History of golf part four the first heroes golf channel. It is a polymer of isoprene which forms a rubberlike elastomer. Gutties, or gutta percha golf balls, were invented in 1848. Inside is a small history of gutta percha golf balls. The gutta percha ball or guttie was introduced in 1848. A golf ball is a special ball designed to be used in the game of golf.
Harris, john 2007 dunbar golf the story of the links at hedderwick and broxmouth printed by kelso graphics. About 20 years later, the gutta percha ball became the ball of choice. Thats why used golf balls can be pulled from ponds and still perform like new. Around 1848, balls began to be made of gutta percha, a packing material made from the sap of a malaysian tree. Full text of dizionario etimologico del dialetto calabrese. Describes golf balls used by phil mickelson, jim furyk and ernie els. The evolution of golf ball the history and origins of golf. It is hard and nonbrittle, and becomes soft and impressible at the temperature of boiling water. Many books have been written on the various aspects of golf, but this is the first that attributes the games popularity to the introduction of the solid gutta percha gof ball in 1848 and the american rubbercored ball in 1900. From a wooden ball in the 14th century to the modern rubber core balls, discover the history behind the golf ball. It was the major product used for golf ball manufacture from around 1848.
Gutty gutta percha golf ball, unused and with 95% original red paint remaining if you are interested in obtaining the essential guide book to collecting golf balls. Paterson sometimes spelled patterson invented the guttapercha ball or guttie, gutty. The ball makers placed strips of gutta percha dried sap from a sapodilla tree in boiling water then molded the ball by. Gutta percha balls were first painted white in an attempt to hide the darkcolored gutta sap. Gutta percha is a hard, resilient, easily molded substance derived from the sap of several malaysian trees of the family sapotaceae sapodilla tree, of which golf balls and the cover of golf balls were made until the beginning of the 20th century. Players started to give a good slash at the ball with less focus on the direction and control. Ben wilson received his mphil in history from cambridge university. A golf ball is a special ball designed to be used in the game of golf under the rules of golf, a golf ball has a mass no more than 1. Guttapercha is the evaporated milky latex produced from a tree most commonly found in malaysia. They were made from the rubberlike sap of the gutta percha tree, and gutty or guttie golf balls could be made from molds, made much faster and much cheaper than featheries. The first type of ball was used long enough before the mid19th century, for nearly 400 years. Sign up to receive news about our product line, special offers and where you can find us at upcoming hickory golf events.
It gives all golfers a sense of the enormous depth and tradition of our sport. Historians disagree over the origins of golf, giving credit for its invention to everyone from the romans and dutch to the french and chinese. The gutty golf ball was created from the dried sap of the sapodilla tree. The story of the gutta percha golf ball partick press.
Fluid mechanics applicationsa07 dimples on golf ball. The modern game of golf originated in 15th century scotland meaning there are centuries worth of antiques related to it out there. Hotchkiss, john 1997 500 years of golf balls history and collectors guide antique trader books. The newly formed gutta percha company was established in 1845.
The history of the golf ball in the beginning there was the rock. Before 1850, golf balls were made from leather with the interior stuffed with feathers. After the invention of gutties, featheries faded from golf very quickly. As they suffered from wear and tear, the balls began to fly with more control. Gutta percha golf balls 1848 to 1898 antique golf balls feathery antique golf balls gutta percha antique golf balls bramble antique golf balls square mesh antique golf balls dimples antique golf balls unusual ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping. Notable ballmakers of the 1600s were andrew dickson, leith and henry mills, st andrews. Golf history makes for wonderful and fascinating reading. The science and the art, the price of a single feathery ball from a reputable maker could. The arrival of the gutta percha ball or gutty, as it was called. This is one of the most basic of golf collecting categories along with golf clubs, autographs, and books. The introduction of the gutta percha ball or guttie in 1848 by rev. Gutta percha golf ball displayplease see all photos below this is a really cool wooden shadow box frame display of the history of golf balls.
Gutta percha is the evaporated milky latex produced from a tree most commonly found in malaysia. Made from gutta percha, the sap of malaysian trees, it was harder than the feather ball, more durable and much cheaper. Thats probably because everyone enjoyed hitting things with sticks. History of early wooden, hairy, feathery or featherie, gutty and haskell golf balls. Under the r ules of golf, a g olf ball has a mass no more than 1. Robert adams patterson from guttapercha packing material. A couple of miles from the greenbrier in white sulphur springs, w. Ninehole golf, gutta percha balls, sand tees, dress code. The modern golf ball has undergone a few transformations to get to where it is today. Robert adams patterson from gutta percha packing material. The first gutta ball is believed to have been made in 1848 by the rev. Gutta percha is a rubberlike material that comes from the dried sap of sapodilla trees of east asia.
