14/10/2026
See this in the front window of a charity shop, just love it a bit of history ❤️⛳️
This is a decorative wall plaque depicting "The History of the Golf Ball". These vintage resin/moulded display plaques (often manufactured in the UK by companies like History Craft) were very popular home/man-cave decor items in the late 20th century.
It shows replica models detailing how golf balls evolved over the centuries, moving from handcrafted natural materials to modern dimpled rubber balls.
Here is a breakdown of the six stages shown on the shield-shaped plaque:
The 6 Stages of Golf Ball History Shown
Featherie (c. 1840)
What it was: A leather pouch packed tightly with wet goose or chicken feathers. As the feathers dried, they expanded while the leather shrank, creating a rock-hard sphere.
Fun fact: These were completely handmade, expensive, and ruined if they got soaked in the rain.
Hammered Gutta (c. 1860)
What it was: Made from gutta-percha (dried tree sap from Malaya). Early smooth balls didn't fly straight, but golfers noticed that once a ball got scuffed and nicked, it flew much farther! Makers began hand-hammering cross-hatch grooves into them to improve aerodynamics.
Machined Gutta (c. 1890)
What it was: Mold-produced gutta-percha balls with uniform patterns (like grid or square grooves). Mass production lowered costs, bringing golf to the middle class.
Bramble (c. 1905)
What it was: Features raised bumps all over the surface, resembling a blackberry or raspberry (hence "bramble").
Note: The red ball on the far left of your display is painted red—traditionally used for winter golf in the snow!
!
Haskell - Mesh (c. 1910)
What it was: Invented by Coburn Haskell, this was a game-changer using a solid rubber core wrapped tightly in thousands of yards of rubber thread, encased in a hard shell. The surface used an inverted mesh pattern. It added around 20 yards to drives.
Haskell (c. 1930)
What it was: The transition into the early recessed dimple pattern. Engineers realized indented dimples created better lift and reduced air drag far better than raised bumps.
