IF YOU WANT to have the best sunglasses for golf, the last thing you want to do is opt for cheap eyewear. Think about it: you’ve paid all this money on golf clubs, the a golf bag, golf gloves, and golf shoes. So why not invest a little bit more into an area on the course that directly affects how your perform? Crystal clear vision is everything when playing golf, which is why we’ve come to bring you our top-recommended golf sunglasses.
The editors and writers at Men’s Health gathered all our years of knowledge in expertise in playing golf and rounded together the best golf sunglasses for all-day play. Along with testing over 30 pairs of golf sunglasses in the past two years, we’ve also consulted with eye doctors and sports vision experts to find our favorite pairs.
Best Sunglasses for Golf
BEST GOLF SUNGLASSES OVERALLTifosi Rivet$50 AT AMAZONREAD MORE
BEST PREMIUM GOLF SUNGLASSESNike Ace Driver$199 AT NIKEREAD MORE
MOST VERSATILE GOLF SUNGLASSESOakley Holbrook Prizm$167 AT OAKLEYREAD MORE
MOST DURABLE GOLF SUNGLASSESVallon Howlin’ Sunglasses$140 AT HUCKBERRYREAD MORE
BEST AFFORDABLE GOLF SUNGLASSESKnockaround Knockaround Fort Knocks Polarized Sunglasses for Men & Women – Impact Resistant Lenses & Full UV400 Protection, Frosted Navy Fade Frames/Yellow Sunset Lenses$35 AT AMAZONREAD MORE
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What to Consider
Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement. Dr. Fuerst was able to share a few key points with us when looking for golf shades that help maintain eye health.
Price Point
Buying a cheap pair of sunglasses for golf can greatly affect what Dr. Fuerst points out as optical clarity on the course. “Many inexpensive sunglasses have distorted lenses, but even a slight visual distortion in the lens can change the visual appearance of the ball and may cause unnecessary swing modification,” says Dr. Fuerst. To combat buying a pair of golf sunglasses with bad optical clarity, Dr. Fuerst suggests shopping from your eye doctor or a reputable online glasses store.
Prescription
Even if you have a weak prescription, it’s worth adding prescription lenses to your golf sunglasses. “As we age, we can develop a minor distance prescription, so don’t be afraid to get a prescription in your sunglasses as needed—I frequently have patients who golf that complain of losing the ball on drives,” says Dr. Fuerst. “They insist they only need glasses for reading or working on a computer, but they are actually experiencing a 15-20% drop in visual clarity, contrast sensitivity, and depth perception that commonly comes with aging.” The good news is most quality golf sunglasses are available for prescription, Dr. Fuerst recommends.
UVA and UVB Protection
Just like buying any pair of sunglasses, make sure your frames offer sun protection. Dr. Fuertes maintains that your golf sunglasses should offer 100% protection form UVA and UVB rays. “Sun damage to the eyes can begin in as little as 15 minutes, and the damage is cumulative and can build over time leading to a variety of eye-related health conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and even eyelid cancer,” says Dr. Fuertes. This is all to say, make sure you’re buying your sunglasses from reputable stores.
How We Selected
For the past two years, Men’s Health editors and writers have been testing tons of golf sunglasses to find the best ones for the course. To narrow down our favorites, we evaluated golf sunglasses on lens design, frame quality, style, and price point. We also considered golf sunglasses mentioned in popular golf forums, like r/golf on Reddit, for community favorite picks that are lesser known to the general public.
We can’t guarantee a new pair of golf sunglasses will improve your vision, but we can say it’s likely you’ll notice some kind of gain in clarity on the course—at the very least, you’ll get sun protection for your eyes. Many of these pairs below can fill a prescription too, so if you need to get a pair of golf sunglasses altered to your vision requirements you can go the next step and get that taken care of. Now, let’s get to the list.
BEST GOLF SUNGLASSES OVERALL
Tifosi Rivet
PROS
- Just $50
- Special lenses made specifically for golf
- Several colors available
- High durability
- Familiar sport silhouette
- Comfortable nose and temple pieces
- Comes with a protective zip case
CONS
- Moderate comfort, so they aren’t ideal if you want the best comfort you can get
You can find a pair of Tifosi sunglasses for as low as $25. However, if you want to get the best bang for your buck, especially when it comes to sport shades, we recommend going up to the $50 Rivet sunglasses. For starters, the Rivet is made with a thermoplastic frame and polycarbonate lenses, which means you’re getting a virtually indestructible pair of sunglasses.