Includes detailed technical terms and glossary for material science and ball construction as well as performance and testing parameters. Collectible golf balls featuring gutta percha, mesh, and bramble antique golf balls. James patterson of dundee who whilst on missionary work in malaysia discovered the gutty percha which is a rubber like material that comes from the dried sap of sapodilla trees of east asia james sent a statue back to scotland, which he used the gutta percha as protective packaging for. The romans had a small, leather stitched handball filled with hair, called the harpastum, though there is no known. However, they would split friendships before too long over a dispute about golf balls. Since the invention of more affordable and softer gutta percha golf ball in the 1860s, losing a golf ball was no longer a fiscal tragedy. A full size gutta persha ball, an illustration of historic muirfield golf links in edinburgh, scotland which was founded in 1744.
The second and the third types were used in the last 150 years of the evolution of golf. Includes a brief history of the golf ball from wooden balls to gutta percha. As the industrial revolution progressed in great britainand due to the fragility and high cost of the feather ball, it was inevitable that someone would develop alternative methods for making golf balls. The guttie cost much less to make than the featherie. In the first four hundred years of golf there were only four types of golf ball. The origins of the golf ball can be traced to five distinct stages of evolution. The early balls were completely smooth and flew erratically. Without this, technological progress in the 19th century. He is the author of five critically acclaimed books. Guttapercha refers both to trees of the genus palaquium in the family sapotaceae and the rigid, naturally biologically inert, resilient, electrically nonconductive, thermoplastic latex produced from the sap of these trees, particularly from palaquium gutta. The use of wooden balls in golf in scotland is an assumption, but without any definite evidence. Circa 1860 smooth gutta percha gutty golf ball youtube. It was the major product used for golf ball manufacture from around 1848 well into the 1900s.
The balls were originally smooth, but it was soon discovered that they flew further when marked or nicked. Gutta percha remained the prime material for submarine cable insulation for over 80 years. The park the park gutta percha hardened sap of the malaysian sopadilla tree ball traces its history to 1848 when a st. Make offer 24 sleeves of various vintage golf balls, 72 golf balls total extremely rare. From 1848, golf balls made of guttapercha gum, called gutties began to. Local pickup is available here in halifax, nova scotia. The changing story of the ball s manufacture falls broadly into welldefined phases, beginning with the feathery, which was used for centuries until it was superseded by gutta percha. A new type of golf ball came into use around 1848 which revolutionised golf s popularity and playing equipment. The term is erroneously used for caoutchouc bookbinding as gutta percha was tried and found to be unsuitable. How the ball is hit and directed is the essence of golf. Gutta percha proved to be an ideal insulator for submarine cables, and as a further benefit for cable use it was found that gutta percha s insulating properties improved under the pressure and temperature conditions of the ocean bed.
Take a quick glance at the highlights of historical tidbits we have put together for your enjoyment. In the mid1800s, someone invented the gutta percha ball, or guttie. How feathery golf balls were made and how far they went. The story of gutta percha, the humble tropical tree sap. In the late 1840s the first gutta percha golf balls went into production. This ball was made from the rubbery sap of a tropical tree, which could be formed into a sphere when heated. Here is a look at the history of golf balls and how they have evolved over. In the history of the development of golf, there were 3 types of balls.
Gutties, or guttapercha golf balls, were invented in 1848. The new ball flew farther than the feathery and was. How to identify an antique golf ball justcollecting. The answer most emphatically is the golf ball, as the rules of thistle golf club history makes clear. Mythical origins of the golf ball and the game of golf the first golf ball in history was known as a featherie. At the time, golf balls were made of leather and stuffed with boiled goose feathers and the skill required to sew the materials together made them almost prohibitively expensive. Robert adams began creating golf balls out of gutta percha gutty. After completely the molding process, we hand paint the ball 46 times, then.
A detailed study covering golfing art and memorabilia, patents, designs, the origins of the game and related sports. These balls were called as gutta percha balls as they were made from sap of gutta percha tree. These balls were designed in shape of perfect sphere on the basis that smooth ball will go farther and would. Rubberwas too soft for golf balls so a material called gutta percha similar to rubber, but harder and less elastic. The process is very nearly the same as the 1899 golf ball mold he is using. For these reasons the featherie was replaced by the gutta percha ball from 1848. Of note, the story on this rare ball, is that there have been 4 owners, the first 3 owners each has scratched their initials into the ball. Andrews student, robert paterson, melted discarded gutta from his worn shoe bottoms and rolled it into a golf ball. A golf ba ll is a spec ial b all designed to be used in the ga me of golf. The evolution of the golf ball professional golfers.
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