Lesson 2: The Featherie Ball
The first golf balls were called featheries, and they were remarkable little objects. A leather pouch was stuffed with wet goose feathers — as many feathers as could fit in a top hat — then stitched tightly shut. As the feathers dried, they expanded and made the ball firm and round.
Making a featherie took a craftsman most of a day’s work. They were expensive — sometimes costing more than the clubs used to hit them. A golfer who lost a ball in the rough had lost something genuinely valuable.
Featherie balls flew reasonably well when dry, but in wet Scottish weather they absorbed water, became heavy, and flew poorly. They were also not very durable — a hard mis-hit could split the leather and end the ball’s life.
Despite their limitations, featheries were used for nearly 400 years — from around 1450 to the 1850s. They were the best ball available for a very long time.
Featherie balls were made of leather stuffed with goose feathers. They took a whole day to make and were very expensive.
Imagine losing a golf ball that took a whole day to make. How would that change the way you played golf? Would you take more risks or fewer?
Make your own featherie! Stuff a small cloth pouch or sock tightly with cotton balls or feathers. Sew or tie it shut as firmly as you can. Try to make it as round as possible. How hard was it? Now compare it to a modern golf ball. Write three differences in your history journal.
The craft activity takes 15-20 minutes and produces genuine appreciation for the difficulty of featherie manufacturing. Even an imperfect attempt gives children a physical understanding of what golfers used for 400 years.