New Sunglasses - Advice for the Best Lenses? (Prescription)

[jholz]

Hey everyone, I'm in the market for some new prescription sunglasses specifically for golf.

 

I've had lots of shooting glasses in my life. I recognize the impact that a good pair of glasses and the right tint can have... improving perception and, in turn, performance. I know what works for clay targets, but, I've never bought a pair of glasses specifically for golf - so looking for a bit of info to help me make a decent purchase.

 

I know, I know... just get some Oakley Flak 2.0's (or similar) with Prizm lenses and be done with it right? Maybe I'll lay out the $500 bucks...but regardless of the price, I'd like to make an informed decision. 

 

I definitely need good sun protection for my eyes, as I have macular degeneration in my family - but I'd also love to find something that could help me see contours on the greens a bit better. Any tints that might be better than others for those two primary purposes?

 

Should I go polorized? Red/Rose tint? Brown? Green? Mirrored or not?

 

I'm completely clueless. Any and all advice welcome!

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

I have Prizm dark golf Progressive, they are fantastic.

[Itsjustagame]

Maui Jim

[jholz]

3 minutes ago, Itsjustagame said:

Maui Jim

 

Yeah, I see their name come up a lot in the forum. I know they are pretty highly respected around here. 

 

Do they have any lenses or tints that they market specifically for golf? Did you find a specific lens/tint that you really like?

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

I also have Maui Jim, a few pair....if you need progressive lenses as I do, IIRC, they only offer those is a glass/polycarb blend, which TBH are quite heavy, the Oakley are featherweight in comparison

[jholz]

Just now, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

I also have Maui Jim, a few pair....if you need progressive lenses as I do, IIRC, they only offer those is a glass/polycarb blend, which TBH are quite heavy, the Oakley are featherweight in comparison

 

Thankfully, I'm still single vision. But, the Oakleys are attractive because of the reason you mention.

[bosgolfer]

I wear Maui Jim’s with Rose Brilliant lenses. They are great. Also had the Oakley golf specific Prizm and like the MJ better. 

[drn92]

2 hours ago, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

I have Prizm dark golf Progressive, they are fantastic.

Did you get the progressive lenses through Oakley?

 

drn92

[drn92]

2 hours ago, jholz said:

Hey everyone, I'm in the market for some new prescription sunglasses specifically for golf.

 

I've had lots of shooting glasses in my life. I recognize the impact that a good pair of glasses and the right tint can have... improving perception and, in turn, performance. I know what works for clay targets, but, I've never bought a pair of glasses specifically for golf - so looking for a bit of info to help me make a decent purchase.

 

I know, I know... just get some Oakley Flak 2.0's (or similar) with Prizm lenses and be done with it right? Maybe I'll lay out the $500 bucks...but regardless of the price, I'd like to make an informed decision. 

 

I definitely need good sun protection for my eyes, as I have macular degeneration in my family - but I'd also love to find something that could help me see contours on the greens a bit better. Any tints that might be better than others for those two primary purposes?

 

Should I go polorized? Red/Rose tint? Brown? Green? Mirrored or not?

 

I'm completely clueless. Any and all advice welcome!

I tried Maui Jim this past year. Not a fan. Their progressive lens had a much narrower field of vision than others I’ve tried and when I switched to distance only it was nothing to write home about. 
 

Sports Optical in Denver has always done a nice job and I have a pair of lenses from Revant (online shop) that I like better than my MJ lenses. 
 

drn92

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

49 minutes ago, drn92 said:

Did you get the progressive lenses through Oakley?

 

drn92

Yes, through my optometrist.  If you have your RX, I'm pretty sure you can order direct from Oakley....not cheap but totally worth the $$$$.

 

I live in DFW, and the dark golf Prizm are great...I even wear them for driving....they are NOT super dark, but dark enough even in TX summer sun, so if want something really dark look at other Prizm colors.

[ilikegolf26]

Oakley Dark Golf Prizm in Florida are phenomenal. 

Edited December 12, 2022 by ilikegolf26

[MattM97]

I wear my sunglasses the entire time I golf so for me going with something not polarized helped a ton with depth perception especially putting. I probably could have gone with a bit lighter of tint to see things better but that will be the next pair.

 

If you have shooting lenses I'd definitely look at what you have and what you like, maybe take like your favorite or 3 favorites and if you can maybe play a round with them or a few holes each see if one stands out. If that does take them to your optometrist and see what they have similar or look at whatever brand you plan to go with on their site for something close.

 

Sunglasses and lenses like clubs are very personal.

[Curmudg3on]

I just asked my optometrist about golf specific sun glasses.   I currently have brown colored polarized progressive sunglasses.   He said since progressive sunglasses for golfers was rare, to stick with what I have.   He stated that the brown color gave more color definition and depth perception than the other color lenses.   I've not had Oakley or Maui Jim to compare though.   

[anth]

Oakley Prizm Golf lenses. Not polarised as that doesn’t help with depth perception.

