vintage titleist golf balls

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By jharrison

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  1. Does anyone know where I can find out some information about vintage Titleist golf balls? I recently looked in an old golf bag and I found an icosahedron (324 dimples) Titleist Acushnet, and an icosahedron (324 dimples) Titleist Acushnet Pro-Traj. Is there a book that describes when these older Titleist golf balls were produced, or is there a web site where I can get additional information? Thanks.

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  2. wormburner

    wormburner
    hawaii

    Look under team titleist tab, under History/balls. They have some insight.

    Good luck
  3. Hi Jim,

    The Titleist Pro Trajectory featured a liquid-center wound construction and balata cover with an advanced aerodynamics package. It was first introduced in 1975. A year earlier, the Acushnet Golf Center (AGC) was introduced as the ultimate R&D indoor test lab. While Titleist Golf Ball R&D had routinely conducted extensive testing, including wind tunnel and player testing, prior to the creation of the AGC, this breakthrough in data collection and analysis – measuring ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, clubhead speed, swing path and angle of attack – provided greater insight into the swing, ball and club, facilitating product development and innovation.

    Hope this helps.
  4. Can you tell me about this golf ball. It has Titleist Professional 3 on the pole and on the seam it has Acushnet and on the other seam it has Geer Patent Cover.
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  5. greg p

    greg p
    Chicago 'burbs, IL

    Ah, how I miss smiling golf balls.
  6. J - I believe you have there one of the earliest Titleist golf balls made. This is an area of great interest to me. Here is what my research has taught me.

    In the late 1930s, there were two particular patents for producing golf balls - the Geer patent cover and the Cadwell patent. In either 1935 or 1937 (I have seen different dates cited), the Geer patent and Cadwell patent were merged. With the early Titleists, you will see markings of Geer Patent cover or Cadwell-Geer Patent Cover. So, logic would imply that the Geer Patent cover balls came before the merge, putting it pre 1935/1937.

    If anybody has any additional information on this, or has evidence of a Titleist that came before the Geer Patent cover, I would be most interested.

    It's my current understanding that the Geer Patent cover balls are the very earliest Titleists that were produced. With that in mind, you have a gem there sir! Looks VERY much like one that recently sold on eBay.
    Best wishes...
    Scott
  7. Scott,
    Thank you for your comments about this golf ball. This is all very interesting to me. Do you know whether or when Titleist obtained a license for the Geer patent which was granted in 1925? The Geer patent would expire 17 years after it was granted which would be in 1942. I had read that the Titleist name first appeared on golf balls in 1943. Also, can you explain what you mean when you say the Geer patent and the Cadwell patent were merged? The Cadwell patent was granted in 1934 and would expire in 1951. I did not know that patents could be merged. Is it possible that Cadwell Geer Cover meant that Titleist obtained a license for both patents after 1934?
  8. Hello, can you tell me if this is a Pro V1 prototype?
    I have never seen one like this.
    Thanks!
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  9. This ball is a solid core with polyurethane cover golf ball commercialized in or around 1995. It is disclosed in patent US 6,923,736, Tables 11, 12, and 13. I had never seen this ball before either. It is likely a prototype of the Pro V1 or Pro V1x.
  10. So I bought this ball at a little walk thru flea market today for 7 bucks and I just wanted it because I thought it would be cool to putt with..... but I really wanna know how old it is or just some info on it....
    Titleist 4, pro trajectory 90, etched x12 twice on it as well.....
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  11. The Titleist Pro Trajectory 90 golf ball was introduced in 1975. This ball has 324 dimples arranged in the original icosahedron dimple pattern where 8 dimples were removed for the Titleist name and number. Later this year my book 'Golf Ball Cover Story, What Every Golfer Should Know' which discusses Titleist golf ball dimple patterns, core and cover technology, and aerodynamics will be published. If you want additional information this book may be helpful.
  12. Hi, I have a dozen unopened vintage Titleist Acushnet golf balls. Would anyone know their value?
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  13. I do not have enough information to give you an idea of the value of these dozen golf balls. First of all I would need to know if all these golf balls are the same. Looking at the picture that you provided, I can see that some of the golf balls have the ATTI dimple pattern and other golf balls have the icosahedron dimple pattern. Next, I would need to see the name on the pole of the golf ball and the name on the seam of the golf ball. Then I could give you a better idea of the value.
  14. Thomas Y

    Thomas Y
    Wenham, MA

    jharrison said:

    I do not have enough information to give you an idea of the value of these dozen golf balls. First of all I would need to know if all these golf balls are the same. Looking at the picture that you provided, I can see that some of the golf balls have the ATTI dimple pattern and other golf balls have the icosahedron dimple pattern. Next, I would need to see the name on the pole of the golf ball and the name on the seam of the golf ball. Then I could give you a better idea of the value.

    First, good luck with your book! I don't recall the 324 icosahedron dimple pattern but will take you at your word that 4 dimples were omitted for the Titleist logo (it apparently looked better without being stamped over dimples) on each stamp position. I remember the 384 icos pattern had the same type of omitted dimples and that there was some discussion when Larry Nelson won the US Open. Apparently, aligning the ball so that the seam was on the intended line of flight provided some flight 'straightening' (like the Polara ball that had a comparable lack of dimples in specific areas). Larry Nelson said he wasn't even aware that there was a benefit to lining up the ball 'on seam', and then Titleist ended up restoring the removed dimples so that the ball would have symmetrical flight properties on multiple axes, a requirement of USGA ball conformance testing. Thus was born (or, more properly, recreated) the 392 icos dimple pattern.

    I seem to recall the original Pro V1 had a similar subtle flight characteristic. There was a member at a local country club who tried to align his ball for his weekend morning play, only to realize it was nearly impossible while in a 'hung over' state!

  15. Below is a list of Titleist Balls I have found over the years.

    Vintage Titleist

    • Club Special/Acuchnet
    • Acushnet/Pinnacle
    • Titleist Acushnet
    • Titleist Acushnet k
    • Titleist Acushnet DT
    • Titleist Acushnet DT RED
    • Titleist Acushnet Pro Traj.
    • Titleist Acushnet Pro Traj. 100
    • Finalist – Orange
    • Pro Trajectory 90
    • Durable Surlyn
    • Durable 90 (white, orange & yellow)
    • DT 384 100
    • DT 384 90
    • 384 LT 90
    • 384 TOUR 100
    • DT 80 (RED)
    • DT 90
    • DT 100
    • HVC 90
    • HVC 100
    • TOUR 100
    • TOUR BALATA 100
    • TOUR BALATA 90
    • TOUR PRESTIGE
    • 384 LADY (RED)
    • LADY TITLEIST DURABLE SURLYN (RED)


  16. Nate M

    Nate M
    West Michigan

    This is a cool thread. Old, too! I love the history of golf balls. It's quite fascinating
  17. Have a visit to my twitter page @BallsGolf. Lots of Titleist and many others on there, Steve

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