Best Prescription Sunglasses for Golf


best prescription sunglasses for golf

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If you’re a golfer, you know that the right sunglasses can make a big difference on the course. In fact, choosing the wrong sunglasses can be downright deadly (to your game).

And if you normally need corrective lenses in your regular glasses, not only do you need to choose the right frame and lens, you also have to find a pair that can be customized with your prescription.

That’s why it’s important to choose prescription golf sunglasses that are designed specifically for golfers. Here are some of our top picks for the best prescription golf sunglasses on the market today.

Best Prescription Golf Sunglasses

With PRIZM Dark Golf Lens

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Oakley Half Jacket 2.0 XL

Oakley is usually at the top of any sport performance sunglasses list, and for good reason. Their PRIZM lenses are top-notch and customized for specific activities, including golf.

The Half Jacket 2.0 XL is a semi-rimless wraparound frame that is perfect for golfers. The PRIZM Golf lenses help improve contrast and color definition, making it easier to see the ball and your surroundings on the course.

The O Matter™ frame is comfortable and lightweight, so you can wear it all day on the course without having to worry about it slipping or bouncing around. Oakley’s Plutonite lenses are impact-resistant and offer 100% UVA and UVB protection.

PRIZM Golf lenses come with a rose base: PRIZM Golf is best for low-medium light conditions with visible light transmission (VLT) of 30%, while PRIZM Dark Golf is better in bright, sunny conditions with a VLT of 22%.

Neither PRIZM Golf nor PRIZM Dark Golf is polarized so you don’t lose depth perception. And thankfully, both are also available with prescription lenses.

Best Oakley Sunglasses for Golf

With ImpactX Photochromic 2 Laser Purple Lens

Rudy Project Rydon

If you’re looking for great technical shades, Rudy Project is the crème de la crème for many sports including golf.

The Rydon is a super-lightweight, semi-rimless 8-base wrap frame that you’ll barely feel or notice when wearing. The thin, adjustable straight temples hugs your head just enough to keep it snug but without putting on any pressure.

The nosepiece is also adjustable (and replaceable) for a customizable and comfortable fit. Got a narrow face? There’s a narrower version available called the Rydon Slim.

Rudy Project’s feather-light ImpactX Photochromic 2 Laser Purple lens is specially designed for golf and is available in the Rydon. The light-adjusting tint darkens and lightens depending on light conditions with VLT ranging from 8% (for very bright sunny days) to 48% for low light.

This means you won’t have to fumble around for your sunglasses when the sun pops out from behind the clouds or when you’re going from the fairway to the green.

Other lens options include black smoke and brown tints as well as polarized or photochromic versions. All lenses provide 100% UVA/B protection and work great for cycling and running too.

And before you dismiss this pair because of a strong Rx, you can get it with prescriptions as high as -9.00 or +5.00 with the Rydon optical dock that snaps into the chassis. (For those wondering, the optical dock lens is a 6-base lens so you won’t run into the fishbowl effect.)

Tifosi Swank

If spending $$$ on a pair of prescription sunglasses isn’t in your budget, consider the Tifosi Swank. It’s a very economical pair of sunglasses that works quite well both on and off the golf course.

The frame is made out of super durable TR-90 Grilamid, and the lenses are available in varying tints (we’d recommend the brown tint on the course) as well as Tifosi’s photochromic light-adjusting lens, Fototec.

The Swank is a great choice for golfers who want an affordable, durable pair of sunglasses that will perform well on the course. And the Fototec lenses are a great option if you want a pair of sunglasses that can adjust to changing light conditions.

The nice thing about the Swank is that it has a 6-base curve lens, meaning it’s not as curved as an 8-base full wrap lens. This allows for stronger Rx’s and won’t give you the fishbowl effect that tends to happen with full wraparound frames.

For those who need a roomier fit or larger lens, there’s the Swank XL, which is a larger version of the Swank. You can get both with prescription lenses in either single-vision or multi-focal correction, with or without polarization.

Are Tifosi Sunglasses Good?

With Maui Rose PolarizedPlus2 Lens

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Maui Jim Ho’okipa

For totally unobstructed views in every direction, you’ll want one of Maui Jim’s most popular frames, the Ho’okipa.

The Ho’okipa is a rimless, 8-base wrap frame that’s lightweight and comfortable. The rubber nosepiece and temple tips keep the frame securely in place without slipping.

It’s a great frame for narrower faces. If you have a broad or wide face, try the Banyans, which is more or less the same style as the Ho’okipa but with a roomier fit.

