Golf ball having modified surface hardness

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover disposed about the core, said cover comprising a single cover layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout, said cover layer having a cover outer surface and a cover inner surface, the cover outer surface being treated with and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness α, and the cover inner surface not being treated with and not comprising the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness β, wherein the hardness α is greater than the hardness β, and

wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises a cation selected from the group comprising barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobolt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin and calcium.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition further comprises at least one of an antioxidant, a sulfur-bearing compound, zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a softening acrylate monomer or oligomer, a thermoplastic resin, or an hydroquinone.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material comprising ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methyl acrylate/acrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/n-butyl acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/isobutyl-acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, or blends thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer further comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyurea, a styrene block copolymer, a polyester amide, polyester-ester, polyamides, single-site catalyzed polymers, metallocene-catalyzed polymers, polyesters, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(propylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthenate), polystyrene polymers, poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, poly(styrene sulfonate), polyethylene styrene, grafted polypropylenes, grafted polyethylenes, polyvinyl chlorides; grafted polyvinyl chlorides; polyvinyl acetates having less than about 9% of vinyl acetate by weight, polycarbonates, blends of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, blends of polycarbonate and polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, polyethers, polyarylene ethers, polyphenylene oxides; block copolymers of alkenyl aromatics with vinyl aromatics and poly(amic ester)s, polyimides, polyetherketones, polyamideimides, or blends thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 1 , the cover layer further comprising a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, the treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth of about 1% or greater of a distance between the cover outer surface and the cover inner surface, and the untreated cover region being disposed about the cover inner surface and adjacent the treated cover region.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the treated cover region extends inward from the cover outer surface a depth D of from about 0.001 inches to about 0.149 inches and wherein the untreated cover region comprises a thickness of from about 0.149 inches to about 0.001 inches.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to at least one of: infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, gamma radiation.

11. A golf ball comprising:

a core comprising at least one layer;

a cover disposed about the core, the cover comprising a single cover layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout, said cover layer- having a cover inner surface and an cover outer surface, the cover layer further comprising a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, said treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a predetermined depth D cTr , the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a predetermined depth D CUTr , said treated cover region being treated with and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness α, the untreated cover region not comprising the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness β wherein the hardness α is greater than the hardness β, and

wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.

12. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material comprising ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methyl acrylate/acrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/n-butyl acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/isobutyl-acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, or blends thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the cover layer further comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyurea, a styrene block copolymer, a polyester amide, polyester-ester, polyamides, single-site catalyzed polymers, metallocene-catalyzed polymers, polyesters, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(propylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthenate), polystyrene polymers, poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, poly(styrene sulfonate), polyethylene styrene, grafted polypropylenes, grafted polyethylenes, polyvinyl chlorides; grafted polyvinyl chlorides; polyvinyl acetates having less than about 9% of vinyl acetate by weight, polycarbonates, blends of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, blends of polycarbonate and polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, polyethers, polyarylene ethers, polyphenylene oxides; block copolymers of alkenyl aromatics with vinyl aromatics and poly(amic ester)s, polyimides, polyetherketones, polyamideimides, or blends thereof.

14. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fatty acid/fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.

15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the at least one fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises a cation selected from the group comprising barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobolt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin and calcium.

16. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein D cTr comprises about 1% or greater of the distance between the cover outer surface and the cover inner surface.

17. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein D cTr is from about 0.001 inches to about 0.149 inches and D CUTr is from about 0.149 inches to about 0.001 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the at least one hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.

19. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to at least one of: infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, and gamma radiation.

20. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer disposed about the core, said cover layer being formed from one of a thermoset or thermoplastic material throughout and having a cover outer surface and a cover inner surface, the cover outer surface comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness α, the cover inner surface not comprising the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and having a hardness β, wherein the hardness α is greater than the hardness β , and

wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition further comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.

21. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.

22. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.

23. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, and/or gamma radiation.

24. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein hardness a is greater than hardness β by about 3 Shore C or greater.

25. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein hardness α is greater than hardness β by about 2 Shore D or greater.