I’ve heard a lot about 3D printing over the last couple of years, without, if I’m totally honest, understanding much of it. I just can’t get my head around the fact that a 3D printer produces more than a flat sheet of paper with cut and fold instructions for you to fashion a gun/aeroplane/semi-detached house in a magical blur of of origami and paper cuts. 

But what about 3D printed golf balls? I like the idea of that. No more trips to American Golf; I could just fire up the old Lexmark and reel out two-dozen balls at the push of a button.

3D Printlife, a 3D printing company based in Los Angeles, has shown that it is possible to 3D print golf balls. But are they any good?

Well, they’re regulation size, so that’s a start. But they’re lighter than the stipulated weight of a conforming golf ball, so you won’t be allowed to use them in a competition, even if you wanted to. And, let’s face it, you probably wouldn’t want to.

It’s a start, though, and something that is likely to become a more realistic option in the future. If you could order 3D printed golf balls from leading manufacturers and print them at home, at your convenience, the savings on storage and shipping could be immense, which you’d like to think could then be passed on to consumers.

It might seem like pure sci-fi at the moment, but 3D printers have already produced things like shoes, pizza, cars and jewellery. The cost of 3D printers has dropped significantly in the last five years, from around £20,000 to as little as £1,000. A successfully funded Kickstartr project called ‘Peachy Printer’ is looking to release a 3D printer costing under $100 very soon.

Keep your eyes peeled and your ink cartridge full…

Would you use 3D printed golf balls?