The inside of a golf ball is soft and easy to carve. When you cut into one, it might be blue, yellow, lavender....you never know.
To make the cut to remove the outer shell, buy two short pieces of PVC. 1-1/4" Joint Sleeves work great. They fit tightly to two sides of the golf ball, leaving an opening for the coping saw blade (recommended) or one can use a band saw.
"The Little Book of Carving Golf Ball Buddies" can teach you the classic cuts for eyes, nose, and lips that are useful for making faces in any medium. Part number 47-3235, $9.95.
You can have a lot of fun experimenting on your own, creating faces or animals or art designs in the golf ball.
After you make a few faces, you might like to create a few torsos like you see in the picture. Basswood is good for carving because it has very little Grain and is not too hard of a wood. Cut a piece 2" X 2" X 3". Draw a semicircle with your pencil, in the middle of the top of the wood, and carve it out to be a seat for the golf ball. Round the edges of the wood into a jacket form. Use your pencil to draw the details of a collar and tie, or a bow, or straps and buttons, whatever kind of torso you choose. Carve in those details and be sure to add a little paint.
The most satisfying painting comes from a "Wash." Put a few drops of paint on a saucer, and add drops of water until the paint is thinned out at about 50/50. Several coats of this "wash" is often more attractive than a layer of paint, and it is also easier to cover the whole piece and lead from one color to the neighboring color. Quite a few carvers have a collection of Golf Ball Buddies. When you see people looking for golf balls along a course, there is a good chance they aren't using them to play golf!