Wear to Play: Sunglasses

Find the perfect golf shades

Remember when the Oakley-wearing, expressionless David Duval drew comparisons to Darth Vader? At the time, he was one of the few Tour players wearing shades. Now just about all wear them—except when it’s time to read the greens. That’s when substance trumps style and the glasses move to the top of their caps. Avoid polarized lenses, which are like looking through Venetian blinds and get semi-rim or rimless. You gotta see the ball first, don’t you?

Oakley

Mentioned first, because they are first: in sales. See ’em on Ian Poulter and Zach Johnson. The highly recommended Iridium lenses are the most popular. RadarLocks are what the pros wear. $220-$380; oakley.com

adidas

The stylish Euro-look rocked by DJ, Sergio, and other TMaG Tour players is cool, and so are the features—Silhouette Optical technology, two sizes, quick-release temples and adjustable nose pieces—that only adidas has. The TourPro L is styling. $170; adidas.com

Zeal

Never heard of Zeal? The Boulder-based brand produces very well made, highly regarded shades. The Cota is the one for the links, and Zeal offers a reasonably priced glass—the EOS. Promise, you will be the only one on the course sporting these. $149; zealoptics.com

Kaenon

Very cool, very large sunglasses. Worth the money in optical quality. Selection is sparse for golf, as the Kore and the SoftKore are the only semi-rimless models. $239; kaenon.com

Vedalo HD

The top pilots in the world wear them—at high speeds! Since our speed is regular flex, high kickpoint, 78 mph on the tee, these should be overkill. Very light and sturdy with unparalleled optical grind. The Lombardy Stritanium are superb. $329; vedalohd.com

RELATED LINKS

Wear to Play: Belts and Shoes

Wear to Play: Hats

How to Wear Bright Colors and Bold Patterns on the Course

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