What makes the Rivet so great for golf is the Crystal Smoke lens with Enliven Golf tech. The Enliven tech helps highlight contrasts on the course, pulling the color of the golf ball while also revealing hidden slopes on the green. When playing with the Rivet ourselves, we definitely could tell a difference in how the lens created starker contrast. If you were to compare a $50-$100 pair of your everyday shades to the Rivet, the Rivet would be the obvious choice to use for golfing every time.
The Rivet comes in a sport design most of us have worn before, so there’s no unexpected digging or inconveniences. The rubber pieces on the nose and temples hold firm, but not too tight. Overall, the comfort level is moderate. The plastic frame is a little heavy and thick when compared to the premium eyewear picks we have on this list. Alas, you have to remember you get what you pay for. If you want to prioritize the best comfort, you’ll likely be set back $150-$200 a pair.
Perhaps you are new to golf and have discovering you need a dedicated pair of golf sunglasses? Or maybe you already have a pair of sunnies you like and need a backup pair? The Rivet makes sense in these types of scenarios, plus many more. Start here in your search before looking at the more expensive picks.
Read more: Best Golf Clothing Brands
| Prescription Availability | No |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Low |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
BEST PREMIUM GOLF SUNGLASSES
Nike Ace Driver
$199 AT NIKE$114 AT AMAZON$134 AT WALMART
PROS
- Insanely comfortable and lightweight
- Timeless style
- Special Course Tint helps view slopes and golf ball easier
- Rubber pieces are secure and don’t dig
CONS
- Some might not prefer the thin design
Just like any pair of shades, golf sunglasses can sky rocket in price. Some are worth the dough, while others are just trying to sell you on the style. The Nike Ace Driver is definitely worth the price tag. Allow us to explain.
The Ace Driver frame is made from titanium, leading it to be the lightest pair of sunglasses we tested without any compromise to durability. The silicone nose pads and temple tips offer elite comfort and lock-tight grip (even against sweat).
As for the lens, Nike outfitted the Ace Driver with a polarized lens, which is helpful for driving off the tee box when the sun is beaming right in your face. The best detail about the lens, though, is the brown Course Tint color. Like Dr. Fuerst mentioned, a moderate brown tint has shown to enhance readings on the green. Dr. Fuerst noted the moderate brown tint can help see undulations and slopes more clearly too.
We took all this lens info into account before playing a round in the Ace Driver. After play, we found the Ace Driver provides exceptional course clarity, especially when the sun is at its highest point of the day. The combination of the polarization and the brown tint helped limit eye strain while providing clear views of course terrain and golf balls.
If you need to be sold more on the price, the Ace Driver also has potential as an everyday pair of sunglasses. We received several compliments on how stylish they looked, and the fact they have polarization makes them even more appealing for wear outside of golf. The verdict: absolutely consider buying these if you’re willing to pay a premium. The investment is well worth the purchase.
| Prescription Availability | Yes |
|---|---|
| Price Range | High |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
MOST VERSATILE GOLF SUNGLASSES
Oakley Holbrook Prizm
PROS
- Worn by pro golfers
- Can be used as everyday sunglasses too
- Signature Prizm lenses
- Under $200
CONS
- Better pairs on this list if you’re looking strictly for performance
Oakley is a chosen go-to for pro-golfers like Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, and Hideki Matsuyama At the core of Oakley’s golf sunglasses is the Prizm lens, which is hailed by many for its ability to absorb the right amount of light and create an ideal contrast between a white golf ball and the greens. The shades are even great when approaching to putt—which is worth highlighting because some high-quality shades can clash with putting greens and creating a grainy look.
You can buy Prizm lenses in polarized and non-polarized lenses, but since there’s not much glare to combat when golfing, we loved how we could select the non-polarized Prizm lenses and save the extra cash. There are tons of Oakley styles to choose from, so really any model with the Prizm lens fitted is worth checking out. When looking for a timeless pair of shades that would translate well for wearing off the course, the Holbrook models proves to be most versatile.
