The first "Gutta" ball is believed to have been made in 1848 by the Rev. Dr. Robert Adams Patterson from gutta-percha packing material. Gutta-percha is the evaporated milky latex produced from a tree most commonly found in Malaysia. It is hard and non-brittle, and becomes soft and impressible at the temperature of boiling water.

Gutta balls were handmade by rolling the softened material on a board. The new durability of the Gutta, together with its much lower cost, resistance to water, and improved run, rejuvenated the game of golf. Not without some resistance from traditionalists, the Gutta gradually replaced the Feathery.