2 Tire Brands That Also Make Golf Balls

When you think of tire brands in sports competitions, the first sport that will likely come to mind is racing. Tires, after all, are the foundation of a good race car. That's why you'll often see Formula 1 speed machines exclusively using Pirelli tires or NASCAR races flaunting Goodyear rubber. Even motorcycle racing competitions largely depend on a reliable tire.

But what you might not realize is that there's another sporting event where a number of tire brands are very much present: golf. No, it's not to supply the golf carts with tires — it's to provide the players with golf balls. This may seem like an unconventional business move, but if you look closely at the materials used in a golf ball, you'll understand why some tire brands expanded into the golf industry.

On the outside, golf balls have a polymer casing; on the inside, they're made out of rubber. This material, called polybutadiene, is a common ingredient in automobile tires. With the help of the golf ball's rubber core, the ball can efficiently respond to the strike of the golf club, which, in turn, contributes to the distance it travels. If you're curious about which major tire brands have also ventured into the sports industry through their golf balls, here are two manufacturers.

You might already be familiar with Bridgestone's extensive range — from producing motorcycle and car tires to making aircraft tires. But the company's founder, Japanese businessman Shojiro Ishibashi, actually had an interest in golf, too. So after his team developed their first tire in 1930, the company launched its golf ball production just five years later, in 1935. Come 1972, Bridgestone further expanded its sports equipment lineup with golf clubs, and today, it's recognized as Japan's top golf ball maker.

Over the years, Bridgestone has patented 800 golf ball designs. Its flagship balls, the TOUR B series, are popular among professional golfers like Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau. In fact, Woods has been sponsored by Bridgestone for a few years now, during which time he won three PGA TOUR titles using the company's high-performance balls. Bridgestone golf balls are exclusively manufactured in the company's factory in Covington, Georgia. The golf clubs, on the other hand, are outsourced to the Japan-based Endo Manufacturing.

Besides manufacturing golf balls and golf clubs, Bridgestone is well-known as one of the top ball fitters in the industry. Ball fitting is where a player's swing and playing style are assessed to come up with a custom golf ball recommendation that will give them the best results. Since Bridgestone introduced this service in 2006, it has helped more than four million golfers choose the right Bridgestone golf ball for their personal play. The service is available both online and in person.

Dunlop started out as a tire company with British roots. When founder John Boyd Dunlop established it in 1889, its first factory was opened in Dublin, Ireland. Fast forward to today, and the tire brand is now part of Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), a global tire maker based in Japan that manufactures cheap tires with high-mileage options. Although SRI acquired Dunlop only in 1963, its history in Japan actually dates all the way back to 1909. That year, the Dunlop Japan branch was established, and halfway across the globe, Dunlop's golf ball production started in England, too.

Twenty-one years later, in 1930, the company began rolling out the first domestic golf balls from its plant in Japan. But this was only the beginning. In 1964, golf clubs were added to Dunlop's line of sports goods. Its golf balls have also constantly evolved, from using IR Latex as the coating to pioneering multiple technologies. Dunlop was the first to mix metallic compounds in its golf balls, which led to the TOUR SPECIAL METAL MIX in 1996. Then, in 1998, the company released MAXFLI HI-BRID, the first-ever three-piece ball with a urethane mid-layer.

To better serve the golf industry, Dunlop went on to build an exclusive golf ball factory in Ichijima in 1996. Today, the brand makes golf balls under the labels XXIO and Srixon. XXIO currently only offers the Rebound Drive II, a three-layer ball with a 338 dimple pattern. Srixon, on the other hand, has more models, including the Z-star, Q-star, and Soft Feel series. You can even personalize a Srixon golf ball with character or text prints.