Golf ball having reduced surface hardness

A golf ball comprising a core and at least one cover layer disposed about the core; the core comprising a geometric center and an outer surface, the core further comprising an untreated region extending radially from the geometric center a distance D UTr and a treated region disposed about the untreated region and extending inward from the outer surface a depth D Tr , said treated region having been exposed to and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition, the core further comprising an intermediate untreated region disposed about the untreated region and adjacent the treated region, the intermediate untreated region having a third hardness, wherein the first hardness is different than the second hardness and the third hardness, wherein the core comprises a first core layer extending radially from the geometric center and a second core layer disposed about the first core layer, and wherein the first core layer comprises the untreated region and the intermediate untreated region, and wherein the second core layer comprises the treated region. In another embodiment, the core comprises a first core layer extending radially from the geometric center, a second core layer disposed about the first core layer and a third core layer disposed about the second core layer, wherein the first core layer comprises the untreated region, the second core layer comprises the intermediate untreated region, and the third core layer comprises the treated region. The golf ball may alternatively comprise a core and a cover, the core comprising a geometric center and an outer surface, the outer surface comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition, the geometric center having a hardness (H g ) and the outer surface having an extrapolated hardness (H E ) and an actual hardness (H OS ) wherein H E is derived from a five point extrapolation within three quarters of an outer core diameter and H OS as measured on the curved surface of the core, and the cover has a hardness (H C ), wherein H C <H E >H g >H OS .