Besides the frame, Maui Jim’s PolarizedPlus2® technology works incredibly well for golf (and other outdoor activities) because it perfectly eliminates glare without sacrificing depth perception or color.

It comes in four different lens tints: Neutral Grey, HCL Bronze, Maui Rose, and Maui HT (high transmission).

The Neutral Grey lens is great for extremely bright sunny days with its 10% VLT, providing true color representation with no distortion.

The HCL (High Contrast Lens) Bronze is perfect for pretty much all light conditions, whether sunny or cloudy. It also enhances contrast with warmer tones and provides excellent clarity.

Maui Rose tint is also quite popular for golf – it delivers the highest contrast around, allowing you to track the ball from the tee to the green.

Finally, Maui HT (High Transmission) is great for when you’re teeing off early morning or under cloudy skies. Most other lenses in this shade would darken your view too much, but these babies don’t. They enhance natural light while cutting out glare for excellent contrast and depth perception.

Of course, all Maui Jim sunglass lenses provide 100% UVA and UVB protection and excellent scratch resistance. Available in single-vision or progressive prescriptions.

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Ray-Ban RB2132 New Wayfarer

If you don’t want a separate pair of sunnies just for your game, look no further than Ray-Ban’s RB2132 New Wayfarer.

A modern update on the classic Wayfarer, the RB2132 New Wayfarer is a great all-purpose pair of sunglasses. They look just as good on the beach as they do on the golf course.

The RB2132 New Wayfarer has all the features you want in a pair of golfing sunglasses: 100% UVA and UVB protection, impact resistant lenses, and a comfortable frame that won’t slip and is comfortable to wear.

Lens-wise, the G-15 gray-green lenses are great for bright sunny days. They provide enough darkening while keeping colors true and moderately increase contrast.

For even more contrast and clarity in variable or medium light conditions, you’ll want the brown or copper flash lens for better visuals.

The RB2132 New Wayfarer is available in both prescription and non-prescription authentic Ray-Ban lenses.

Wiley X Saint

The Wiley X Saint is another popular pair of prescription sunglasses among golfers. And it’s no surprise why.

The Saint is both ANZI Z87.1 High Mass & High Velocity and military ballistics rated, which means it can take a hit and keep on going.

The Saint has a semi-rimless wrap frame that’s certified for shooting, but works well for performance sports like golf too. The lens curvature hugs your face and nose bridge for good particle and sun protection.

It’s got a double-injected rubber temple that’s lightweight, stays put, and is comfortable to wear no matter how long you’re out on the golf course.

There’s also a low-bridge or alternative-fit version for those with broader faces and low nose bridges.

Do note that because it’s a high-wrap lens, it’s only available for prescriptions between +3.00 to -3.00.

With PRIZM Dark Golf Lens

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Oakley Portal X

Oakley Portal X is a great pair of golf sunglasses that are not only stylin’ both on and off the course, but also effective.

The full-rim, lightweight frame is made completely out of O Matter™ so they’re durable and built with some flexibility to absorb impact and wear comfortably.

For the ultimate in contrast and color enhancement, pair them with the PRIZM Golf Dark lens. This lens works really well in bright light when the sun is at it’s peak – you’ll find you can see a lot of contrast and subtle detail on the green that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to pick out.

Unobtainium rubber material on both the nose piece and ear socks provide plenty of grip even when you’re sweating bullets.

What else can we say? The Portal X is as close as it gets to your perfect pair of golf sunglasses that work just about anywhere – with or without Rx lenses.

What To Look For in Prescription Golf Sunglasses

The Frame

When you’re looking for the perfect pair of prescription golf sunglasses, it’s important to start with the frame. You want a frame that is lightweight and comfortable, yet still provides plenty of coverage to keep the sun out of your eyes.

Fit is of utmost importance – you don’t want your golf glasses slipping down your nose when you sweat, but you also don’t want them to be so tight that they’re uncomfortable.

Choosing a frame made out of a lightweight, durable material like Oakley’s O Matter™ or titanium will help keep the weight down and improve comfort.

The Lens

The lens is arguably the most important part of any pair of sunglasses, and this is especially true for prescription golf glasses.

You need a lens that can provide good clarity and contrast, while not darkening or distorting colors too much.

There’s often a split between those who prefer polarized lenses for reducing glare off water surfaces or wet greens, and those who don’t like the way it can affect their depth perception.

If you’re someone who likes a polarized lens, make sure to choose one that is specifically designed for golf (like Maui Jim’s lenses) so that you don’t sacrifice too much in terms of clarity and contrast.