You may think golf course grass is the same everywhere … but you would be wrong. Some greens are known for being dry while others have a rep for being wet, and a new type of golf ball coating could make for better golfing on both.
On greens where the grass tends to be dry, the ball rolls across that grass quickly, as there isn't much water causing it to stick. And while some speed is good, too much makes the ball difficult to control, particularly when attempting to execute short, precise putts.
That said, on greens where the grass has a tendency to be wetter, the ball sticks to that grass. And again, while some traction can be helpful, too much of it is not a good thing – it's like trying to golf on glue.
That's where the experimental new golf ball coating is intended to come in.
Currently being developed by Thomas J. Kennedy III and colleagues at Massachusetts-based company Chemical Innovative Solutions Inc., it's made up of hydrophilic (water-attracting) materials such as amorphous silica, clay, and a fast-exfoliating polyacrylic acid polymer.
It also contains porous materials known as molecular sieves, which are specially tuned to only absorb water-sized molecules. Importantly, the coating is claimed to not affect the ball's aerodynamic performance as it's flying through the air.
When the ball is rolling across dry grass, however, the coating draws in whatever water is present, thus causing the ball to stick and thus move slower. But if the grass is wet, the coating initially causes the ball's surface to become saturated, keeping it from subsequently sticking.
In tests that involved rolling coated and uncoated golf balls across both wet and dry golf greens at known velocities, it was found that the coated balls rolled at more consistent speeds … on both types of grass.
Based on these findings, it is estimated that use of the coated balls could allow average golfers to finish 18 holes on par, and allow professional golfers to finish with fewer strokes. Of course, this brings up one big question: would the balls be legal for professional use?
"The United States Golf Association (USGA) has set standards for golf balls: There’s a size limit, a weight limit, a symmetry constraint and there’s even a standard for overall distance traveled," says Kennedy. "But within that box, there’s a lot of latitude to do different things that change the playability of golf balls while staying within the confines of the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews rules."
Kennedy is presenting his team's findings this week at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, in San Diego.
Source: American Chemical Society
