One new golf ball changed the game forever?

The introduction of the gutta-percha ball – or “guttie” – in 1848 revolutionized golf. Made from the dried sap of the Malaysian sapodilla tree, it was cheaper, tougher and easier to manufacture than the traditional feather ball. Golf suddenly became more affordable, allowing thousands of new players to take up the game. Many historians consider the guttie to be the single most important innovation in golf equipment.