Golf balls are as much part of the game as the clubs. A good ball can give you a few extra yards on your drive or better control on your approach shots. But the original golf balls were very different from the modern marvels. The first balls Scotland is very much the home of golf, and while many people assume golf here started with both wooden sticks and balls, there’s actually no solid evidence of wooden balls ever being used. Wooden balls were being used on the continent as far back as the 1550s, but there’s little indication they were on the courses in Scotland. In fact, some claim that the use of wooden balls in Europe was not actually ‘golf’ in the strictest speaking terms, but instead was another target game. Things get hairy The first ‘real’ golf balls are the ‘hairy’ golf balls – or ‘hairies’. The first examples of this type of ball being manufactured in Scotland dates back to 1554, although the originals were made in Holland. This ball had much better handling properties than the wooden ones, though it might have been used exclusively on the ice-bound version of the game. They were made with using three pieces of leather stitched together and then turned inside out. A small gap was left. Into this gap the filling was stuffed – usually cow hair or straw. This style of ball was hugely popular and was still being used as late as the 18th century. The main downfall was their price. Records show they cost £3 per ball in the early 17th Century – a considerable sum. In 1618, a royal patent was granted to James Melville and William Berwick. This was so the balls could be made locally to help combat the prices of expensive imports. Sadly, this licence didn’t last long. |
![]() PA.1997300: A rare feather golf ball dating from 1790. David Cheskin/PA Archive. |
Feather light |
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Birth of the modern ball |

History of golf balls
The history of golf can be told through the development of golf balls. We take a look at how they’ve grown and changed over the centuries…
9 Mar 2017
2 minute read
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