A golf ball comprising a core, an outer cover layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer is presently disclosed. At least one layer of the golf ball is formed from a composition free of cystine and comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amino acids other than cystine, aromatic amino acids, halogenated amino acids, and amides thereof, peptides thereof, conjugates thereof, esters thereof, salts thereof, and isomers thereof having amine and acid groups. The outer cover layer may comprise a polyurethane or polyurea composition. At least one portion of the golf ball comprises a composition that enhances physical properties and/or performance characteristics (e.g., coefficient of restitution) of the golf ball. Preferably, the coefficient of restitution of the core is 0.8 or greater.