impact.

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.

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 comprising an ionomer resin as a base resin and an inorganic granular filler, the cover is formed of a urethane resin material, the core has a diameter of at least 38.0 mm, the core has specific deflection, the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer (intermediate layer-encased sphere) has a surface hardness on the Shore D hardness scale of at least 69, the ball has a surface hardness on the Shore D hardness scale of 62 or less, and 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.