Fading eyesight and Disappearing Drives?

[Bassfisher]

As if the game isn’t difficult enough , as a returning golfer at 55yrs young, I’m inflicted with yet another challenge - fading eyesight!!! Grr! When I do manage to hit a drive straight then it’s not a problem as I can trust that I’ll stumble across my ball somewhere along the fairway. But more often my drives will be somewhat wayward, it can be a problem as in fading light I really now struggle to see the ball in flight. I’m sure that plenty of other people will have a similar problem, my question is; If you have experienced this and then turned to wearing glasses for your game did it really help and would you recommend or not?

 

[CliveW]

I've been suffering for a few years now and started using Titleist yellow balls which really stand out against the green grass. Much better colour than other manufacturers and a premium ball.

 

[Grumps]

I tried the yellow/black trueviz but found them hard to spot so stick to plain yellow

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Don't be afraid to tell whoever you are playing with that you struggle to see distances. I've been a spotter before for someone who had issues. They told me on the 1st tee and I just made sure to watch each shot. Easy enough.

 

[Grant85]

Best advice is to play with someone who has good eyesight.

I don't see what problem glasses would pose, as long as they were well fitting and you don't play in the rain.

But for when that's not possible I'd defiantly look at brightly coloured balls.

 

[BubbaP]

Do you drive a vehicle? When did you last have an eye test?

I've worn glasses or contact lenses for golf for years.

 

[Smiffy]

Best advice is to play with someone who has good eyesight.

I played with a 93 year old at Cooden one day he assured me that he had 20/20 vision.
I hit a massive drive down the second, asked him if he had seen it.
"Of course" he replied.
"Where did it go?" I asked.
"I've forgotten"

 

[Robin Hood]

We always watch out for each other’s balls
- and have even had a tee watcher ?
That’s what friends do.

 

[Bassfisher]

Great replies thanks guys!! I’ll try those balls!

 

[rulefan]

As a referee I have been conscious for a year or so of not being able to see many of the drives finishing. When the player asks 'Did you see it' I resort to the standard reply 'I'm a referee not a spotter'.
As it happens I have just been advised to wear specs when driving my car (i can see my golf drives as they don't go very far these days). I tried my new specs the other day when playing and the difference was amazing. I can see a ball from the big hitters clearly now. Go to one of the high street opticians and get a free eye test.

 

[Bassfisher]

As a referee I have been conscious for a year or so of not being able to see many of the drives finishing. When the player asks 'Did you see it' I resort to the standard reply 'I'm a referee not a spotter'.
As it happens I have just been advised to wear specs when driving my car (i can see my golf drives as they don't go very far these days). I tried my new specs the other day when playing and the difference was amazing. I can see a ball from the big hitters clearly now. Go to one of the high street opticians and get a free eye test.

Thanks for your reply , I have regular eye tests, my eyesight doesn’t necessitate wearing glasses and so I’m putting off the enevitable. I’m interested to hear from guys like yourself that have been through it too! I guess it’s time now!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As a glasses wearer, yes, they are a pain especially in the rain but what you need to bear in mind it may not be just hitting it a long way that will benefit. If you have a long putt, even though you feel you don't need glasses, how much better you'll see the line once you bow to the inevitable and get them

 

[Foxholer]

I played with a 93 year old at Cooden one day he assured me that he had 50/50 vision.
...

Notwithstanding the p-take nature of the post...
50/50 vision is no different to 20/20 vision. 50:50 vision sounds decidedly dodgy - like the toss of a coin!
20/20 vision is 'standard' - being able to see something from 20ft that someone with 'standard' vision could (also) read from 20ft; 20/10 is actually really good (meaning you can read something from 20ft that someone of standard eyesight would need to be 10ft from to read. 20/40 is the minimum driving standard.
The 20 comes from the distance (in feet) from the chart patients are seated/standing during the test. 6/6 is the metric equivalent.

 

[jim8flog]

One of the biggest reasons for me starting to wear glasses when I play was not so much seeing the ball in flight as I realised I was not reading the greens as well as I did when younger.

It is worth experimenting with different types of frames and I can recommend selectspecs.com for cheap glasses to do this.. For me it is definitely function not form and I found big frames with big lens was the way to go and I use aviator style with slim metal frames that do not obscure the side ways vision.

 

[jim8flog]

Thanks for your reply , I have regular eye tests, my eyesight doesn’t necessitate wearing glasses and so I’m putting off the enevitable. I’m interested to hear from guys like yourself that have been through it too! I guess it’s time now!

55 and not even needing reading glasses that is seriously good going.

 

[clubchamp98]

Worn glasses most of my life.
Had lazer surgery 20 yrs ago for my job.
But it’s wearing off and have gone back to glasses to correct my vision
One thing struck me straight away without glasses I was aiming way right on putts .
I assume this is also in my long game.
It’s much better with glasses seems to equalise my eyes.
My mate is an optician and made me a pair of Dennis Taylor’s in reverse where the lenses are longer at the bottom so I am not looking under them or dropping my head to much.
This is common if the lens is to small you drop your head to look through the lens properly.
Get your self a cheap pair just to try them out ,then find an optician who plays golf and explain your dilemma.
But sure most opticians are ok to do what you want.
Why make the game harder if a cheap pair make it easier.

 

[Slab]

Glasses aside the callaway supersoft green balls are really easy to spot and inexpensive to boot

 

[IanM]

I've been a glasses wearer for years...but always play in lenses in case it rains and needing to carry only one pair of sunglasses.

See an optician asap.

 

[Rlburnside]

Worn glasses most of my life.
Had lazer surgery 20 yrs ago for my job.
But it’s wearing off and have gone back to glasses to correct my vision
One thing struck me straight away without glasses I was aiming way right on putts .
I assume this is also in my long game.
It’s much better with glasses seems to equalise my eyes.
My mate is an optician and made me a pair of Dennis Taylor’s in reverse where the lenses are longer at the bottom so I am not looking under them or dropping my head to much.
This is common if the lens is to small you drop your head to look through the lens properly.
Get your self a cheap pair just to try them out ,then find an optician who plays golf and explain your dilemma.
But sure most opticians are ok to do what you want.
Why make the game harder if a cheap pair make it easier.

Interesting comments about Lazer surgery, I had that about 15 years ago and have been wondering lately if my eyesight has deteriorated.

Were you told that surgery could wear off after a certain time?

 

[chrisd]

Interesting comments about Lazer surgery, I had that about 15 years ago and have been wondering lately if my eyesight has deteriorated.

Were you told that surgery could wear off after a certain time?

I had eye laser correction surgery about 25 years ago. The result was wonderful until I suffered a detached retina about 3 years ago and the repair took a fair while to settle down, especially as a gas filled eye automatically brings on a cataract which then needed replacement of the lens. So I've had to wear glasses since the retina problem and in the last couple of weeks I've had a bright half moon light in my repaired eye when I close it which is opaque but black when open, which messes with the vision - the joys of old age ?

But no, my eye correction didnt deteriorate and my left eye is still pretty damn good.