The most common golf ball for a beginner to start playing golf with is the two-piece golf ball, it incorporates a rubber core encased in a cover of surlyn or urethane.
Urethane covers are less durable, but afford greater ball control. Even with the reduced durability, it would take an extreme amount of punishment and regular play, is unlikely to cause severe scuffing or damage, cutting or deformation, which are the only sorts of damage that measurably impact performance for a golf ball.
The different materials that make up the cores and inner layers of balls with more than two pieces vary significantly.
If you are looking for a golf ball that helps with a slice, then check out this article Best Golf Ball to Cure a Slice or a Hook.
However, it is the cover that determines whether a ball is new or used, as the internal pieces are both resilient and protected. If a ball is damaged such that the interior is exposed at all, it is unsuitable for play and should be disposed of.
Golf balls are relatively inexpensive to buy, so new balls maybe not the latest four or five-piece golf balls, but some other brand, we also have new brands that are entering the market place with great technology in their golf balls, but in comparison are half the price of the top brands.
But if you have bought a new, nearly new or an older golf ball, how many of these golf balls have you lost to a water hazard?