DURABLE LARGE AND REGULATION WEIGHT GOLF BALL INCORPORATING FOAMED INTERMEDIATE LAYER
Large diameter golf balls having at least one foamed intermediate layer are provided.
1 . A golf ball having a weight of 1.620 oz. or less, an outer diameter of at least 1.700 inches, and a CoR of at least 0.700, comprising:
a core comprising a rubber composition and having a first specific gravity that is greater than 1.0 g/cc; and
an intermediate layer having an outer diameter of about 1.680 inches or greater and consisting of a foamed polyurethane composition and having a second specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition and having a third specific gravity that is greater than 1.0 g/cc; and
wherein the first specific gravity is less than the third specific gravity.
2 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core has a diameter of 1.580 inches or greater.
3 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the foamed polyurethane composition of the intermediate layer is a thermoset material.
4 . The golf ball of claim 3 , wherein the polyurethane composition of the cover layer is a thermoset material.
5 . The golf ball of claim 3 , wherein the polyurethane composition of the cover layer is a thermoplastic material.
6 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the foamed polyurethane composition of the intermediate layer is a thermoplastic material.
7 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (H outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL , being greater than the H inner surface of IL to provide a positive hardness gradient.
8 . The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the core has an outer surface hardness (R inner core surface ) and a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being greater than the H core center to provide a positive hardness gradient.
9 . The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the core has an outer surface hardness (H core surface ) and a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being equal to or less than the H core center to provide a zero to negative hardness gradient.
10 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (H outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL being equal to or less than the H inner surface of IL to provide a zero to negative hardness gradient.
11 . The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein H outer surface of IL is greater than 50 Shore D.
12 . The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein H outer surface of IL is 50 Shore D or less.
13 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the second specific gravity differs from each of the first specific gravity and the third specific gravity by from about 0.20 g/cc to about 0.30 g/cc.
14 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of about 1.69 inches or greater.
15 . A golf ball having a weight of 1.620 oz. or less, an outer diameter of at least 1.720 inches, and a CoR of at least 0.700, comprising:
an inner core layer comprising a rubber composition and having a first specific gravity that is less than 1.2 g/cc; and
an outer core layer comprising an unfoamed highly neutralized (HNP) composition and having a second specific gravity of less than 1.0 g/cc;
an intermediate layer having an outer diameter of 1.680 or greater and consisting of a foamed HNP composition and having a third specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
a cover layer comprising an ionomer composition and having a fourth specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc.
16 . The golf ball of claim 15 , wherein the inner core layer has a diameter of 0.500 inches or greater, the outer core layer has an outer diameter of 1.62 inches or less, and the cover layer has an outer diameter of 1.720 inches or greater.
17 . The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the first specific gravity and third specific gravity are substantially similar and less than the second specific gravity and fourth specific gravity.
18 . The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the second specific gravity and fourth specific gravity are substantially similar.
19 . The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the first specific gravity and third specific gravity differ by up to about 0.35 g/cc.
20 . The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (H outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL being greater than the H inner surface of IL to provide a positive hardness gradient.
21 . The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the outer core layer has an outer surface hardness (H core surface ) and the inner core layer has a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being greater than the H core center to provide a negative hardness gradient.
22 . The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the outer core layer has an outer surface hardness (H core surface ) and the inner core layer has a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being greater than the H core center to provide a positive hardness gradient.
23 . The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (H outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL being equal to or less than the H inner surface of IL to provide a zero to negative hardness gradient.
24 . The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein H outer surface of IL is greater than 50 Shore D.
25 . The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein H outer surface of IL is 50 Shore D or less.
26 . The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter that is greater than 1.68 inches.
27 . The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of 1.69 inches or greater.
28 . A golf ball having a weight of 1.620 oz. or less, an outer diameter of at least 1.750 inches, and a CoR of at least 0.700, comprising:
a core comprising a rubber composition and having a first specific gravity of greater than 1.0 g/cc; and
an intermediate layer having an outer diameter of 1.680 or greater and consisting of a foamed HNP composition and having a second specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc;
an inner cover layer comprising an ionomer composition and having a third specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
a cover layer comprising an ionomer composition and having a fourth specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc.
29 . The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the core layer has a diameter of 1.50 inches or less.
30 . The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the first specific gravity and fourth specific gravity differ by up to 0.10 and the second specific gravity and the third specific gravity differ by up to 0.35.
31 . The golf ball of claim 30 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (R outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL being greater than the H inner surface of IL to provide a positive hardness gradient.
32 . The golf ball of claim 31 , wherein the core has a surface hardness (H core surface ) and a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being greater than the H core center to provide a positive hardness gradient.
33 . The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter that is greater than 1.68 inches.
34 . The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of 1.69 inches or greater.
35 . A golf ball having a weight of 1.620 oz. or less, an outer diameter of at least 1.720 inches, and a CoR of at least 0.700, comprising:
a core comprising an HNP composition and having a first specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
an intermediate layer having an outer diameter of 1.680 or greater and consisting of a foamed HNP composition and having a second specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
a cover layer comprising an ionomer composition and having a third specific gravity that is less than 1.0 g/cc; and
36 . The golf ball of claim 35 , wherein the core has a diameter of 1.600 inches or greater; and the cover has an outer diameter of 1.720 inches or greater.
37 . The golf ball of claim 35 , wherein the first specific gravity and third specific gravity are substantially similar and greater than the second specific gravity.
38 . The golf ball of claim 36 , wherein the first specific gravity differs from each of the second specific gravity and the third specific gravity by up to about 0.35 g/cc.
39 . The golf ball of claim 38 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer surface hardness (H outer surface of IL ) and an inner surface hardness (H inner surface of IL ), the H outer surface of IL being greater than the H inner surface of IL to provide a positive hardness gradient.
40 . The golf ball of claim 39 , wherein the core has an outer surface hardness (H core surface ) and a center hardness (H core center ), the H core surface being greater than the H core center to provide a positive hardness gradient.
41 . The golf ball of claim 35 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter that is greater than 1.68 inches.
42 . The golf ball of claim 35 , wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of 1.69 inches or greater