You might think that golf course turf is the same everywhere... but that's not true. Some turfs are notoriously dry, while others are quite wet, and a new golf ball coating could make both turfs a better playing experience.

The coating contains tiny crystals of absorbent silica, which can be seen in a microscope image of the material on a standard golf ball

On greens with drier grass, the ball will roll across the grass quickly because there isn't much water for the ball to stick to the grass. While speed is a good thing, too much speed can make the ball difficult to control, especially when trying to make a short, accurate putt.

That being said, on greens where the grass is moist, the ball will stick to the grass. And, while some traction may help, too much traction is bad—like hitting a golf ball on glue. That's where an experimental new golf ball coating comes in.

Currently, the technology, developed by Thomas J. Kennedy III and colleagues at Chemical Innovative Solutions Inc. in Massachusetts, is made from hydrophilic (water-absorbing) materials such as amorphous silica, clay and fast-peeling polyacrylic acid polymers.

It also contains porous materials called molecular sieves, which are specially tuned to absorb only molecules the size of water. Importantly, the coating is said to not affect the aerodynamics of the ball as it flies through the air.

However, when the ball is rolled on hay, the coating absorbs the moisture present, causing the ball to stick and move more slowly. But if the grass is wet, the coating will initially saturate the surface of the ball, preventing it from sticking later.

In tests, we rolled coated and uncoated balls at known speeds across wet and dry golf courses, and found that the coated balls rolled more consistently on both types of turf.

Based on these findings, it is estimated that using coated balls would allow average golfers to achieve par for 18 holes and allow professional golfers to complete the tournament in fewer strokes. Of course, this brings up a big question: Are these balls suitable for professional use?

"The USGA sets standards for golf balls: there are size limits, weight limits, symmetry constraints, and even overall carry distance standards," Kennedy said. "But within that framework, there is a lot of freedom to do different things to change the playability of the golf ball without violating the rules of the USGA and the Royal & Historic Golf Club of St. Andrews."

Kennedy is presenting his team's research this week at the American Chemical Society's spring meeting in San Diego.