A golf ball includes a core and a three-layer cover disposed adjacent the core. The three-layer cover includes an inner cover, an intermediate cover, and an outer cover. The inner cover includes a non-ionomeric E/Y copolymer where E is an olefin and Y is a carboxylic acid. The inner cover has a hardness of about 45 to 68 Shore D. The outer cover includes a castable thermoset polyurethane and has a hardness of about 40 to 62 Shore D. The intermediate cover layer, disposed between the inner and outer cover layers, is formed from a polyamide composition, where the polyamide composition includes a transparent polyamide having a light transmission of about 50% or greater.

Multi-layered golf balls having at least one layer made of a foamed silicone composition are provided. Multi-layered golf balls having at least one layer made of non-foamed silicone elastomer composition also are provided. For example, three-piece, four-piece, and five-piece golf balls containing different core and cover structures can be made. The foamed silicones have good thermal stability and durability without sacrificing resiliency. The non-foamed silicone elastomers have high elongation, tensile strength, chemical/fluid-resistance, and weatherability properties. These compositions can be used to form any layer, for example, core, intermediate, or cover, in the golf ball.

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 preferably comprises 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 %. The optical brighteners provide the desired brightness to the golf ball without sacrificing color stability. 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.

Provided are a golf ball which has a surface that sparkles when exposed to ultraviolet rays even if a naturally derived substance is used as a fluorescent material, and it is environmentally and human friendly, and a resin composition for a cover or a topcoat therefor. A resin composition for a cover or a topcoat of a golf ball of the present invention includes: a resin for a cover or a topcoat; and a plant-derived or alga-derived extract which emits light using an absorbed light as an energy source, as a fluorescent material. In the golf ball of the present invention, the cover or the topcoat is formed by using such a resin composition.

Golf balls including one or more layers having at least one radar detectable mark disposed on the surface thereof are provided.

Compositions including a hardness agent and a water releasing agent and golf ball cores made from such compositions having a tailored hardness gradient are disclosed. The type and concentration of the components in the composition, including a hardness agent and a water releasing agent, affect the hardness, hardness gradient, and compression of cores made from the composition and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having desirable performance characteristics.

In a golf ball for professional golfers and skilled amateurs which has a single-layer core, a cover and at least one intermediate layer therebetween, the core is molded from a rubber composition that includes a base rubber, an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or metal salt thereof, an organic peroxide and, in a specific weight ratio, water and sulfur, and has a hardness profile which satisfies certain specific conditions. The ball achieves an excellent distance on full shots with a driver (W #1) and a middle iron, and is designed for high controllability in the short game.

A golf ball having a North pole and a South pole, an equator and a primary meridian, the equator and primary meridian divide the ball into North, South, East and West hemispheres, and Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest quadrants. A grid pattern projected on the ball surface divides the ball laterally and longitudinally into a number of overlapping zones. The dimples within the zones have average depths hex, hsx, hpx, hei, hsi and hpi and selected values of Δe, Δs and Δp which are the difference between the minimum and maximum values of the relative ratios of the dimple depths, hex.sub.r/hei.sub.r, hsx.sub.r/hsi.sub.r and hpx.sub.r/hpi.sub.r determined when the ball is rotated by a value of θ from 0 to 360° about its polar axis.

A golf ball which, when orientated in the cross seam direction, has an equator at latitude 0°, and poles at latitude 90° and longitude 0°, an equator region Ex at latitudes 0 to 25°, a region Ei at longitudes 0 to 25°, a shoulder region Sx at latitudes from more than 25° to less than 65°, a region Si at longitudes from more than 25° to less than 65°, a pole region Px at latitudes 65° to 90°, and a region Pi at longitudes 650 to 90°. The ball dimple pattern has the following average dimple depths, hex in the region Ex, hsx in the region Sx, hpx in the region Px, hei in the region Ei, hsi in the region Si and hpi in the region Pi; and the ratios hex/hei, hsx/hsi and hpx/hpi are each greater than or equal to about 0.75 and less than or equal to about 1.20.

In a golf ball comprising a core, a cover layer, an intermediate layer between the core and the cover layer, the cover layer is formed of a resin material composed primarily of polyurethane or polyurea, a sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer (intermediate layer-encased sphere) has a lightness (Li value) in the L*a*b* color space of at least 25 on its surface, and the cover layer 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.