Playing with Glasses?

[whip_it_out]

Im getting glasses tommorow, and the only thing Im worried about is how it will affect my golf. I have never been a big fan of sunglasses on the course, they just aren't comfortable, and Im just going into vision correction so I can't get contacts, if they even fit my eyes, for a year.

Any guys on here play with glasses, and how do you get comfortable with them over the ball?

(No, just not playing with them is not an option. I can't see the ball after it's about 100 yards away from me, and asking where it lands after every shot is annoying and rude.)

[Dent]

Im getting glasses tommorow, and the only thing Im worried about is how it will affect my golf. I have never been a big fan of sunglasses on the course, they just aren't comfortable, and Im just going into vision correction so I can't get contacts, if they even fit my eyes, for a year.

I have to do that, I can't see my ball and nobody minds. My playing partners know I have bad eyesight.

I don't see it annoying and rude at all.. how do you figure?

[Harold]

I never played golf without glasses so I can't really say what it's like with contacts or 20/20 vision. You deal with raindrops, sweat, dust and sometimes fogging but it's far better than the alternative of not seeing anything but blurs past three feet. They may seem strange initially but you will get used to them.

[whip_it_out]

I have to do that, I can't see my ball and nobody minds. My playing partners know I have bad eyesight.

Annoying for me, Id really like to see the ball and not think its on the green, but really 10 yards short. And, my dad doesn;t seem to mind, but I really don't want to find the one person who does think it's rude.

[ctmurrray]

Im getting glasses tommorow, and the only thing Im worried about is how it will affect my golf. I have never been a big fan of sunglasses on the course, they just aren't comfortable, and Im just going into vision correction so I can't get contacts, if they even fit my eyes, for a year.

When you first get glasses everything seems weird. You have been "squinting" to see before you got glasses and now you don't have to. I found stair steps to be further away than before, for example. Thus going down steps was an issue. This might be an issue playing golf since the ball is at your feet (I was not playing golf when I got my glasses).

If it is raining or misting your glasses get drops on them, this sucks. They help on windy days keeping your eye's moist. Same with sand shots facing a wind you have some protection. It is harder to put on or take off slip-over your head jackets. If you bump the side of them, near your temple, the force gets transmitted to your nose - and I think this hurts more. It gets a bit worse if you have reading prescription, so bifocals or gradient "no-line" glasses. My pro strongly suggested I get a pair of glasses with no reading correction, as it tends to make us put our head in the wrong position (to keep the ball in focus).

[RMD]

Tom Kite and Vijay didn't do too badly with glasses.

[polodinks]

my cousin wears glasses..... he cant play with out them or for real he cant see $hit..... i watch his ball and he watches mine

[ctmurrray]

Tom Kite and Vijay didn't do too badly with glasses.

Kite got laser surgery a few years ago to allow him to stop using glasses. I don't know about VJ but I recall that he does not play with them on (contacts?).

[shortgame85]

I have always played with glasses. But I don't like to play with prescription sunglasses; I don't like the peripheral change of dark and light.

My biggest challenge in regard to glasses came a year and a half ago, when I finaly gave in to my need for bifocals. I was so sure that I wouldn't be able to play with bifocals that I bought another pair of glasses just for golf. It turned out that once I got used to the bifocals, I perferred to play with them.

I would like to have the laser surgery on my eyes, but I know too many people who have had it with too many varying degrees of success for my taste. So, I will continue with my glasses. Most people I know adopt to glasses in a relatively short time.

[chingali]

I've played golf wearing glasses since I was in my early twenties and it's not a big issue. When you first try to hit a ball with your glasses on it'll be really weird because the ball will either look to be closer to you or further away, the same thing happens whenever your prescription changes. Go to the range and hit some balls, it only takes an hour or so for everything to go back to normal.

As for playing in the rain, down here in Australia there is a problem available called "Rain-X", it's meant to be wiped on car windscreens and what it does is cause water to bead and run off and generally makes it easier to see when driving in the wet, it works great on glasses too. You'll undoubtedly have something similar available, then there is also anti-fog stuff to spray on the inside. Use Rain-X and some anti-fog stuff and playing in the rain is no big deal at all.

One other thing to remember, parking the car can become a bit of an issue for the first few days because again things seem closer or further than they really are!

[hamletsdead]

When I got glasses everything initially looked farther away. I was playing water polo (not golf) back then, and switching back and forth played havoc with my depth perception. I switched to contacts soon thereafter, and have never golfed other than with sunglasses. Isn't it possible to get super-light corrected sunglasses that are basically golf sunglasses with a corrective lens and UV protection? My golfing sunglasses (PeakVision DG9) are extremely light and comfortable, and almost fit too closely, as they literally brush up against my eyelashes when I blink. I know Nyx advertises corrective vision inserts in their golfing sunglasses, and probably a ton of other companies do as well. I imagine after a few weeks of adjustment you'll be hitting the ball as well as ever, and have the added bonus of finding those balls you "lost" because you couldn't see where they landed.

[Eric]

I had to get glasses a few years back. My biggest adjustment was keeping my vision through the glasses when I made my swing. It was a pain in the butt for me because I am like a caveman and don't enjoy change much, but after a few rounds, it was ok. And once I got used to it, it became alot easier to find my balls in the sand trap. Bahhh!

[JackLee]

I wear trifocals except for golf. For golf, I have a pair of bifocals with the reading part just 10mm up from the bottom. That's big enough to read the scorecard, but doesn't get in my line of sight when swinging. The downside, of course, is the extra cost.

[Smallville]

If you gotta wear glasses, you gotta wear them. Gotta see where the ball goes! Plus you can now help watch the balls for others (everyone should help each other). I know it would bug me after a while if the person whose shots I am watching could never help with mine. And if you could take them off to putt (you said something about 100 yards), that would be a plus for you.

Someone mentioned Tom Kite getting laser surgery. I wore glasses full-time since I was 8 (near-sighted) until I had Lasik in 2000. Best thing EVER. Check your insurance (if you have vision, it MIGHT cover it).

[JCDot33]

I too have glasses, and have had them for like 5 years now ... the baseball season after I got glasses went up .175 points ... I have since switched to wearing contacts on the course simply because I just don't feel comfortable with my glasses while playing ... I will use my glasses on the range (in case I ever get caught without contacts availible) but my preference is to use contacts ...

[microcrayfish]

Alternately you could see if a pair of disposable contact lenses for golf is an option. Your optometrist might be reluctant to have you wear them all the time especially if you're young and your prescription will be changing but just wearing contacts for golf might work.

[Zeph]

If you play with someone who's being rude about your glasses it's not your fault, it's his or hers. Almost everyone can play golf, if they got a "handicap", like not having the best vision, playing with others and getting help with seeing and locating the ball is something a way to work around your "handicap". If you ever feel like it's rude, remember to be perfectly clear with those you play with from the first shot. If you tell them you've got bad vision and have a hard time seeing the ball, I'm sure 99.99% will help you out and be very friendly about it. Those who don't, well, I'm sure you're better off not playing with them.

[Eric]

I agree with Zeph on this one. If someone is giving you the business because you can't see and they might get slowed down a bit, then you know where to tell them to go \!/. I always enjoy having an excuse to play slower anyways. It let's me take my time and I can actually enjoy the course and relax as well (when I'm not looking for my balls).