Knowing what features to look for when buying your prescription golf sunglasses makes your search easy, efficient, and enjoyable! And our sunglasses buyer’s guide will make sure you don’t miss a beat. With our years of combined optical expertise and varied golf experience, our Sports Opticians bring you our top suggestions when shopping for your golf sunglasses—prescription included!
In This Post
Prescription Golf Sunglasses Frames
Material
Shape
Rim Style
Rubber Grip
Hat Compatibility
Lenses for Prescription Golf Sunglasses
Color
Polarization
Material
Prescription
Our Favorite Prescription Golf Sunglasses
Best Men’s Golf Sunglasses
Best Women’s Golf Sunglasses
Best Budget Golf Sunglasses
SportRx Olsen
Tifosi Vero
Top Luxury Golf Sunglasses
Maui Jim Ho’okipa
Shop Rx Golf Sunglasses at SportRx
Prescription Golf Sunglasses Frames
Your golf sunglasses frames should keep you comfortable, focused, and covered on the golf course. Let’s talk about how to achieve this, starting with the materials.
Material
Golf sunglasses fall under the sports eyewear category, which means they should be made of a sport-friendly material. Think lightweight, impact-resistant, and weather-resistant. For this, we suggest a durable nylon like Grilamid. This is an incredibly strong, flexible material that performs well even with constant sun exposure, plus it’s comfortable for hours on end. We recommend avoiding thick acetate or metal frames, which are designed more for fashion and less for performance.
Shape
Shape refers to how curved the lenses are, and therefore—the frame as well. In the optical world, we call this a base curve. The higher the base curve, the more convexed the lenses are. Lower base curves, such as 4-base frames, are better for holding the flatter shape of high prescription lenses. Higher base curves, such as 8-base frames, are also called wrap around sunglasses and don’t often work with high prescription lenses.
Sunglass Base Curves
Eight-base frames are popular for golf sunglasses because they provide lots of peripheral coverage from the sun. However, 6-base frames can also provide excellent coverage if you wear Rx lenses. Our best golf sunglasses blog includes a variety of shapes that are all prescription-friendly. SportRx also specializes in outfitting wrapped sunglasses with high Rx lenses, such as with our exclusive Oakley Flak 2.0 + High Rx Dock and best selling SportRx Olsen + High Rx Dock. No matter which shape you choose, make sure the size, fit, and coverage will keep you relaxed on the course.
Rim Style
Sunglass rims are the part of the frame that encloses the lenses. For golf sunglasses, thinner rims are usually best! The less frame you have, the more open your field of view will be, which is why many popular sports frames are semi-rimless with an open-bottom view. This is ideal for golf when you’re addressing the ball. Completely rimless golf sunglasses are less common, but offer the most unobstructed view you can find—such as with the ever-popular Maui Jim Ho’okipa.
Semi-rimless frames are best for the course, but if you don’t like the “sporty” look or they don’t work with your Rx, you can still find generous peripheral views with a full-rimmed model.
Rubber Grip
Rubber grip is one of the key differences between a casual wear sunglass and a sports frame. Look for it on the nose pads and temples, but especially on the nose pads. As a golfer, your eyes must follow the ball both high and low, and rubber grip keeps your frames comfortably secure no matter which way you tilt your head. It’s also a big help on warmer weather days when you break a sweat.
Rubber nose pads
Hat Compatibility
Last but definitely not least, make sure your golf sunglasses are hat compatible! There are two main ways to check for this: straight-back temples, and the corners on your frame front. Straight-back temples are thin and don’t curve down behind the ear. This makes it easy for them to slip right under the band on your hat. Secondly, check the corners on the frame front. Squared edges usually cause “hat crash” and compete with the bill, often pushing them down onto your nose. This can get uncomfortable after a while. Instead, look for a frame front with smooth corners that curve downwards, such as on the SportRx Olsen.
Straight-back temples
Lenses for Prescription Golf Sunglasses
When it comes to golf sunglasses, lenses are the main attraction. There are a few key points to consider, and each one can improve your game. We cover them all in detail below!
