Patent ID: 8113966

Claim:
A golf ball, comprising: a golf ball core comprising a center point having a first hardness value, and an outer surface having a second hardness value, different from the first hardness value, wherein a gradient in hardness value between the first hardness value and the second hardness value across a radius of the golf ball core occurs in discrete increments, and wherein regions of the golf ball core having discrete hardness values are arranged concentrically about the center point; two or more intermediate layers enclosing the golf ball core; and a cover layer, wherein at least one of the intermediate and cover layers comprises a modified ionomeric polymer, where the modified ionomeric polymer comprises a blend including the reaction product of three components, (A), (B) and (C), wherein: component (A) is a polymer comprising ethylene and/or an alpha olefin, and one or more α, β-ethylenically unsaturated C 3 -C 20 carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids, or phosphoric acids; component (B) is a compound having a general formula (R 2 N) m —R′—(X(O) n OR y ) m , where R is either hydrogen, one or more C 1 -C 20 aliphatic systems, one or more cycloaliphatic systems, one or more aromatic systems, or a combination thereof; R′ is a bridging group including one or more unsubstituted C 1 -C 20 straight chain or branched aliphatic or alicyclic groups, one or more substituted straight chain or branched aliphatic or alicyclic groups, one or more aromatic groups, or one or more oligomers each containing up to 12 repeating units; X is C or S or P; and m is 1, 2, or 3; and component (C) is a basic metal ion salt, which has the capacity to neutralize some, or all of the acidic groups present in the blend of components (A) and (B).