Golf ball packaging and method of marking a golf ball

Abstract

A package for golf balls, commonly known as a “sleeve”, includes a body having a plurality of side walls and end walls that define a hollow interior for receiving and containing the golf balls. The end walls close off ends of the body. At least one of the side walls contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, Each opening is formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall, so as to allow each golf ball to be marked individually (by stencil or otherwise), from the outside of the body, or sleeve, by the user (golfer) by accessing the surface of the ball through the corresponding opening in the side wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package for golf balls comprising:
 a body having a plurality of side walls and end walls that define a hollow interior for receiving and containing the golf balls, the end walls closing off ends of the body, wherein at least one of the side walls contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, each opening being formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall so as to allow each golf ball to be marked individually by accessing the corresponding opening in the side wall, without having to first remove the balls from the body,   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a rectangular shape and the plurality of side walls comprises four side walls disposed at right angles relative to one another and the end walls are square shaped. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the body is configured to hold two, three, four, five or six golf balls. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises a first set of openings formed along one side wall and a second set of openings formed along another side wall. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are formed linearly along the side wall. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings formed along a middle longitudinal axis that extends the length of the side wall. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings have the same shape. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings have different shapes. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed of a paper or other rigid or semi-rigid material and the plurality of openings are in the form of cutouts formed with a puncher or other means during the manufacturing and/or packaging process. 
     
     
         10 . A method for marking a golf ball that is contained within a golf ball sleeve packaging that includes a plurality of side walls to define an interior space for holding a plurality of golf balls, wherein at least one side wall contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, each opening being formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall, the method comprising the steps of:
 stenciling or otherwise marking a surface of the golf ball using the opening allowing one or more marks to be formed on the surface of the golf ball.