Golf

Why golfers need sunglasses

When playing golf your eyesight is your most important tool; your eyes help you to track your ball, read the greens, hit the ball well and judge distances for your shots. Yet many golfers still don’t wear sunglasses and leave their eyes exposed to harmful UV rays for hours at a time: good quality UV400 rated sunglasses will eliminate solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), in particular the more damaging UVB radiation. Without this protection, over exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. So it makes sense to both protect your eyes from harmful UV rays and aide performance on the course.

Wearing sunglasses also means you don’t squint in strong sunlight, and squinting can increase the wrinkles around your eyes and it’s no surprise that when you look at many of the more mature professional golfers that have never worn sunglasses they have heavily lined eyes.

Sunglasses suited for golf should have the following characteristics:

– Frameless or half frame (open bottom edge) or a thin frame. This means the bottom edge of the frame doesn’t interfere with vision when the golfer looks down to take a swing or put.

– Lightweight frames. Given the extended wear time necessary (hours at a time) it’s very important the frames are light and comfortable to wear.

– Firm grip. It’s clearly annoying if the frame is too loose or slips down the nose when the golfer looks down or takes an aggressive drive. Wrap-around frames with non-slip temples and nose pads that grip the head/face will help.

– The right lens colours. The best all-round lens colours for golf are amber, brown or copper. These tints enhance the contrast of a white golf ball against the sky and the green background of fairways and greens. As they increase contrast they helping with depth perception, ‘reading’ greens and judging distances. Orange and red or rose lenses are high definition lenses making everything appear in sharper focus – they are ideally suited to overcast conditions and playing later in the day when eyes can be tired. In the last couple of years the purple lens has also gained popularity. Purple ‘dulls’ a green background making it easer to see the ball – it’s also a ‘soothing’ colour that’s ideal for wearing for long periods at a time.

– A good wrap. Golf can often be played in windy conditions and so a sports style frame with a good wrap will keep wind out of the eyes. This also helps protect the eyes from the spray of fine sand when hitting a bunker shot.