I was never the biggest fan of wearing glasses on the course but it’s probably a decent idea to protect your eyes from the sun. They also help you see the ball in the air and in this post, I’m going to be talking about the best lens color for golf and some of my favorite sunglasses.
The best sunglass lens color for golf is brown, dark amber, copper, or cinnamon. These four colors are going to give you sharp contrast on the fairway and greens but still allow you to follow the ball in the air.
The picture below shows the colors that are the best overall. There are also certain colors you should probably avoid if you want to get the best visuals on the course. Also, you have to decide whether or not you’re going to get golf-specific glasses. We’ll cover this next.
Do You Need Golf Specific Glasses?
Golf specific glasses are going to be a lot better than standard glasses because they’re designed to get rid of distortion on the bottom half of the lens. This will make sure you’re able to see the contours of the green but you’ll still be able to see the ball in the air. Common glasses might not do this.
That being said, it’s not a must to have golf-specific glasses. The most important thing is to have the right lens color. As long as you have that you’ll be able to see well in most situations. Golf glasses will just make some shots slightly clearer.
Lens Colors To Avoid
Colors close to red will normally be good on the green but won’t be the best off the tee box. If your lens is too dark then you might have some trouble reading the green.
Going with something close to brown will give you the best overall performance on the golf course. You’ll be able to see the ball in the air (clear and cloudy skies) and you’ll still be able to read the slopes on the green.
#5: Mikasuki Polarized Sports
If you’re looking for a cheaper set of golfing sunglasses then these could be for you. They aren’t the highest quality and they’re not the best performing but they won’t break the bank and they are comfortable to wear for 4 or 5 hours.
They come with an adjustable nose piece so they’re not going to fall down like a lot of other sunglasses will. I prefer the bronze lenses and that’s the color you should go with because it’s the best overall and works in all conditions.
I don’t normally use these glasses but I picked them up to check them out. They were extremely comfortable, had vents on them so they don’t fog up, and they seemed to be fairly scratch resistant.
I wouldn’t go and drop them on a pile of rocks but they seemed pretty good for normal wear and tear. Overall, they were pretty tough to beat for the money and would make a great pair of glasses you weren’t afraid to drop or lose.
#4: Tifosi Tyrant 2.0
These sunglasses are very similar to the previous Mikasuki but I like them slightly more because they’re more comfortable (in my opinion). The frame is a little bit thinner and that makes a bit of a difference if you’re wearing a hat on the course.
They have a few different frames and lens options to pick from but I liked a black frame with brown fototec lenses. The brown lenses aren’t the best looking but they do work really well on the course. You can watch your ball fly through the sky and you can still read the greens.
The lenses aren’t the highest quality and they will get scratched up if you drop them often but they aren’t overly expensive so I can’t really knock them for that reason. They are a little bit on the thin side as well so keep that in mind.
One of the best features of these glasses is that you can change the lenses (mine came with three). You can use the brown lenses on the golf course and then switch to a black lens if you’re going out after.
#3: Bolle Bolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ilDYSkUsw
These are my favorite golf glasses under $100 because they seem to be the highest quality (in this price range), perform really well, and come in a number of different colors. They do only come with one set of lenses though.
They come with an adjustable nose piece which makes them sit nicely on your face and they aren’t going to slip like a lot of the others. They’re also the perfect shape so you can wear a hat with them with no issues.
A lot of lens colors make the game harder to play but I actually found the Photo V3 version to be really good on the green. If anything, I was able to read the green better than when I used no glasses.
The lenses on these are golf-specific so they won’t cut out any of your peripheral vision. Sometimes normal glasses can be distracting throughout the swing but these aren’t whatsoever.
#2: Maui Jim Ho’okipa B407
If you don’t like the shape of golf sunglasses then these could be for you. They don’t stay on your head as good as some of the others but they are super comfortable, extremely well built, and you can use them off the course as well.
I got the gloss black version because of the bronze lenses and I really like the rubber nose and earpiece that holds them on your head. They are quite expensive but they’re one of the most comfortable glasses I’ve ever used.
One thing I will say is that these are not the most durable glasses. The lenses will scratch if you drop them on something hard and the frames aren’t indestructible either. If you get these take good care of them because they’re some of the clearest glasses on the market.
If you’re looking for an all-around quality set of sunglasses that can be used in both low and bright sunlight, these could be perfect for you.
#1: Oakley Flak 2.0
If I had to pick the best golf-specific sunglasses then these would be them. I wouldn’t wear them off the course personally but they provide the best combo of quality, performance, and comfort. They’re also quite a bit more durable than the Maui Jim.
They are on the expensive side but they work extremely well in low and bright light, are clear and crisp on the golf course, and they stay on your head while you swing. That’s all you can really ask for in a set of sunglasses.
They are golf-specific lenses so you’ll be able to see everything you need to and they seem to hold up pretty nicely. I just toss them in my bag after each round, and even though they do get a little knicked up, I’ve never had any issues with not being able to see.
Most of them aren’t going to be polarized (some are) so they won’t be ideal if you’re out in the sun for 8-10 hours but for a round of golf, they’re perfect. They have a lot of colors to pick from but I liked the Prizm Dark Golf or the Bronze Polarized.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API