So Why Are There Dimples on a Golf Ball

February 22, 2008

Hi there Golf Virgin, interesting site you have going here. I’ve read through the other questions but since that last post you have me wondering why are there dimples on a golf ball? - Cory in Denver, CO

Ahhh… finally, is satisfaction within your reach? You see, long, long ago two very drunk Scots where out playing a long drawn out game of golf, the least sober of the two noticed that his dirty, chipped and scrubby ball was actually traveling a bit further than his more lucid counterparts smooth, well shaped ball - even though his buddy seemingly had more control of over his swing.

So this particular Scot thought perhaps it was just his mind teasing him and that the reason why he was hitting the ball farther was because he was piss drunk and didn’t realize how hard he was smacking it. A few days passed and he and his buddy were out playing again. He decided to make a test and pulled out that dirty, old scuffed up ball from his last game and compared it to a bright and shiny, baby-bald new one. Lo and behold, no matter how many times and on how many different holes he tried… the dirty ball always shot farther. So really, why are there dimples on a golf ball?

The simple reason being is that as time progressed more and more people began to realize that having little dents, which later became uniform dimples, helped air flow around the ball better while reducing drag and this ultimately allowed a golfer to shoot farther and with more accuracy. Just sit here and think, you can play a better game of golf all because some old Scot got drunk and decided to play with his dirty balls… crazy isn’t it?

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