Let the cost price of a dozen golf balls be denoted as $C$.

Given:

• The store's overhead expenses are 50% of the cost, so overhead expenses are $0.50 \times C$.
• The required profit is 15% of the cost, so profit is $0.15 \times C$.
• The selling price for a dozen golf balls is $25.

We can express the selling price in terms of the cost price, overhead, and profit: $\text{Selling price} = C + \text{overhead} + \text{profit}$ $25 = C + 0.50C + 0.15C$

Simplifying: $25 = C(1 + 0.50 + 0.15)$ $25 = 1.65C$

Now, solve for $C$: $C = \frac{25}{1.65}$

Let me calculate this value.The company paid approximately $15.15 for a dozen golf balls.

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are some related questions for further exploration:

1. How would the cost change if overhead expenses were reduced to 40%?
2. What would be the selling price if the profit margin increased to 20%?
3. How much profit is the company making on each dozen sold?
4. What percentage of the selling price is overhead?
5. If the company offered a 10% discount, what would the new selling price be?

Tip: To better understand cost structures, consider how each percentage (profit, overhead, etc.) contributes to the final price.