The present invention relates to a blend composition, suitable for use in golf ball manufacture, which is the reaction product of (A) a polymer of ethylene and/or an alpha olefin and one or more α, β-ethylenically unsaturated C3-C20 carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids or phosphoric acids; (B) a compound having both amine and carboxylic acid functionality or a derivative of these functional groups; and (C) a basic metal ion salt, which has the capacity to neutralize some or all of the acidic group present in blend components (A) and (B). When (A) is a polymer comprising one or more α, β-ethylenically unsaturated C3-C20 carboxylic acids it comprises a high molecular weight component having a molecular weight from about 80,000 to about 500,000.