 

I had the Dark Golf and they were great for golf. Lenses got scratched up after a couple of years and I replaced them with Black Iridium. No good for golf. You want the lenses that brighten everything while providing protection and contrast.

 

I’ve moved to the standard Prizm Golf lens and they are excellent. I will note that in my experience no lens helps when putting. In fact I think they all make it more difficult to read greens. Probably why lots of pros remove their sunglasses when putting

Edited December 13, 2022 by anth
Spelling

[anth]

Footnote: Oakley are rationalising the number of lenses they offer. Prizm Golf will be discontinued, but Field will still be available. Field have more of a brown/gold tint but are still fine for golf

[golferdude54]

Here's Adam Scott's sunglasses, I specifically picked out these photos from his best day(s) of his best ball-striking week, the 2016 WGC Cadillac in the driver photos. I also picked a photo from his best day of his best putting week, the 2018 Northern Trust. He wore Oakley in 2016 but switched to Torch in 2018. You can't really go wrong with those three colors.

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by golferdude54

[jholz]

16 hours ago, drn92 said:

I tried Maui Jim this past year. Not a fan. Their progressive lens had a much narrower field of vision than others I’ve tried and when I switched to distance only it was nothing to write home about. 
 

Sports Optical in Denver has always done a nice job and I have a pair of lenses from Revant (online shop) that I like better than my MJ lenses. 
 

drn92

 

Wow, that's crazy. I grew up in Denver and remember Sports Optical. Hard to believe they are still around. But then, given all the wonderful things that I've always heard about them, it makes sense.

 

I've definitely considered going the "specialized optometrist" route. Given the base price of most quality eyeglasses these days, seems like it might still be a cost effective option - or at least not significantly more expensive that ordering direct.

 

I'll have to dig around a bit to see what's available in my area and ponder.  

[jholz]

15 hours ago, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

Yes, through my optometrist.  If you have your RX, I'm pretty sure you can order direct from Oakley....not cheap but totally worth the $$$$.

 

I live in DFW, and the dark golf Prizm are great...I even wear them for driving....they are NOT super dark, but dark enough even in TX summer sun, so if want something really dark look at other Prizm colors.

 

As a fan of quality, I'm obviously drawn to Oakley's. It may be time to treat myself. I'm worth it, dammit!

[jholz]

7 hours ago, anth said:

Oakley Prizm Golf lenses. Not polarised as that doesn’t help with depth perception.

 

I had the Dark Golf and they were great for golf. Lenses got scratched up after a couple of years and I replaced them with Black Iridium. No good for golf. You want the lenses that brighten everything while providing protection and contrast.

 

I’ve moved to the standard Prizm Golf lens and they are excellent. I will note that in my experience no lens helps when putting. In fact I think they all make it more difficult to read greens. Probably why lots of pros remove their sunglasses when putting

 

Interesting. 

 

I know fishing people tend to like polarized lenses and why, but other than that, I've never taken the time to understand the impact on vision and perception.

 

Given this, it makes sense that polarization is not a thing in shooting glasses, and perhaps not the best thing for golf either.

 

Appreciate it!

[ShortGolfer]

I have an expensive Lenscrafters prescription with  transitions and polarized lenses.

I bought a cheap pair of glasses from Zennis for golfing.  Also single prescription but no polarization.  Will see if it helps my green reading.

I've bought half a dozen Zennis and the  prescriptions are spot on.  The frames are acceptable for what I paid for them.

Edited December 13, 2022 by ShortGolfer

[jholz]

6 hours ago, golferdude54 said:

Here's Adam Scott's sunglasses, I specifically picked out these photos from his best day(s) of his best ball-striking week, the 2016 WGC Cadillac in the driver photos. I also picked a photo from his best day of his best putting week, the 2018 Northern Trust. He wore Oakley in 2016 but switched to Torch in 2018. You can't really go wrong with those three colors.

 

 

Thanks for this. Appreciate it. Adam Scott and I do share an uncanny resemblance... This is pretty much what I will look like. 🙂

 

But seriously, I've always favored reds/rose tint for shooting glasses. Looks like there might be three different lenses in these photos, but the top and bottom ones look a lot like shooting glasses I've owned in the past.

 

Given the complementary nature of red/green and the way our eyes work (at least according to shotgun people) the red tint offers great contrast with natural backgrounds and earth tones. Really helps to define edges and highlight movement across mottled fields of view. I think I'll always be drawn to that kind of lens.

[pseudoswede]

1 hour ago, jholz said:

 

As a fan of quality, I'm obviously drawn to Oakley's. It may be time to treat myself. I'm worth it, dammit!

 

Every optometrist I've dealt with at the Oakley store in Park Meadows have been great, and they really know their products and lenses inside and out. Can't say the same for the Lenscrafters a few doors down. I had been down on Oakley due to brand name price premium, but we have the upgraded EyeMed insurance, and out-of-pocket costs were super reasonable. They have been my daily single-vision frames/lenses for about five years now, and I'm not sure I can go back to anything else.

