You've seen those small rubber bouncy-balls right? The ones we used to chuck around as kids? On a Golf course they could be devastating - the bounce would carry it far further than the average golf ball. It would take very little time and effort for a company to start buying these bouncy-balls in bulk, ensuring of course that they are the same size and weight as a golf ball, paint them the desired colour and sell them to golfers at half the price of normal golf balls.
-- Mr Phase, Jul 13 2005

perhaps not! http://www.southman...__and_survives.html
[po, Jul 13 2005]

straightdope's view http://www.straight...lassics/a5_168.html
[po, Jul 13 2005]

Modification: sell bouncy balls instead of, not as, golf balls, but also supply small pots of primary coloured paint, for to dip the bouncy balls into, for a high spatter colour effect on the course uniform white boiler suit.
-- calum, Jul 13 2005


// the bounce would carry it far further than the average golf ball//

You think? I'm not so sure. I think the flexibility of the bouncy ball would absorb a lot more impact from the drive, and probably wouldn't go as far.
-- waugsqueke, Jul 13 2005


Ever dismantled a golf ball? In the middle is something much like... a bouncy ball! I think the exterior shell is just to stop the rubber exploding. Welcome to the hb [Mr. Phase].
-- wagster, Jul 13 2005


If you drop a solid steel ball bearing and a superball on a steel surface, the ball bearing bounces higher.

Less compression, with more active decompression.

Also, don't forget the dimples in a golf ball are there for a reason.

But I've likely come up with worse ideas myself, and recently starting golfing (pitch and putter), so bun for you!
-- Giblet, Jul 13 2005


N.B. Shortly after posting this idea I actually played with one of these bouncy balls. waugsqueke is right in that the drives go nowhere near as far, but the bounce is still incredible and makes every shot an exiting lottery. Not for the serious golfer!
-- Mr Phase, Jul 13 2005


//exterior shell is just to stop the rubber exploding// don't they warn dog owners about (not) letting their dogs bite into golfballs for this reason?
-- po, Jul 13 2005


I don't know enough about golf to argue about the bouncing, but just the image "OH and Tiger Woods has lost out on that one, who could have predicted that it would bounce so randomly backwards into the pond?". [+] Welcome to the HalfBakery!
-- Germanicus, Jul 13 2005


Perhaps reshape golf balls so that they are a ruggeresque ovoid, for added randomosity.
-- calum, Jul 13 2005


The average golf ball is actually rather bouncy in itself. Try dropping one on a solid surface.

Welcome [Mr P].
-- hidden truths, Jul 14 2005


I think the most entertaining action to be obtained from the rubber golf ball would be those shots where you put a spin on the ball. Didn't anyone else but me drop one of these guys with a wicked spin on it just to make it bounce back and forth across a span of four feet or so? <Off topic: We sell a remote control golf ball. I haven't tried it out yet but there is oodles of potential here to drive golfers even crazier.>
-- Canuck, Jul 14 2005


I can't see a remote control golf ball working, surely there's not enough space inside to fit a suitable mechanism?
-- Mr Phase, Jan 02 2006


why not play indoors.... rebounding would be krazy!

safety helmets would be a must...
-- smiling assassin, Nov 19 2008


[-] The idea will definitely be attractive to golfers since the ball goes farther. This creates the problem that now the courses are too short because Joe Duffer can reach to the green in 2 on a par 5 or 1 on a par 4. Therefore golf courses will start being built with longer fairways to maintain the credibility of the game. That means golf courses will take up more space and replace things like playgrounds, tennis courts, schools, houses, farms and any other plot of sod that exists, because freakin' golfers always seem to get their freakin' golf courses on the best land because their freakin' rich. So take your freakin' Bouncy Golf Ball and bury it before someone takes you seriously. Descending soapbox.
-- theGem, Nov 19 2008


interestingly, the second phase development of golf balls in the 1800's was exactly thus. Perhaps more interestingly, the first phase golf ball from the 1600's was made of feathers.
-- williamsmatt, Nov 20 2008



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