Read more: Best Golf Watches
| Prescription Availability | Yes |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Middle |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
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MOST DURABLE GOLF SUNGLASSES
Vallon Howlin’ Sunglasses
PROS
- Lifetime warranty from Vallon
- Extremely sharp vision
- Built in, removable neck strap
- Polarized and glare protection
CONS
- Narrow frames, so not a great fit for wider faces
- No nose pads
Vallon designed the Howlin’ aviators to handle high intensity outdoor adventures, like ascending mountains, biking the backwoods, and cross country skiing. Which means that 18 holes are a walk in the park for these bad boys.
Thanks to adjustable temples with a metal core that can bend inward for a customized comfortable and secure fit, these shades never once slipped, much less fall off. Even if they had, the convenient built-in removable strap would keep them secure when utilized.
The real star of the show for me is the lenses. Vallon touts the V52 lens technology as top of the performance sunglasses market. Without going into technical jargon, that bold claim holds true for me in the sharpness of the view through these specs. Even with polarization and a glare protection treatment, the dimming that comes with most sunglasses is not there. That clarity certainly comes in handy with every swing on the course.
| Prescription Availability | No |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Middle |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
BEST AFFORDABLE GOLF SUNGLASSES
Knockaround Knockaround Fort Knocks Polarized Sunglasses for Men & Women – Impact Resistant Lenses & Full UV400 Protection, Frosted Navy Fade Frames/Yellow Sunset Lenses
PROS
- Super affordable polarized lenses
- Over a dozen color options
- Lock in hinges
CONS
- No bridge pads
- Vision is a bit dim
“Cheap sunglasses” are useful for occasions where you risk losing and/or breaking your shades and don’t want to feel the pain in your wallet. For most of us, golf is one of those occasions. Knockarounds sell for less than $50 and include polarized lenses with remarkably clear vision. I found the construction and materials to be very sturdy for the price.
Knockaround used a prototypical wayfarer design for the For Knocks, which is probably the most versatile looking sunglass style ever created. Along with the course ready lenses, I love rocking these shades because they look good with everything.
There are a dozen different color options at any given time, with new options coming each season. You can spice up your look with something bold or keep it classy with timeless black frames. Even at this price, it isn’t really fair to call these sunglasses cheap.
| Prescription Availability | No |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Low |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
BEST OLD SCHOOL GOLF SUNGLASSES
Ray-Ban Clubmaster
These are your grandfather’s golf sunglasses, and that’s what makes them so cool. Ray Ban has been selling the Clubmaster line since the ‘60s, and it has been a staple of classic golf style ever since.
The modern issue has kept the exact same look, but comes with polarized lenses that offer exceptionally clear vision. Updates in material and construction have also made the frames lighter and more flexible than ever. It was almost shocking how lightweight the Clubmater is and how, thanks to the nose pad design, it feels like the frames are floating on your face.
Timeless style is obviously the draw of these shades, but I was pleasantly shocked at how well they performed on the course. The wire bridge and lower ¾ lens frames were designed half a century ago to be minimally invasive on your vision and feel light-as-a-feather on your face, and that tech still holds up.
| Prescription Availability | Yes |
|---|---|
| Price Range | High |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
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BEST XL GOLF SUNGLASSES
SMITH Lowdown XL 2
Most sunglasses aren’t designed for guys with larger heads. If you have that problem, then Smith is here to save the day. Typical lens width – which is the standard for measuring how big sunglasses are – runs somewhere between 45 and 55 mm, but the Lowdown XL measures a hulking 60 mm.
These top notch golf shades are also equipped with helpful features like temples that curve in for a sturdy hold and nose pads that prevent slipping from sweat. I found the AutoLock hinges to be a useful little feature that made temples pop open with a little flick of the wrist and let me easily put them on with one hand.
Of course, you don’t have to be blessed with a large dome to enjoy these sunglasses on and off the greens. Oversized frames are a good look, especially with a boxy wayfarer-esqe frame like this.
| Prescription Availability | No |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Middle |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
BEST GOLF SUNGLASSES FROM A GOLF BRAND
Callaway Sungear Kite
PROS
- Under $100
- Comfortable performance design
- Lens quality is up to par
CONS
- Lenses prone to scratching
Already have a set of Callaway clubs? Take your brand loyalty a step further and go with a pair of Callaway sunglasses, which have several excellent models that are perfect for play. We especially enjoy the Sungear Kite. You can grab a pair for well under $100 while still getting premium features like a strong featherweight frame and sharp polarized lenses. The lenses work great at opening up light to see the ball and help get a read of the greens, all while limiting eye strain and over-focusing that can dry a player’s eyes out.
