Apparatus and method for making a golf ball

A method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of:

• providing a molding assembly including a mold defining a molding cavity adapted to receive a golf ball core and a material flow channel providing fluid communication between the molding cavity and a source of flowable molding material, the material flow channel having at least one turbulence-promoting fan gate;
• obtaining a golf ball core;
• positioning the core within the molding cavity;
• introducing an effective amount of the flowable molding material through the material flow channel and into the molding cavity thereby causing the flowable molding material to pass through the turbulence-promoting fan gate;
• and
• forming a layer of the molding material about the core.

A golf ball comprising:

• a core;
• at least one layer surrounding the core, the layer having been formed from a reaction injected molded material;
• and
• the layer having a thickness of about 0.015 inches to about 0.050 inches.

A mold for making a golf ball comprising:

• a mold body defining a material flow channel;
• the material flow channel having at least one turbulence-promoting portion;
• the turbulence-promoting portion extending for at least 10% of the total length of the material flow channel;
• the turbulence-promoting portion having at least one branching intersection and at least one converging portion;
• and
• the branching intersection extending in at least two diverging directions, each diverging direction having a wall forcing a material to flow in a transverse manner to be received by one of the converging portions.