Color
Perhaps the most important lens feature on your golf sunglasses is the color or tint. The best tints for golf sunglasses are brown, rose, or bronze. These give maximum color contrast to help your surroundings “pop.” These colors make it easier to track your ball against any terrain on the course. Avoid colors like gray and blue, which neutralize tones and mute contrast. To learn more on this, check out our blog on the Best Lens Color for Golf.
Polarization
Are polarized lenses good for golf? Our opticians get asked this question a lot! The short answer is: it depends. Polarization can alter depth perception, which is key for reading the fairway. However, it’s excellent for cutting glare if you are light sensitive or playing near water traps. Newer golf carts also have monitors in them, and there’s about a 50/50 chance that polarized lenses won’t work with those screens. Those are the main pros and cons, but you can read more about it in our blog, Are Polarized Sunglasses Better for Golf?
Material
As with the frame, it’s best to have a durable, lightweight material for your lenses. Glass lenses have superior scratch resistance, but might get heavy for long rounds. They’re also not as safe in the event of an impact. We recommend a lightweight material like polycarbonate, both for comfort and impact-resistance. If you wear a prescription, you can also try Trivex.
Prescription
Speaking of prescription lenses, one key recommendation we make is to avoid getting progressives in your golf sunglasses if you won’t be using them as much. They limit your overall field of view and alter your view of the ground below you. With so much time spent looking downward in golf, it can compromise your accuracy when addressing the ball. This is a matter of preference and up to the golfer, but it’s good to keep in mind before purchasing your golf sunglasses.
Our Favorite Prescription Golf Sunglasses
Now that we’ve covered the main features to look for in golf sunglasses, check out a few of our favorites to get you started in your search!
Best Budget Golf Sunglasses
If you’re working with a set price range, you can still get a great pair of golf sunglasses on a budget. The SportRx Olsen is an incredibly versatile unisex frame that checks all the boxes and includes free single vision prescription lenses. It’s also available in a small size to suit a range of face shapes!
SportRx Olsen
SportRx Olsen Sunglasses with Rose Inferno Lenses
Shop SportRx Olsen
- Ideal for any sport
- Interchangeable lenses
- Adjustable nose pads and temples
- High Rx Dock available
Slightly smaller in size but not features is the Tifosi Vero. This is another best-selling frame that is loved for many sports due to its comfortable, lightweight feel and durability. Tifosi’s Enliven Golf tint has a green base with a subtle yellow hue for contrast if you’re wearing non-prescription lenses, or you can opt for SportRx Sport Optimized Lenses in Birdie with prescription!
Tifosi Vero
Tifosi Vero in Gloss Black with Enliven Golf Lenses
Shop Tifosi Vero
- Vented lenses
- Interchangeable lenses
- Adjustable nose pads and temples
- Starts under $100
Top Luxury Golf Sunglasses
For a little higher price point, you can enjoy a timeless favorite in the Maui Jim Ho’okipa. As one of the most popular rimless frames, the Ho’okipa gives the advantage of a totally open view that’s unobstructed by a frame. It’s comfortable, has signature Maui Jim optics, and is surprisingly durable given its thin structure.
Maui Jim Ho'okipa
Maui Jim Ho'okipa in Tortoise with Maui Rose Lenses
Shop Maui Jim Ho'okipa
- Fan-favorite from Maui Jim
- Totally unobstructed view
- Weightless feel
- Durable craftsmanship
- Superior optics & scratch-resistance
Shop Rx Golf Sunglasses at SportRx
Ready to shop? Find the perfect golf sunglasses from the comfort of your home and shop online at SportRx.com! For personalized assistance, you can also reach out to our friendly, knowledgeable Sports Opticians. We’re happy to answer all of your questions and help you decide on the best pair for your needs. Contact us here!
If you wear prescription lenses, you can also use your FSA or HSA funds towards your golf sunglasses! Simply enter your benefits card info at checkout as you normally would for any other card.
Lastly, you can shop with confidence knowing that your order is backed by our See Better Guarantee. This means you can try your new eyewear for 45 days totally risk-free. If you’re not completely satisfied, let us know and we’ll happily set up a return or exchange for a better frame for you. We even cover shipping both ways!
