by Kassandra Garcia

Created on: January 31, 2009

Golf balls used in the PGA have regulations as with all other aspects of the game. Regulations are determined by the R&A, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and the USGA, United States Golf Association. A regulation golf ball will have 336.72372 dimples on it. The dimensions of the ball are as followed: 1) must be larger than 1.680 inches, 2) velocity is not to exceed 250 feet per second (pre tested by manufacture), and 3) ball may weigh no more than 1.620 ounces.

However, golf balls come with 250 to 500 dimples on them, normally. The difference is all in the manufacturers design of the ball. And what it is that they are trying to achieve with that specific ball.
The next question is always "why do the balls have dimples?" It has everything to do with aerodynamics and the effects of drag on a sphere. There are a few things that you have to take into account. First being the friction that happens when a golf ball is hit and flies through the air. When the air hits the ball it causes the friction. The other thing to consider is the drag due to air separation. That is causes when the ball goes through the air and basically parts the air stream. The air rather than coming back together once the ball has passed it creates a gap. A dimpled ball goes further than a smooth ball because the boundary layer of air separates later with the dimples. When there is early separation of the boundary layer we notice a wake in the air behind the ball, which is the main cause of drag.
Golf balls that are officially sanctioned are symmetrical, as much as possible. Although, golf ball dimples are usually round, Callaway, a major golf product manufacturer, created a golf ball with hexagonal dimples. This was a concept to increase the dimpled surface of the balls. The dimples on regular golf balls can be different sizes, configurations, depths and shapes.
Dimples on a golf ball increase lift and reduces air pressure. Both of these factors cause the distance to increase when a ball is hit. Depth of the dimples plays a large role in the distance as well. There are different depths for different distances and lifts.
Over all, golf balls have dimples to increase their distance. The core of the ball also makes a difference in the way it flies through the air. The more compact or hard the core is the further it goes. Golf has a lot of scientific factors that affect every aspect, from the balls to the clubs.

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