Updated July 3, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
Sunglasses are a polarizing (pun fully intended) accessory on the golf course.
For some players (David Duval comes to mind), they’re as much a part of golf attire as pants or cleats. Other players have never used them and swear they never will.
Your eye doctor will probably tell you you should always have them on – and make sure they’re rated to 99-100% of all UVA and UVB rays too.
Rest assured – if you want to use sunglasses, we’ll share our findings on the best golf sunglasses in this article.
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Last updated on 2023-09-28. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Golf Sunglasses
Appearance
Look, you don’t want to look silly out there. Golf sunglasses are functional, sure, but they should look good too. I want a sleek, elegant, and functional pair.
While different styles will fit different faces, you don’t want something that seems out of place on the golf course.
Lens quality
The quality of the lens is by far the most important aspect of sunglasses when you’re talking about wearing them during a round of golf.
Most golf sunglasses that you can buy for $10 at the local gas station will block out UVA and UVB rays, but I wouldn’t recommend wearing them for golf.
Golf-specific lenses will accentuate the colors you see during a round of golf and should help you differentiate between different shades of greens and browns. They’ll also help, or at the very least not hinder your depth perception.
Depth perception is crucial for making good contact with the golf ball and chipping and putting the proper distance. It’s a significant aspect of the “feel” part of the game.
A great pair will have high-quality lenses that improve how you see the golf course.
Durability
Many players plan to wear their golf sunglasses for every shot of every round of golf. Others will only wear them for certain shots and maybe constantly take them off and put them back on during the course of a round.
You want a well-built pair of sunglasses with lenses that won’t scratch if you look at them funny and a frame that’ll bend without breaking.
Play golf with sunglasses for long enough, and you’ll drop them, you’ll hit a tree branch with them, you may even throw them in frustration. So you’re looking for golf sunglasses that’ll take these abuses and live to fight another day.
Comfort
Last but far from least, we’re talking comfort. The last thing you want is a pair of golf sunglasses with arms that dig into your skull and become uncomfortable to wear after a few holes.
Or one that slides down your nose every time you take a golf swing.
Your sunglasses should stay comfortably and firmly in place, whether they’re being worn or perched on the brim of your hat.
They should be so comfortable that you forget you’re wearing them. Any distraction from your sunglasses on the golf course is unacceptable.
Affordability
You may find the most durable pair of golf sunglasses in the world, and they’ll still be really easy to lose.
Whether you set them down on the bar at the 19th hole after the round and forget to pick them back up, or if they fall out of the golf cart without you noticing, golf sunglasses have a way of disappearing.
So we’re looking for a quality pair of golf sunglasses that won’t break the bank.
I’m a believer in the notion that the more you pay for something, the less likely you are to lose it, so I’m not afraid to spend a little extra for a higher quality item and then make it my business to keep track of it.
But even if you’ve never lost a pair of sunglasses, it’s remarkably easy to scratch the lenses. Hit a sand shot in the wind and then carelessly wipe the sand off, and you may find yourself staring at an unsightly scratch.
So it’s in your best interest to find the best quality set at the best price.
Best Golf Sunglasses 2023
What are the best sunglasses for golf? Here are the top 9 sunglasses that can protect your eyes from harmful UV rays while playing golf:
Callaway Sungear Kite Polarized Sunglasses
Best Sunglasses for Golf
PROS
- Wraparound design for good wind protection
- Bright lenses for overcast days
- Comfy
- Comes with hard case and hanging clip
CONS
- Slightly clunky design
- May be too bright on very sunny days
The Callaway Sungear Kite Golf Sunglasses have nice bright lenses that are great to wear even when it’s overcast and relatively dark outside.
The lenses keep the world bright-but-not-too-bright and are great all-around sunglasses. The lenses help perk the colors up and won’t make you dreary at all.
The Callaway Sungear Kite is among the brightest I tried. They’re my pick for use on a windy, overcast day.
O2O Polarized Sports Sunglasses
Best Budget Sunglasses for Golf
PROS
- Durable
- Lightweight
- Anti-scratch polarized lenses
CONS
- Clunky design
- Uncomfortable
The O2O Polarized Sports Sunglasses are a classic design made famous in the ‘80s and ‘90s by Oakley, when sports sunglasses started to come into vogue.
They’re still in use because the design effectively blocks harmful rays and distracts wind.
Oakley Half Jacket XL 2.0 Sunglasses
Most Durable Golf Sunglasses
PROS
- Sleek style that goes well with hats and visors
- Great lenses that make the colors of the course pop
- Comfortable enough that you’ll forget you’re wearing them
- Easily replaceable polarized lenses
CONS
- High initial investment (replacement lenses are reasonably priced, however)
- Not as stylish off the course
The Oakley Half Jacket XL 2.0 is a winner in the Oakley line, both in terms of the frame and the lenses.
