Tour balls have a soft urethane cover and three or more layers. The cover lets wedges and short irons grip the ball, so shots around the green check up and stop. They cost the most, and the cover scuffs more easily.

Value urethane balls use the same kind of cover at a lower price, often sold online directly by the brand. Soft balls use an ionomer cover with a low-compression core, for a softer feel at slower swing speeds. Distance balls use a firmer ionomer cover built to cut spin off the driver, and they last longer.

If you lose several balls a round, a soft or distance ball keeps the cost down. If you score most of your strokes from 100 yards in, the spin of a urethane cover is worth paying for.