I’m not going to pretend that the dimple-mapping is perfect on my golf ball ice sculpture design above. But it’s way better than the blank version I had before and it offers a reasonable simulation of what the sculpture ends up looking like.
my golf ball ice sculpture designs
updated 6/10/23 to add seo, get rid of a stupid part, and try to make things more or less complete this time; before that updated 7/15/14
This golf ball ice sculpture design post was a bit of a train wreck. Apparently, I rushed the original post (I don’t really remember the surrounding circumstances) and I missed getting a sculpture pic too, which would have been helpful. But I came back to work on it a bit because it’s a useful sculpture for Father’s Day. Check out the variations below.
I redid this golf ball ice sculpture design, actually
To fix this post, I’ve redone a lot of the design and had to learn how to map graphics onto a sphere so that I could simulate how the dimples would look on your sculpture. And the old version of this golf ball ice sculpture design actually showed how to make a full in-the-round golf ball sculpture. Done right, that could be awesome, but mostly it’s a heavy pain in the ass to move, set up, and make safe. If you want to try that, I’ve left the old design info at the bottom. But for me, I’m like, screw that, unless the client REALLY needs it and wants to pay me for my trouble.
trying to have the dimples on the template doesn’t really work with the process that I have here, so you get a blank ball for this part.
while I was learning how to map the dimples on the golf ball design, I also mapped a “Happy Father’s Day!” message too. The snowfilled lettering would go on the front of the ball, while the dimples go on the back. I’ve seen sculptors do similar sculptures and it looks great!
ok, this is the old golf ball ice sculpture design template from 2010. You can see that we’re talking about a lot more ice and a completely different design in this case. Try it if you dare!
the old design info from 2010
This design requires a block and a half of ice: one full block for the ball and most of a half block slab for the base and tee. The full block is split into two square pieces, which are then welded together and cut down to a 16” cube. From this cube, a 16” diameter sphere or ball is cut, leaving the bottom flattened so that it can be welded to the tee.
From the half block slab (at least 4” thick”), you’ll cut a base slab, the grass and tee portion, and the tee top. The grass and tee are welded to the base and then the tee top is cut down to 2” thick and welded to the grass and tee section. During set up, the ball will be welded to the top of the tee.
After the ball is sculpted and smoothed, the dimple pattern is applied (which is one of the hard parts). I used a 1.5” Forstner drill bit (Actually, DON’T use that, see below!) to add the pattern the last time, but I was only somewhat happy with the results. A bull nose burr bit would do a much better job and there are other options as well. The Forstner bit tended to fracture the ice around the dimples slightly and also left a tiny mark in the center of each dimple. But it did work and the client was very happy.
making the dimples
To add the dimples, I started with a single band that went most of the way around the ball. Then I concentrated on replicating the pattern above until the ball was covered. I was carving in a freezer, so I used a red magic marker to map out my cuts before I did any damage to the ice.
As for the tool I use to make the dimples, there are some options. Ideally, for the size of the ball in the design, you want a bit that makes holes between 1.5″ and 2″. I have a crown moulding bit or crown router bit that’s in that range; I’ll add a pic shortly. You can also use a large round nose burr bit. I think I have another option as well in my freezer (I’ll get that too asap.) But I’d stay away from the Forstner bit that I mentioned in the old post info. It kinda sucks.
another approach that I haven't tried yet
So I left the old info about sculpting a fully round golf ball ice sculpture from the old post above. The old post also mentioned another method that I’d like to try. I’ve done a basketball (and some other spheres) by molding 2 bowls, welding them together, and rounding them out properly to make a sphere. This results in a large HOLLOW ice piece that you can potentially use for drink service, like I did with the basketball sculpture below. If I try this for a golf ball ice sculpture, I’ll definitely add to the post. Or if you do, send me a pic!
If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.
You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!
