Even though they make their living in blazing, and occasionally blinding, sunlight, a surprisingly large percentage of professional golfers do not wear sunglasses and the reasons vary. Some older pros grew up without using them and haven’t taken advantage of the technical innovations spawned over the last 20 years. Others still claim that shades, no matter how good, interfere with depth perception and reading greens.
The debate goes on. What is incontrovertible is that 30 percent of golfers over age 60 have some type of light-related vision problem. And with the quality of lenses available and plethora of styles, there are now sunglasses that allow you to see better, look fashionable, feel comfortable and, most importantly, potentially play better golf.
Quality sunglasses can cost from $50 to $400. The marketing mantra is vision protection, fit and durability. In sports eyewear, there is no such thing as an all-purpose lens. For golf, look for the following features:
1. The sunglasses should provide 100 percent UV protection. Those in the know differ on polarization for golf but for those who like an all-around sport sunglass, polarization is a plus.
2. The lens material can be polycarbonate — a lightweight durable plastic — or a special plastic used mostly in prescription-grade lenses. The material can also be glass, but the lenses are much heavier.
3. Lenses come in various colors. Copper-colored lenses are an excellent choice because they improve depth perception and make the contours of the ground (and greens) more distinct. Violet lenses are helpful for those of us who occasionally spend time looking for their balls in the rough. A changeable lens system allows you to use dark lenses for sunny days and yellow or orange for low-light conditions. A gray lens is optimal on sunny, bright days. On cloudy days go with the amber lens.
4. Quality lenses should be scratch-resistant.
5. Frames can be made from plastic, coated wire, titanium and other materials. Frames should be lightweight and sturdy.
6. Look for adjustable temples for the best fit.
The companies and models of sunglasses reviewed below (in alphabetical order) all rate highly and comprise the best of the features recommended for golf. Where they differ is often the proprietary name for the materials used in the frames and lenses; the approach to the best fit and comfort; the overall shape and design of the glasses and, of course, price.
adidas’ adivista
Adidas sunglasses are made specifically for the athlete and, for golf, the emphasis is on fit. Their frames come in two sizes and have several patented innovations including a "Double-Snap" nose bridge, which allows you to adjust the width of the bridge. Very useful for people who have thinner or wider noses. The nose pad also provides a pressure-free, non-slip fit.
Another advance is their Tri-fit temples, which incorporate screwless construction. The temples can adjust up and down to offset uneven ears and they also include a quick-release hinge to prevent strain or possible breaking where the temple hinges.
While adidas makes a great polarized lens, they are among the marketers that don’t recommend it for golf. Polarization is a vertical filter that is good at reducing glare. Adidas promotes what they call Light Stabilizing Technology (LST), which harmonizes the extreme light level golfers confront. One tidbit that illustrates this is that there is twenty times as much light when you are looking at a target as opposed to looking down at a ball. And they do this all at a reasonable price: $155-$190 at shop.adidasgolf.com
Bolle Warrant
Bolle’s golf-specific lens technology is called EagleVision. The lenses optimize contrast in the green portion of the color spectrum, giving you an enhanced view of the subtle details of the course and helping to reduce glare.
Its Optics Control System is an interchangeable lens system that allows you to select the proper lens for specific light conditions and is available in many styles. The Sport Optical System (SOS) allows you to attach your prescription to select lens frames.
Bolle lenses are manufactured with a coating on both sides to provide superior scratch resistance. The lenses are made with a plastic resin that is 20 times more impact-resistant than glass but one-third the weight. The back side of the lenses are coated with anti-reflective coating to eliminate backside glare and provide you with superior vision. $180 at bolle.com
Callaway C420 Collection Series
Callaway Golf eyewear claims to deliver a unique combination of superior clarity of vision and enhanced protection while remaining pleasant to wear all day. They accomplish this with a patent-pending tint technology called Neox that blocks more of the light that can cause damage and less of the light you need to see clearly. Average gray sunglass lenses block 85% of all light rays at essentially the same rate across the visible spectrum. By contrast (pun intended) Neox lenses block 100% of harmful blue light rays only — while letting more of the visible spectrum pass through.
The C420 full-coverage lens design allows for great protection and performance. The adjustable nose support provides a nice fit and balance. The stainless steel and nylon frame is strong yet not too heavy. $133 at callawaygolf.com
Eyebobs’ Hole-in-One
Never heard of them? Well, that could soon change. Eyebobs, founded in 2001, is an international reading glass company that has recently unveiled its new fall design line, boasting a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, including frames for golf.