[Drwoods2017]

It's all personal preference. Maui has a great warranty program but nothing golf specific. The oakley golf prism lenses are tinted pink so people are 50/50 on the look but they work well as far as enhancing vision.  Depending on your rx you might be limited on what they can put into certain frames.  The more wrap a frame has the better for sun protection but also harder for people for have astigmatism or need a progressive lens.  Best to go to a local optometrist and have them direct you on what can be made for you.  

[Mob]

I have tried a bunch of different prescription sunglasses over the years.  There are a lot of good options listed above.  The 2 I would add are Roka and Torch.  Roka has a lightweight frame with rubber nose piece and ear to reduce slippage.  Torch has some wrap around styles with golf specific lenses.

 

https://www.torcheyewear.com/pages/golf-lens-sunglasses

Edited December 13, 2022 by Mob

[SwingBlues]

Just ordered a replacement pair of prescription sunglasses myself. I went with the Flak 2.0 frame and OG Prizm Golf lense.

 

I had the OG Half Jacket for 6+ years (did a review here so look it up) with the Prizm Golf lense. Love the frame & lense but Oakley has deprecated this model.

 

Played in Hawaii but mainly Los Angeles where we get sunshine 365. The OG Prizm Golf lense works great but on pure sunny days, it feels like its bright but hear me out...when I play at dusk, these lenses let more light in so they are useable in those conditions. Since I prefer later rounds, I do not mind the brightness at noon. Cloudy days, I much prefer the brighter PG lense.

 

One other thing, these prescription lenses are THICK. At least for my prescriptions so make sure you have the correct fit frame otherwise the bottom of the lenses will annoy the crap out of you when it bumps the cheek area.

 

Yeah, other than that, try not to drop these lenses. They scratch easily. I picked my replacement (frame and lense) for about $390 from Oakley.com. Frame was 30% off and the prescription was $100 off retail. I love the frame, its a limited edition as well.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by SwingBlues

[drn92]

4 hours ago, jholz said:

 

Wow, that's crazy. I grew up in Denver and remember Sports Optical. Hard to believe they are still around. But then, given all the wonderful things that I've always heard about them, it makes sense.

 

I've definitely considered going the "specialized optometrist" route. Given the base price of most quality eyeglasses these days, seems like it might still be a cost effective option - or at least not significantly more expensive that ordering direct.

 

I'll have to dig around a bit to see what's available in my area and ponder.  

They have moved a couple times, now at 58th and Logan. Still the same team running the show. Been a while for us since we’ve purchased lenses from them, but historically they have done an outstanding job (probably 20 lenses between the family). I wish they were closer, I’d probably use them for my next pair. 
 

drn92

[drn92]

19 hours ago, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

Yes, through my optometrist.  If you have your RX, I'm pretty sure you can order direct from Oakley....not cheap but totally worth the $$$$.

 

I live in DFW, and the dark golf Prizm are great...I even wear them for driving....they are NOT super dark, but dark enough even in TX summer sun, so if want something really dark look at other Prizm colors.

Thanks. Do you find them to be a better progressive for golf and can you still use them as daily sunglasses?

 

I have progressive sunglasses but do not have a lot of luck with them for golf so I have distance-only for golf. I’d like to get to a single pair of sunglasses.

 

drn92

[drn92]

2 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

 

Every optometrist I've dealt with at the Oakley store in Park Meadows have been great, and they really know their products and lenses inside and out. Can't say the same for the Lenscrafters a few doors down. I had been down on Oakley due to brand name price premium, but we have the upgraded EyeMed insurance, and out-of-pocket costs were super reasonable. They have been my daily single-vision frames/lenses for about five years now, and I'm not sure I can go back to anything else.

I’m closer to Flatirons. Oakley store there is pretty good. They are having an Rx sale, so am pondering new glasses this winter. Might have to make the trip down to Park Meadows. 
 

drn92

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

2 hours ago, drn92 said:

Thanks. Do you find them to be a better progressive for golf and can you still use them as daily sunglasses?

 

I have progressive sunglasses but do not have a lot of luck with them for golf so I have distance-only for golf. I’d like to get to a single pair of sunglasses.

 

drn92

I was hesitant to go progressive with golf glasses, but I was more than pleasantly surprised as to how Oakley did the progression....far better than my Maui Jims.  I had no issues, or no need to adjust to the Oakley playing golf.

[WarEagleGolf]

I go with Smith Optics...Bronze or Copper lenses, they just really create clarity, contrast, block glare and even more depth perception (IMO).  The 6, 8, 9 wrap blocks out the sun on all sides.  Smith chromapop lenses are light, the glass ones are heavier, both are top notch   

Have some Maui's I like as well, went with brown lenses, again with face wrap.   All polarized.  

 

Haven't had great success with other color lenses and I play in pretty bright environments.  Use these as my all the time sunglasses however, never go outside without shades...