Golf club head and manufacturing method for same

A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference state, comprises:

• a face portion;
• a rear portion opposite the face portion;
• a heel portion;
• a toe portion opposite the heel portion;
• a hosel portion;
• a sole portion;
• and
• a crown portion opposite the sole portion, the crown portion including:
• a plurality of reduced thickness regions spaced apart from each other thereby defining one or more thickened elongate regions therebetween, each thickened elongate region having an average thickness greater than the average thickness of the reduced thickness regions, the plurality of reduced thickness regions having, in a top plan view, a total projected surface area S1;
• and
• a transition region between each adjacent reduced thickness region and the one or more thickened elongate regions, the transition region having a width no less than 0.5 mm and no greater than 10.0 mm,
• wherein the crown portion and the hosel portion, in the top plan view, have a combined projected surface area S2 such that S1 is no more than 50% of S2, and
• wherein the crown portion is integrally formed with the reduced thickness regions by investment casting,
• wherein the plurality of reduced thickness regions includes at least three reduced thickness regions that are oriented in a fan-like pattern such that a width of each of the three reduced thickness region generally increases in a front to rear direction,
• wherein the crown portion includes a face to rear length H;
• an origin located rearwardly from the face portion by a distance not more than 25% of length H;
• and a peripheral portion, and
• wherein the at least three reduced thickness regions extend from the origin toward the peripheral portion of the crown portion, and are all arranged backward of the origin, such that a shortest distance between the at least three reduced thickness regions and the face portion is no less than said distance between the origin and the face portion.