Their designs are fashion-forward and often funky, using high-tech metals and top-grade optical plastic from Italy to produce comfortable, durable frames. For those who have trouble reading their scorecards, eyebobs suggests their bifocal sunglass readers. All eyebobs sunglasses are polarized and provide full coverage over the eyes to prevent peripheral vision concerns. My favorite pair are aptly called the Hole–In–One. $150 at eyebobs.com
Maui Jim’s Hurricane
Maui Jim began offering sunglasses exclusively to residents of Hawaii in the early 1980s. The first sunglasses made were no match for Hawaii’s harsh sunlight and glare, so the company set out to create sunglasses that would eliminate glare without obscuring the beautiful colors and contours of the island landscape.
They now offer over 50 styles with their Polarized Plus technology and are the fastest-growing polarized-sunglass manufacturer in the world. Besides their lenses, the greatest attribute of the Maui Jim glasses is that they are so light I’ve often forgotten I had them on when they were anyplace besides the bridge of my nose. $179 at mauijim.com
Nike’s Skylon Ace
Nike’s golf sunglasses are made with polycarbonate lenses that are lightweight and designed with impact- and scratch-resistant optical coatings. Their Max Golf Tint — a purplish hue — enhances contour recognition and ball visibility. The Skylon Ace, debuting Nov. 1, comes with an aggressively sculpted eight-base (meaning high curvature) frame design. Ventilated nose bridge allows improved air flow, reduced fogging and enhancing grip. It’s made of a very light, rubbery material that easily flexes to conform with the size of your nose. Unless you have a really big or small nose, these should fit you perfectly.
A main selling feature is Nike’s Max Optics concept, in which a patented design gives you precise vision straight ahead and in your peripheral vision fields. It provides an extended line-of-sight and a larger sweet spot than some competitors. $119, nikevision.com
Oakley’s Flak Jacket
Oakley has made high-quality sports sunglasses for years. Its new golf-optimized edition of Flak Jacket glasses, featuring golf-specific G30 lenses, enhances depth perception by boosting visual contrast. The frame has an interchangeable lens design, so when lighting conditions change, golfers can change optics as easily as they change clubs. The lenses feature a permanent hydrophobic coating that repels water, oils and dust. The golf-optimized edition of Oakleys is available in two lens shape options: standard lens size or the larger XLJ shape with extended coverage. $140 at lenscrafters.com
Persol Model No. 2864S
The name Persol is derived from the Italian phrase "per il sole," meaning "for the sun." The developer of the first flexible stem, Persol is a major influence on the sunglass industry.
Persol is famous for its durable sports sunglasses featuring their distinctive silver arrow trademark. Persol sunglasses are primarily made with glass lenses and are available polarized. What they lack in technical-sounding innovations they more than make up for in style. Persols can be fitted for prescription sunglasses lenses. $329 at lenscrafters.com
Revo
Revo Sunglasses were designed by Mitch Ruda, an optical engineer, who had the revolutionary idea of applying to sunglass lenses the special coatings developed by NASA to protect satellite portholes from outer space radiation. Multiple anti-reflective coatings on the back surface reduce glare. Revo sunglasses come with or without polarized lenses and provide excellent resistance to abrasion and scraping while providing comfortable, lightweight frames. Also Rx-able, $239.95 at lenscrafters.com
Mike Weir Golf Grinder from Sundog Eyewear
Mike Weir debuted his 2008 Sundog Weir Golf Signature Series at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines when he wore the model being reviewed here, the 2008 Grinder sunglasses, for the first time. The Grinder takes its name from Weir’s tenacious work ethic. Other models include the Balance — for his controlled swing and approach to life — and the Vision, for his focus on becoming the best he can possibly be. Each Sundog Weir Golf Signature Series incorporates (get ready for a mouthful) Cristec Polarized lens technology, MaxFlex RILSAN frames, eight-base Distortion-free PC lens, Megol Temple tips and Nose pads and four choices of lens and frame colors. $90 at sundogeyewear.com
Tifosi’s Envy
Many Tifosi golf models come with multiple lenses for varying lighting and terrain conditions. The Envy is one of these and is made from a nearly indestructible nylon that Tifosi calls “Grilamid TR-90.” This is a homopolyamide nylon with high bending strength, resistance to UV rays, low density (so it’s very light), and high resistance to chemicals.
The “hyrdophilic” nose pads are ventilated to aid in slip resistance and comfort. They’re designed to provide even more grip when you are perspiring. The pads are also fully adjustable for you to achieve the right fit and comfort.
The Envy is available in eight frame color options and Tifosi Optics is so confident in the materials and workmanship of their product that they offer a lifetime warranty. Impressive at $59.95, at tifosioptics.com