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In the physical world of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics, surface structurestructure of the surface is a critical design consideration. There are several historical events that have contributed the design and make-up of the golf ball. Eventually, after hundreds of years, the optimum design and make up of the golf ball has been achieved, based on scientific understanding . The humble golf ball is a good example of the evolution of the history of aeronautical engineering.

When the game of golf was first played on the eastern coast of Scotland, most players used hand-made equipment in order to play the game of golf which was a more varied game than it is today. At that time, the first golf clubs and golf balls are made of wood.

feather golf ball was used for the first time and gained popularity. This version of the golf ball was commonly known as the "Featherie". This feather golf ball was a handcraftedhand made golf ball made with goose feathers securely pressed into a horse or cowhide outer casing. The whole process was carried out while the ball was still wet. As the ball dried out, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded to create a hardened golf ball.

Because these types of golf balls were hand made, they usually cost more than the golf clubs. As a result, only only people with money had the money to play the game of golf during this early period.

After the 'Featherie' the next type of ball , to gain in popularity was the Guttie golf ball. This ancient form of golf ball was made from the rubber like sap from the Gutta Percha tree which comes from the tropics. These Guttie balls could be simply formed into a sphere when hot. When they became cooler, they kept their shape and could then be used as a golf ball. With its rubber nature, Guttie balls could be manufactured at a low cost and could be easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

In a comparison between the two earliest forms of golf balls, the feather golf ball was said to travel a longer distance than than the rubber Guttie. The reason for this difference was eventually identified as being due to the difference in surfaces. The smooth surface of the Guttie reduces the ability of the golf ball to cover more distance.

With this new scientific analysis, the manufacturers of golf balls eventually came up with balls with the "dimples" that are found on modern golf balls in use today.

Dimples are crafted onto golf balls so as to reduce the aerodynamic drag, which acts on the ball and is higher if the surface were totally smooth. This is because smooth balls, when flying through the air, create a large pocket of low-pressure air in its wake so creating drag. The drag acts as a brake and the ball reduces in speed.

But in contrast, by placing dimples on golf balls, the pressure differential gets lowered and the drag is made less. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball. This, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. consequently, the air flows in to the wake created by the ball instead of travelling past it. This results in a smaller wake and less drag. Consequently the ball travels a longer distance.

Dimples also assist players to put backspin on a shot so making the golf ball break off on the putting green.

The idea of placing dimples on golf balls can be traced back to the Gutta Percha phase of development. It was Coburn Haskell who created the one-piece rubber cored ball encased in a Gutta Percha cover. It was during this time that players first noticed how their shots became more and more predictable the longer that they used the same ball. They noticed that the rougher the balls became the more precisely and further they could hit it.

When William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell ball in 1905, golf balls finally took on their current form. So the dimples were born. From then on, dimpled golf balls were officially part of every golf competition. In 1921, the dimpled golf balls took on a standard size and weight.

Today, there is a large choice of golf balls suitable for different golf games and conditions. Some golf balls offer greater control, while some others offer greater length. However else these golf balls vary, they all have one fearure in common and that is the dimple. Golf balls are not just pieces of golf equipment; they are a paradigm of a physics concept!

Roger Titley is a successful webmaster who manages http://www.newgolfputter.com which is dedicated to all aspects of golf