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. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface textures that are different.

The present invention is directed to golf balls having a diameter of greater than 1.68 inches and including at least one layer formed from an HNP composition.

A golf ball includes a core and a cover. The cover has a shore D hardness of not less than 50. The cover has a thickness of not less than 1.00 mm. The golf ball has a plurality of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. A standard deviation Su of areas of all the dimples 10 is not greater than 1.7 mm.sup.2. A standard deviation Pd of distances L between dimples of all neighboring dimple pairs is less than 0.500 mm. A dimple pattern of each hemisphere of a phantom sphere of the golf ball includes three units (T1, T2, T3) that are rotationally symmetrical to each other. A dimple pattern of the unit T1 includes two small units (T1a, T1b) that are mirror-symmetrical to each other.

A golf ball 2 includes a main body 4 and a paint layer 6 positioned outside the main body 4. The main body 4 includes a spherical core 8, a mid layer 10 positioned outside the core 8, and a cover 12 positioned outside the mid layer 10. An outer surface of the paint layer 6 forms a surface of the golf ball 2. A contact angle CAw with respect to water measured on the surface of the golf ball 2 is not less than 70 degrees. The paint layer 6 is preferably formed from a resin composition. A preferable resin composition includes a polyurethane as a base resin and includes a silicone compound and/or a fluorine compound. Another preferable resin composition includes a silicone compound and/or a fluorine compound as a base resin and includes no polyurethane.

Golf balls having covers made of thermoplastic polyurethane compositions are provided. Multi-piece golf balls can be made. Polyurethane primer coatings and polyurethane top-coatings are applied to the thermoplastic polyurethane cover. Isocyanate-rich and polyol-rich polyurethane coatings can be applied. In one embodiment, multi-functional imine and amine compounds can be used to treat the golf ball. The resulting coating may contain polyurethanes, polyureas, and hybrids, copolymers, and blends thereof. The cover composition and surface coatings can further include catalysts, ultraviolet (UV)-light stabilizers, and other additives. Heat is used to cure the coatings. The coating methods have many benefits and the finished balls have good physical properties.

Multi-piece golf balls containing a multi-layered core structure are provided. The core structure includes a small, heavy inner core (center) having a relatively high specific gravity, an intermediate core layer, and a surrounding outer core layer. The layers of the core structure may have different hardness gradients. In one preferred embodiment, each core layer has a positive hardness gradient. The center of the core comprises a metal material such as copper, steel, brass, tungsten, titanium, aluminum, and alloys thereof. The intermediate core layer is preferably formed from a thermoset composition such as polybutadiene rubber, and the outer core layer is preferably formed from a thermoplastic composition such as an ethylene acid copolymer. The resulting ball has high resiliency and good spin control.

A golf ball includes a plurality of dimples on the surface thereof and satisfies the following expression (1):
PS.sub.7/S/H1006.25 (mm.sup.1)(1),
wherein H is a deformation amount, which is expressed by a compressive deformation amount of the golf ball; S is a virtual plane area, which is a surface area of the golf ball determined supposing that no dimple exists on the surface of the golf ball; and PS.sub.7 is a pressurized area, which is an area of the golf ball contacting a plane when a load of 6864 N is applied to the golf ball. The bottom of the dimple includes a center protruding portion with a curved shape protruding toward an outside of the golf ball.

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.

To provide a golf ball that can prevent considerable decrease in carry distance of a driver shot when it rains and also can more reliably prevent adhesion of dirt, etc. to the surface of the golf ball. The golf ball of the present invention includes a core, a cover that is provided on an outer side of the core and has dimples, and an outermost layer that is formed on an outer side of the cover and made of a material having a contact angle of 90 or more and a dynamic contact angle of 85 or less. The golf ball may have a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.48 or less. The cover may be formed of a material having hardness of 48 or more in terms of Shore D Hardness. The outermost layer may be formed of a urethane coating containing a water repellent additive, as a main component.

To provide a golf ball that can prevent a decrease in carry distance of a driver shot when it rains and also, can exert excellent spinning performance upon an approach shot. The golf ball of the present invention includes a core, a cover that is provided on an outer side of the core and has dimples, and an outermost layer that is formed on an outer side of the cover and made of a material having a contact angle of 90 or more, the golf ball having a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.52 or more. The cover may be formed of thermoplastic polyurethane having hardness of 55 or more in terms of Shore D Hardness. The outermost layer may be formed of a urethane coating containing a water repellent additive, as a main component.