Patent ID: 8747255

Claim:
A golf ball comprising: a core comprising at least one layer; a cover disposed about the core, the cover comprising a single layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout, said cover layer having a cover inner surface, a cover outer surface, a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, said treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth D CTr , the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth D CUTr , said treated cover region being treated with and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition wherein the treated cover region comprises a hardness α and the untreated cover region is not treated with and does not comprise the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and has n regions of hardness wherein n≧1 and wherein at least one of the n regions of hardness has a hardness H 1 such that hardness α is greater than hardness H 1 , and wherein each of said n regions of hardness further comprise a depth D CUTn such that D CTr ≦(1/n)(D UT1 +D UT2 + . . . +D UTn ); and wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition further comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.