This lens is a non-polarized iridium lens, which makes the colors of the course seem even more vivid and distinct than they are to the naked eye.
The frame of these Oakley sunglasses is incredibly lightweight but also very stable and well-built.
I’ve dropped them, had them knocked off my head by tree branches, and left them on top of the cart only to watch them go flying as I drive off, and they’re still like new.
Maxx Domain HD Sunglasses
Our Bargain Basement Pick
PROS
- Lenses have very good color gradation
- Engineered specifically to emphasize golf colors
- Very low price point
CONS
- Frame feels cheap
- Hard plastic ear pads dig after a while
- Large nose pads
Maxx Domain HD Golf Sunglasses are found across the country in muni golf course pro shops, advertising a price point between $15-25 for “High Definition” golf sunglasses.
At first, I brushed them off as a low-quality brand, useful only perhaps if you’ve forgotten your gamer pair and absolutely can’t play without them.
But having had the opportunity to spend some time with the Maxx Domain HD Sunglasses, I’m pleasantly surprised by their lenses. You should have a suitable replacement pair for the “just in case” moment.
Maui Jim Ho’okipa Sport
Best Luxury Golf Sunglasses
PROS
- Colors come to life with the lenses
- Fit beautifully
- Virtually indestructible frames
CONS
- Expensive
- Some people don’t want polarized lenses for golf
Maui Jim Ho’okipa Sport are designed and built in Hawaii. Its original purpose was to reveal the true colors of the beautiful island and ocean that the brightness of the Hawaiian sun often blunted with its hot glare.
Looking at the ocean through Maui Jim Ho’okipa and then taking them off is a mind-blowing experience: it’s like turning up the color saturation slider in Photoshop.
Jiangtun Wearover Polarized Sunglasses
Best Sunglasses to Wear Over Your Glasses
PROS
- Designed to wear over your prescription glasses
- Polarized lenses
- Full UV protection
CONS
- Distractingly large (though they have to be)
- Lens distorts color
I’ll be frank: if you normally wear glasses to see, I’d suggest getting contact lenses to play golf in.
If you can’t wear contacts, in my opinion, it’s worth the investment to spring for a good pair of prescription sunglasses. The Oakley Half-Jacket sunglasses reviewed above have RX-Ready lenses that can have a prescription cut into them.
But sometimes, contact lens wearers will wake up one day with an irritated eye, and contacts won’t work that day.
I tested a few different types of wear-over golf sunglasses that are designed to put on over your regular prescription lenses, and the Jiangtun Wearover Polarized Lenses was the clear winner.
RIVBOS Sunglasses
Most Versatile Golf Sunglasses
PROS
- Great for golf and other sporting activities
- Incredibly lightweight on face
- Lifetime warranty on lens and frame breakage
- Excellent sun protection for eyes
CONS
- Slightly limited range of colors
- Don’t feel as durable as others in the price range
The RIVBOS Sunglasses are terrific for golf fueled by their lightweight design that sits easily on the nose. Not only are these one of the best golf sunglasses, but they also are versatile enough for other sporting activities such as running and biking.
Packaged in a hardshell case for maximum protection, the RIVBOS might not be as well known as other golf sunglasses by name brand manufacturers, but their performance is unmatched at this price point.
MyUV Golf Ball Finder Blue Lens Sunglasses
Best Sunglasses to Play Golf in the Desert
PROS
- Blue hue makes it easy to track the ball
- Classic wraparound design
- Good for desert golf
CONS
- Blue hue makes it tough to read greens
- Become uncomfortable after a while
Sometimes you don’t realize there’s a need for a product until that product appears on the market. That’s the case with the MyUV Golf Ball Finder Blue Lens.
Anyone who’s played desert golf can attest to the fact that golf balls that sail offline and land in the desert can easily blend into the landscape.
Even though they’re resting atop the sandy surface, the bright sun and reflectiveness of the sand and the ball make them hard to find.
Combine that with the lack of trees and such to create a line of sight to walk on, and you may find yourself losing a lot of balls.
Under Armour Igniter Sunglasses
Best Value for Money
PROS
- Large wraparound lenses provide good protection
- Titanium-infused frame for durability
- Good polymer lens
CONS
- Plastic frame feels cheap
Under Armour is one of the top sports apparel brands in the world.
The Under Armour Igniter is a step up from gas-station frames for sure, but there’s just not quite as much color definition as you find in higher-end glasses reviewed elsewhere in this article.
Surprisingly, the frames are titanium-infused, which Under Armour claims makes them even more durable than most other plastic frames.
It will do the trick: this is the best choice if you’re low on budget.