Disclosed is a matte golf ball paint composition that provides a solution to the problem with a golf ball having a difficulty of taking on the original color of the cover due to scattering of the color incurred during the injection molding of the ball, thus helping deliver the original color of the cover; a matte golf ball that not only takes on the original color of the cover but also provides a combination of improved driving distance, spin, and control; and a method for manufacturing a matte golf ball with excellent weather resistance, water resistance, yellowing resistance, and abrasion resistance.

Disclosed is a matte golf ball paint composition that provides a solution to the problem with a golf ball having a difficulty of taking on the original color of the cover due to scattering of the color incurred during the injection molding of the ball, thus helping deliver the original color of the cover; a matte golf ball that not only takes on the original color of the cover but also provides a combination of improved driving distance, spin, and control; and a method for manufacturing a matte golf ball with excellent weather resistance, water resistance, yellowing resistance, and abrasion resistance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having improved ball speed or aerodynamic performance on a rainy day or the like by controlling the formulation of the paint film. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a golf ball body and a paint film covering the golf ball body, wherein a paint film surface of the golf ball has a water contact angle A1 of 70° or more and a water sliding angle B1 of less than 50°. The present invention also provides a golf ball comprising a golf ball body and a paint film covering the golf ball body, wherein when a sheet consisting of a slab formed from a composition constituting a golf ball body surface and a coating film formed by applying a paint constituting the paint film on the slab is prepared, a coating film surface of the sheet has a water contact angle A2 of 90° or more and a water sliding angle B2 of less than 52°.

A golf ball having a cover with a plurality of dimples on the surface thereof is provided with a coat of mutually differing properties on dimple areas of the surface and on land areas between the dimples. The dimple areas are formed with a coat having a low coefficient of friction, do not affect the spin performance when the ball is struck and are not prone to staining. The land areas are formed with a coat having a high coefficient of friction, enabling a lower spin rate to be achieved and thus increasing the distance traveled by the ball, particularly when struck with a middle iron, and also help impart a high spin rate and a good controllability on approach shots.

Golf balls having covers made of thermoplastic polyurethane compositions are provided. Multi-piece golf balls can be made. In one embodiment, the outer cover layer is formed from a composition comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane and multi-functional hydroxyl compound. Mixtures of multi-functional amines and imines, and multi-functional isocyanates, and solvent, can be applied to the outer cover to form at least a partially cross-linked cover. The cover composition can further include catalysts, ultraviolet (UV)-light stabilizers, and other additives. The coating methods have many benefits and the finished balls have good physical properties.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having excellent approach spin performance under a dry condition and excellent approach spin performance under a condition that there is grass between the golf ball and the club face. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a golf ball body and a paint film formed on a surface of the golf ball body, wherein the paint film is composed of at least one layer, and an outermost paint film layer located at the outermost layer of the golf ball contains, as a base resin, a polyurethane obtained by a reaction between (A) a polyisocyanate composition and (B) a polyol composition, (B) the polyol composition contains a urethane polyol as a polyol component, and the outermost paint film layer has a dynamic friction coefficient of from 0.65 to 1.2 measured with a dynamic friction tester under specific conditions.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having excellent spin performance on approach shots from the rough (under a condition that there is grass between the golf ball and the club face) and excellent stain resistance. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a golf ball body and a paint film composed of at least one layer and formed on a surface of the golf ball body, wherein at least one layer of the paint film includes, as a base resin, a polyurethane obtained by a reaction between a polyisocyanate composition and a polyol composition, and the polyol composition contains, as a polyol component, a polyrotaxane having at least two hydroxyl groups and a urethane polyol.

Methods for coatings for golf balls, particularly golf balls having thermoplastic polyurethane covers, and the resulting finished balls are provided. The coating is preferably a topcoat comprising a polyurethane composition containing optical brighteners. The topcoat composition may comprise a low concentration of optical brighteners. For example, the concentration of optical brightener can be in the range of 0.01 to about 0.20 weight %. Multi-piece golf balls having inner cores, outer cores, inner covers, and intermediate layers can be made. The finished ball with the topcoat has many advantageous physical and playing performance properties.

In a golf ball having a cover layer that is formed of a resin material composed primarily of polyurethane or polyurea, the cover layer includes a colored surface portion having a visible light transmittance of at least 0.6%. A method for producing the golf ball includes the steps of forming the cover layer over a core or other target sphere and providing the colored surface portion by coloring the surface of the cover layer. The cover layer which includes the colored surface portion has a visible light transmittance of at least 0.6%. The golf ball has a surface with a distinctive aesthetic appearance and retains both a good spin performance and a good scuff resistance, making it useful as a ball for professional and skilled amateur golfers.

A color coating solution is produced by dispersing a nano-color pigment and a metallic gloss pigment into a polymer resin, and the solution is coated and molded on a cover layer having a color similar to that of the color coating solution. Since the pigment composition is different between the cover layer and the color coating layer, internal shieldability is improved. As a result, a dark color or uneven surface of the core, mantle, or cover is not exposed, so that a surface defect rate can be reduced. Since both the nano-color pigment and the metallic gloss pigment are used in the color coating layer, the metallic gloss and the color are exhibited in a single layer. Therefore, it is possible to provide natural metallic gloss without a strange texture feeling.