Like picking out the right clubs, choosing which golf ball to use for a day spent on the links is an important decision — and not all are created equal.

Whether you're just learning the game of golf or have several years of the sport under your belt, you'll want to make sure you find a ball suited to your play style and preference — and just because you like the balls the pros use on the weekends, doesn't mean you'll have the same outcome they do.

To help, we've tested a variety of the top golf balls currently available from brands like Titleist, TaylorMade, and Callaway to find the best for a variety of golfers.

Our top pick, the Titleist Tour Soft golf ball, delivers outstanding performance and feel, and has a distance that'll work nicely for any mid- to low-handicap players.

One of the best things about the game of golf is that you can test yourself on many of the same courses and hole distances the pros you watch on television play. Better yet, you're even able to use some of the same equipment they use to make the weekend cut.

Of course, once you take a look at the cost of some of the drivers and irons the pros use, you may want to seek out a cheaper way of copying your favorite pro's game. One way to do that is to pick up a pack of the same golf balls they use. No matter if it's Tiger's signature Bridgestone ball or Jordan Spieth's Titelists, picking up a pack of the same brand or style takes little more than a simple Google search.

And perhaps the golf skill to pull off using a ball intended for elite golfers.

How to shop for golf balls

Even though it may feel cool to use the same ball as whoever just won the Masters, you're highly unlikely to receive the same performance from that pro-level golf ball as the pro does. Pro-level balls react differently to the skills professional players have versus the talent of the occasional weekend golfer's skill level.

This means that those balls are often fine-tuned to respond exactly as that golfer sees fit. If they favor a fade shot while driving on the fairway, then a golfer who tends to draw will likely have a far different experience. The contact sweet spot which allows for greater driving distances can also be much smaller which may produce more off-the-mark strikes for less accurate golfers.

But even if you aren't yet cut out for the PGA Tour, it doesn't mean you have to ditch seeking out your favorite golfer's preferred ball altogether. Different levels of golf balls are available to meet the needs of different players, both in terms of skill and in terms of price. So, maybe you can play with a ball from the same company as your favorite pro but just choose a level or two lower than what they use.

To help, we've tested a variety of golf balls from a who's who in the industry such as Callaway, Titleist, and TaylorMade to find the best currently available. And don't fret, our guide includes picks for every skill level and type of player, too.

Here are the best golf balls:

Updated on 8/31/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the section on how to shop for golf balls, checked the availability of each recommended set, and updated the prices and links where necessary.