Patent ID: 7918749

Claim:
A multi-piece solid golf ball comprising a core, an envelope layer encasing the core, an intermediate layer encasing the envelope layer, and a cover which encases the intermediate layer and has formed on a surface thereof a plurality of dimples, wherein the core is made primarily of a rubber material and the envelope layer and intermediate layer are each made primarily of the same or different resin materials and the cover is made primarily of polyurethane; the material hardness of the cover is softer than the material hardness of the intermediate layer by the hardness difference of at least 1 but less than 40 in Durometer D hardness units; the envelope layer, intermediate layer and cover have thicknesses which satisfy the relationship cover thickness<intermediate layer thickness≦envelope layer thickness; and the core, envelope layer, intermediate layer and cover have hardness relationships which satisfy the following three conditions: (1) core surface hardness≦envelope layer surface hardness, (2) cover material hardness<intermediate layer material hardness, and (3) core surface hardness−core center hardness(JIS C)≧11.