What’s cool is that you even get a nice carrying case with your purchase. Considering popping a pair of these in your golf bag so they’re always on-hand when playing.
| Prescription Availability | No |
|---|---|
| Price Range | Middle |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
MOST UNDERRATED GOLF SUNGLASSES
Costa Diego
PROS
- Protects against high-levels of brightness
- Comfortable for those who prefer larger pair of shades
- Polarized
- Worn by Tiger Woods
CONS
- Most expensive pair on our list
If you think Costa sunglasses aren’t ideal for golf, think again. The Diego is a personal favorite of Tiger Woods as of late, most likely due to the luxury comfort and square style that protects against dirt and sand. We’ve tested blue tint sunglasses before for golf. The tint does help with contrast, but the strength here is the high sun protection. If you’re playing in really sunny environments (think Florida in July) then these will for sure battle brightness.
Another great detail about the Diego? It’s versatile as heck, especially when it comes to wearing for other outdoor activities like fishing. If you’re looking for a comfortable design that covers more area of the face and can be worn in multiple environments, then these might be the pick for you.
| Prescription Availability | Yes |
|---|---|
| Price Range | High |
| UVA and UVB Protection | 100% |
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Meet the Expert
- Dr. Randy Fuerst is an optometrist with 40 years experience and a an eye doctor within the Vision Service Plan (VSP) network. Dr. Fuerst is also a sports vision expert, and he served as the team optometrist for professional teams like the Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, and San Jose Sharks between 1988-2007. When Dr. Fuerst is not serving patients, the chances are he’s golfing. Dr. Fuerst’s ability to cross-reference his knowledge as an eye doctor and his ability to break down what makes a pair of sunglasses good for golf is a key reason we interviewed him.
What Color of Lens Is Best for Golf?
Before buying golf sunglasses, make sure to get regular eye exam checks. From what your eye doctor recommends, you can then start incorporating any special features you might need for your golf sunglasses—like prescription lenses. As far as lens tint goes, there are a few different colors that could help with seeing on the course. “Dark green and moderate brown tints have been shown in several studies—as well as claimed by professional golfers—to help give an enhanced reading of the green,” says Dr. Randy Fuerst, a VSP network eye doctor, sports vision expert, and avid golfer. “These tints may help a golfer see undulations and slopes more clearly and can help prevent turning a two putt for par into a bogey.”
Dr. Fuerst made sure to warn about one specific lens design that’s become popular as of late: wrap-around lenses. “Wrap sunglasses that curve around the sides of the face are often recommended for cycling, water sports, skiing and hiking, but I wouldn’t advise them for golf,” says Dr. Fuerst. “This is because there can be minor distortions at the peripheral edges that can adversely affect the visual calculus that is part of the approach to the ball.”
More on the Best Lens Tints for Golf
Darker tints have been shown to help provide enhanced readings of the green. The difference in buying a tint that’s optimized for golf is a potential to see the dips (undulations) and slopes on a golf course more clearly—this is especially true when putting. Some golf sunglasses utilize a rose or purple color tint. These are typically more expensive, but the theory behind this color is that it helps remove the red and yellow hues from grass. That makes an enhanced contrast between the golf ball and the green.
In terms of what lens tints to avoid, Dr. Fuerst says to look into the level of illumination of the course and selecting tints that help with depth perception. “If you are playing an ocean view course, or a high desert rock-strewn course, the light levels will be much brighter than a shaded woodland links,” says Dr. Fuerst. “Darker lenses are much more appropriate for courses with harsh light and brighter background, while lighter tints are more appropriate for a heavily shaded course or cloudy and overcast days. “
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Do Polarized Lenses Help in Golf?
Polarized lenses are not as important on the golf course as they are in everyday life. This is due to the lack of spots where glare can occur on a course, which is what polarized lenses help reduce. In fact, polarized lenses can cause warped vision at points on the course and even mess with trying to hit the ball. The biggest example of this is when you’re putting, as the lenses can over-focus on the crisp putting greens and create a weird grainy effect.
Polarized lenses can be helpful though, especially when playing near water and the sun is reflecting off it. We don’t really have a strong opinion on buying polarized versus non-polarized. Instead, we want to let it be known that polarized lenses are not a must-have for your golf sunglasses.
