Methods for cooling golf ball cores are provided. The methods involve passing a matrix of hot golf ball cores through a die plate to separate individual golf ball cores from the matrix. The die plate has a plurality of holes and each hole is sized to allow a single golf ball core to pass there through. A post-cure unit is arranged to receive the hot cores for additional curing and cross-linking. The hot, cured golf ball cores are then passed through a cooling section where high velocity air is passed over the golf ball cores to achieve the desired level of cooling. The cooling section may contain a fan assembly including an air diffuser to provide sufficient air flow coverage. The cooled golf ball cores may be delivered to a pneumatic delivery system for additional processing.