Golf ball mold and golf ball manufacturing method

A mold for molding golf balls, comprising a mold body configured as a plurality of mold parts which have at least a parting surface defining a parting line along a golf ball equator and removably mate to form a cavity having an inner wall with a plurality of dimple-forming protrusions thereon, and a support pin which is extendable into and retractable from the cavity, the support pin extending into the cavity to support a center sphere and an end face of the support pin defining a portion of the cavity inner wall when the support pin is in a retracted state,

• wherein the support pin comprises a pin body which extends into the cavity to support the center sphere and has an end face that defines a portion of the cavity inner wall when the support pin is in a retracted state, and a guide body which is of larger cross-section than the pin body and has an end face from which the pin body projects;
• the mold body has formed therein a pin insertion hole comprising a pin insertion portion into which the pin body fits and a guide portion into which the guide body fits;
• and
• the guide body and the guide portion have a gap therebetween and the pin body and the pin insertion portion have a gap therebetween, such that the gap between the guide body and the guide portion is smaller than the gap between the pin body and the pin insertion portion.