Highly-neutralized thermoplastic copolymer center for improved multi-layer core golf ball

1. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a highly-neutralized thermoplastic copolymer of ethylene and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, the acid being 100% neutralized by a salt of an organic acid and a cation source;

a cover; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the center and the cover;

wherein the golf ball has a first coefficient of restitution of 0.81 or greater when measured at an incoming velocity of 125 ft/s and a second coefficient of restitution of 0.76 or greater when measured at an incoming velocity of 160 ft/s; and a sphere resulting from a combination of the center and the intermediate layer has a compression of 60 or greater; and

wherein the center has a diameter of from 0.80 inches to 1.40 inches and a compression of 30 or less, and the intermediate layer has flexural modulus of 50,000 psi to 70,000 psi and a thickness of 0.110 inches to 0.180 inches, and the cover comprises thermoset polyurea or hybrid thereof having a hardness of from 45 Shore D to 60 Shore D and a thickness from 0.020 inches to 0.040 inches.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cation source is selected from a group consisting of metal cations of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, lead, tin, zinc, and aluminum.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises an organic acid selected from the group consisting of aliphatic organic acids, aromatic organic acids, saturated mono- or multi-functional organic acids, unsaturated mono- or multi-functional organic acids, and multi-unsaturated mono- or multi-functional organic acids.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises stearic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, oleic acid, linoelic acid or dimerized derivatives thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the salt of an organic acid comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobalt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin, and calcium.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the golf ball further comprises an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic polymer comprising ionomeric copolymers and terpolymers, ionomer precursors, grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, high-crystalline acid polymers and their ionomers, or cationic ionomers.

7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover is injection molded, cast, reaction injection molded, or compression molded over the core.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer, at least one which comprises a polyurethane material, a polyurea material, a polyurethane-urea hybrid material, or a polyurea-urethane hybrid material.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the center and the intermediate layer has compression is 80 or greater.