Many books has been written on the various aspects of golf, but this will be first that attributes the game` s popularity to the introduction of the solid gutta percha golf ball in 1848 and the American rubber cored ball in 1900.
This book starts by describing the game when it was played with a ball made from stuffed feathers (1448-1848). From 1848 golf underwent a substantial change with the invention of the one-piece solid golf ball made from a rubbery substance, gutta percha, which cost half the price of the feathery ball. This encouraged thousands of new players to take up the game and, by the 1890s, helped popularise the sport around the world. By the century` s end, the game was turned upside-down yet again with the invention of the rubber cored “Haskell Ball” in America. Although initially more expensive and less robust, it was easier to play with and was nicknamed the “Bounding Billy” because even a mishit shot propelled the ball for considerable distances.
The authors describe, in the light of these dramatic golf ball changes, how golf clubs evolved, the types of material used to make these often beautiful implements, and the people who made them. They explore the effects that the implements have had on both the development of the swing and the design of the golf course.
There are well-illustrated chapters on clubs and memorabilia, as well as shorter chapters on patents, designs and the origins of golf related sports.
Included at the back of the book are appendices of golf club and ball markers and golf artists.