Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Miles Corwin

Miles Corwin is a novelist and former crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

A selection of Spalding balls from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Dimple (second row, third ball), patented in 1905 and one of the first balls to be dotted with aerodynamic dimples.

Over 600 Years, the Golf Ball Has Evolved From a Primitive Wood Sphere to a Smart Ball With Cutting-Edge Sensors

Tracing the centuries of innovation that sent the golf ball on a wild ride through history