Iron-type golf club head with body wall apertures

Abstract

An iron-type golf club head includes a body having a wall extending about an opening, a faceplate, at least four apertures extending through the wall, and at least four plugs. The wall has and outer peripheral surface and a first hardness value. The faceplate is coupled to the body across the opening. The wall and the faceplate defining a rearward-facing cavity. The at least four apertures extend through the wall from the peripheral outer surface to the cavity. The at least four plugs are positioned within the at least four apertures, respectively, and the at least four plugs have separate hardness values. The separate hardness values are less than the first hardness value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a body having a wall extending about an opening, the wall having an outer peripheral surface, a first hardness value, a sole, a toe and a topline;   a faceplate coupled to the body across the opening, the wall and the faceplate defining a rearward-facing cavity;   at least four apertures extending through the wall from the peripheral outer surface to the cavity; and   at least four plugs with a separate one of the four plugs positioned within a separate one of the at least four apertures, and the at least four plugs each having a hardness value, each of the plug hardness values being less than the first hardness value.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plugs fill at least 80% of the at least four apertures, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The golf head club of  claim 1  further comprising an insert positioned within the cavity, the insert having projections forming at least two of the at least four plugs. 
     
     
         4 . The golf head club of  claim 1 , wherein the hardness values of the at least four plugs vary. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the hardness values of the at least four plugs are of equal hardness. 
     
     
         6 . The golf head club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four apertures extend end to end along the topline adjacent the faceplate, extend end to end along the sole adjacent the faceplate, and extend end to end along the toe adjacent the faceplate. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four apertures is at least five apertures, and wherein the at least four plugs is at least five plugs. 
     
     
         9 . The golf head club of  claim 1  further comprising a badge secured within the cavity, the badge having peripheral edges extending across at least one of the at least four apertures. 
     
     
         10 . The golf head club of  claim 9 , wherein the peripheral edges of the badge abut inner peripheral edges of at least one of the at least four plugs. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four apertures is at least six apertures, and wherein the at least four plugs is at least six plugs. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the body is a single unitary homogenous structure extending completely about the at least four apertures. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four plugs are formed of an open or closed cell material. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate includes a planar impact surface, and a first aperture of the at least four apertures forms a first slot including forward and rearward edges. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the forward edge of the first slot is spaced apart from the planar impact surface by a distance within the range of 0.030 to 0.150 inch. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the first slot has a length of at least 0.125 inch and a width within the range of 0.025 to 0.25 inch. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four apertures extend about a common plane. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the common plane is parallel to a face plane defined by a planar impact surface of the faceplate. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least four plugs are viewable from the outer peripheral surface of the wall.