How much should I spend on golf balls?

Reviewers consistently frame it as a tradeoff between performance and how many balls you lose. Premium tour balls run around $55-58 a dozen, mid-tier urethane like TaylorMade Tour Response sits near $28, and value two-piece balls or graded used balls land in the mid-$20s. The community consensus is to match spend to skill and ball-loss rate rather than always buying the most expensive option.