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Compositions for golf balls including multi-modal ionomers that can be used in any layer of a golf ball, e.g., an outer cover layer or inner cover layer. The compositions of the invention can be a blend of a multi-modal ionomer and a conventional ionomer, highly neutralized polymer, acid copolymer,

Compositions for golf balls including multi-modal ionomers that can be used in any layer of a golf ball, e.g., an outer cover layer or inner cover layer. The compositions of the invention can be a blend of a multi-modal ionomer and a conventional ionomer, highly neutralized polymer, acid copolymer, or other suitable thermoplastic polymer.

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What is claimed is: 1. A golf ball comprising: a core having a diameter of about 1.50 inches to about 1.60 inches; and a cover having a thickness of about 0.03 to about 0.07 inches formed from a composition comprising: a multi-modal ionomer comprising a first copolymer having a molecular weight of

What is claimed is: 1. A golf ball comprising: a core having a diameter of about 1.50 inches to about 1.60 inches; and a cover having a thickness of about 0.03 to about 0.07 inches formed from a composition comprising: a multi-modal ionomer comprising a first copolymer having a molecular weight of about 70,000 or greater and acid groups having a first degree of neutralization and a second copolymer having a molecular weight of about 40,000 or less and acid groups having a second degree of neutralization, and wherein the first and second degrees of neutralization result in a flexural modulus of about 27,000 psi to about 90,000 psi after 2 weeks. 2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first and second copolymers are independently acid-containing ethylene copolymers. 3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of ionomers, acid copolymers, highly neutralized polymers, and mixtures thereof. 4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the multi-modal ionomer is present in an amount of about 10 percent to about 40 percent by weight of the composition. 5. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness of about 60 Shore D to about 75 Shore D and a flexural modulus of about 60,000 to about 100,000 psi. 6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer core layer, and wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer. 7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the outer cover layer is formed from the composition, and wherein the inner cover layer has a hardness of about 40 Shore D to about 70 Shore D and a flexural modulus of about 60,000 psi to about 100,000 psi. 8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first copolymer has a molecular weight of about 75,000 to about 400,000. 9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second copolymer has a molecular weight of about 1,500 to about 35,000. 10. A golf ball comprising: a core having a diameter of about 1.50 inches to about 1.60 inches; an intermediate layer; and a cover having a thickness of about 0.03 to about 0.07 inches, wherein the cover of the golf ball is formed from a composition comprising: a multi-modal ionomer present in an amount of about 10 percent to about 40 percent by weight of the composition and comprising a first copolymer having a molecular weight of about 70,000 or greater and a second copolymer having a molecular weight of about 40,000 or less; and a thermoplastic polymer present in an amount of about 60 percent to about 90 percent by weight of the composition, wherein the multi-modal ionomer has a flexural modulus of about 35,000 psi to about 65,000 psi after 2 weeks. 11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the first copolymer has a molecular weight of about 80,000 to about 200,000. 12. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the second copolymer has a molecular weight of about 2,000 to about 30,000. 13. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the composition further comprises a neutralizing agent. 14. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises ionomers, acid copolymers, highly neutralized polymers, or mixtures thereof. 15. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from the multi-modal ionomer. 16. A golf ball comprising: a core having a diameter of about 1.50 inches to about 1.60 inches; and a cover having a thickness of about 0.03 to about 0.07 inches, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising: an in-situ neutralized multi-modal polymer comprising a first acid copolymer having a molecular weight of about 70,000 or greater and a first degree of acid group neutralization, a second acid copolymer having a molecular weight of about 40,000 or less and a second degree of acid group neutralization, and wherein the first and second degree of acid neutralization results in a multi-modal polymer having a flexural modulus of about 27,000 psi to about 90,000 psi after 2 weeks. 17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the composition comprises at least one neutralizing agent comprising barium salts, lithium salts, sodium salts, zinc salts, copper salts, potassium salts, magnesium salts, cesium salts, aluminum salts, tin salts, calcium salts, and mixtures thereof. 18. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the composition further comprises a processing aid comprising fatty acids, fatty acid salts, and mixtures thereof. 19. The golf ball of claim 16, further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness of about 60 to about 75 Shore D.