Golf club heads

Abstract

A cast cup can include a forward portion of a golf club head, including a hosel, a face portion, and forward portions of a crown, sole, heel and toe. A rear ring can be formed separately from the cast cup and coupled to heel and toe portions of the cast cup to form a metallic club head body, such that the club head body defines a hollow interior region, a crown opening, and a sole opening. The cast cup and rear ring can be cast of titanium alloys. Composite crown and sole inserts can then be coupled to the crown opening and sole opening. The face portion of the cast cup can have a desirably complex geometry. The rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup can be modified before the rear ring is attached.

1 . A method comprising:
 casting a cup of metallic material, the cast cup comprising a forward portion of a golf club head including an entire face portion, a forward portion of a crown, a forward portion of a sole, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a hosel;   coupling a metallic rear ring to the heel portion and toe portion of the cast cup to form a metallic club head body, the rear ring forming a rear skirt of the club head body, the club head body defining a hollow interior region, a crown opening, and a sole opening;   coupling a composite crown insert over the crown opening; and   coupling a composite sole insert over the sole opening.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cup and rear ring are cast of a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cup is made of a first metallic material and the rear ring is made of a second metallic material having a lower density than the first metallic material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising casting the rear ring of metallic material prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coupling the rear ring to the cast cup comprises welding forward ends of the rear ring to the toe portion and heel portion of the cast cup. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coupling the rear ring to the cast cup comprises adhesive bonding forward ends of the rear ring to the toe portion and heel portion of the cast cup. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising machining a rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising removing part or all of an alpha case layer from the face portion after the cup is cast and prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 casting a cup of a first material, the cast cup comprising a forward portion of a golf club head including an entire face portion, a forward portion of a crown, a forward portion of a sole, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a hosel;   forming a rear ring of a second material that is different than the first material, the first and second materials having different densities, wherein the rear ring comprises a toe attachment portion and a heel attachment portion;   coupling the toe attachment portion of the rear ring to the toe portion of the cast cup and coupling the heel attachment portion of the rear ring to the heel portion of the cast cup to form a club head body, the rear ring forming a rear skirt of the club head body, the club head body defining a hollow interior region, an upper crown opening, and a lower sole opening;   coupling a composite crown insert over the crown opening; and   coupling a sole insert over the sole opening.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second materials are both metallic. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first material is metallic and the second material is non-metallic. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first material has a greater density than the second material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising casting the rear ring of the second material prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein coupling the rear ring to the cast cup comprises welding forward ends of the rear ring to the toe portion and heel portion of the cast cup. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein coupling the rear ring to the cast cup comprises adhesive bonding forward ends of the rear ring to the toe portion and heel portion of the cast cup. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising machining a rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising removing part or all of an alpha case layer from the face portion after the cup is cast and prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising machining a rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup prior to coupling the rear ring to the cast cup and wherein coupling the rear ring to the cast cup comprises adhesive bonding forward ends of the rear ring to the toe portion and heel portion of the cast cup. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a first face thickness of the face portion proximate a center of the face portion is less than a second face thickness of the face portion at a location surrounding the center of the face portion having the first face thickness, the face portion comprises a first blend zone having a face thickness that gradually increases in a direction radially outwardly from the first face thickness to the second face thickness, the face portion, at a location surrounding the portion of the face portion having the second face thickness, has a third face thickness, the face portion comprises a second blend zone having a face thickness that gradually decreases in a direction radially outwardly from the second face thickness to the third face thickness, and the third face thickness is less than the first face thickness and the second face thickness. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first face thickness of the face portion proximate a center of the face portion is less than a second face thickness of the face portion at a location surrounding the center of the face portion having the first face thickness, the face portion comprises a first blend zone having a face thickness that gradually increases in a direction radially outwardly from the first face thickness to the second face thickness, the face portion, at a location surrounding the portion of the face portion having the second face thickness, has a third face thickness, the face portion comprises a second blend zone having a face thickness that gradually decreases in a direction radially outwardly from the second face thickness to the third face thickness, and the third face thickness is less than the first face thickness and the second face thickness.