A question we get a lot is, "Can I play golf with progressive lenses?" In short, yes you can, but we don't usually recommend progressive lenses for golf. Check out this video with Tyler and read on to find out whether progressive golf lenses are right for you.

The Pros

Progressive lenses could come in handy for golf. For example, you may need them if you look at your scorecard or phone a lot, or plan to use your sunglasses driving to and from the course. Maybe you don't want to switch to another set of glasses or readers when you head into the clubhouse and need to read a menu. If you have a stronger reading correction on your prescription, it can be harder to see closer things with a single vision lens.

Additionally, if you use progressive lenses in your everyday glasses or sunglasses, you might find it harder to adjust to single-vision for golf.

The Cons

Golf is a sport with a lot of looking down and to the sides, and you won't be able to see those areas as well with a progressive lens. We do set the reading correction lower on sports progressive lenses, but it may still be too high for golf. To play golf with a progressive lens, you'll have to look over the reading segment and utilize the distance portion of your lens near the top.

Some companies in the past have advertised "progressive golf lenses," but they don't work as well as they might sound. The problem with progressive lenses for golf relates specifically to how a progressive lens is intended to work. Think of an hourglass shape, where the top area is for distance viewing and the bottom for reading up close. The middle area of this lens has a much thinner corridor to ease the wearer's eyes when adjusting from distance to reading.

Now think about swinging a golf club. When you bring the club back, your head shifts slightly—your eye is now pointing down but peering through the side of the lens. In a progressive lens, this view will be distorted. You may lose focus on the ball when you come down on the follow-through. A single vision lens for just distance viewing will not have this problem as there is no peripheral distortion. Hence why we normally suggest single-vision for golf.

The Verdict

Contact our opticians! With your unique prescription numbers and how often you use a progressive lens, we can help you figure out if progressive golf sunglasses are best for you.

In general, though, we don't typically recommend them. If you don't have a strong reading prescription, you'll probably play just fine with a single vision lens. Getting progressive lenses for golfing is up to you and how well you know yourself.

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