Explosive Swings Are Allowed on the Golf Course Explosive Balls (at Least in Massachusetts) Are Not
With the U.S. Open coming up in June (barring any major COVID-19-related developments), the participants are sure to leave audiences in awe of their explosive drives. While “explosive” in this context doesn’t mean anything is actually exploding, there is a precedent for golf balls that literally explode. In fact, that precedent led to the creation of a pretty interesting state law in Massachusetts: No one is allowed to sell exploding golf balls. According to Chapter 148, Section 55 of the General Laws of Massachusetts, “Anyone who sells or knowingly uses … a golf ball containing any acid, fluid, gas, or other substance tending to cause the ball to explode” can be
sorts of incidents Massachusetts governments were trying to avoid. The first clue is that prior to the late 1960s and early 1970s, golf balls were actually manufactured with a caustic liquid at the center. This led to the unforeseen injury of a boy named William J. in 1912, who, while “dissecting” a golf ball, ruptured the rubber fluid sack at the center. Some of the liquid got in his eye and caused permanent damage to his sight, despite multiple visits to the doctor.
Even though golf ball manufacturers stopped using caustic liquids in the centers of their golf balls in the 1920s, the liquid centers of golf balls made in the
fined $500 for the first offense and up to $1,000 or imprisoned for a year for any offense after that. You would think that the existence of this law means that at some point, people were just smacking exploding golf balls around the Bay State before the lawmen kiboshed it. However, the truth is a little more nuanced.
following decades could still cause harm. If someone dissected a golf ball and ruptured the fluid sack of one of these later balls, the crystalline material within could still cause injuries. Fortunately, solid core golf balls became common during the 1970s, removing liquid core golf balls from the course for good.
While it’s unknown what exactly prompted the legislation, there are a few clues as to what
However, even though they’re gone, their legacy lives on in this strange Massachusetts law.
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