The next time you head out to the course, make sure you add sunglasses to your assortment of golf equipment. They are essential. What other golf equipment can enhance your health and help you play better? Not to mention how much cooler you'll look with sweet shades. If you're not convinced, here are some really good reasons to wear golf sunglasses during your next round.

For the Good of Your Eyes

    UV rays affect many parts of your eyes. Your corneas, lenses and retinas all take a beating when they aren't shielded from harmful rays (Unite for Sight). Intense and long-term exposure can cause irritation, dryness, inflammation, cataracts, macular degeneration other problems (Unite for Sight). And 18 holes of sun exposure certainly qualifies as intense, and if you play a lot of golf, long-term is covered as well.  So, you need to wear sunglasses to save your eyes. Impaired eyesight definitely won't help your game.

For the Good of Your Game

    Before you hit a shot, you're supposed to visualize what's going to happen. You must look at the course, size up the situation, form your strategy and then execute it. Your entire shot depends on seeing and analyzing the course. Even if your swing is perfect, if your sight isn't, you'll have a tough time getting the ball in the hole. Thankfully, golf sunglasses can help. Not only do they reduce glare, allowing you to see clearly, but they also enhance contrast, which allows you to read the course better than ever (Public Health Agency of Canada). Anyone without golf sunglasses is at a distinct disadvantage to those with them. You don't need to make playing golf any harder; it's hard enough already. So, do yourself a favor and wear sunglasses.

What to Look for When Buying Golf Sunglasses

    Now that you know why you need to wear sunglasses while working your way around the course, it'd probably help to know how to pick the pair that will help you the most. Already assuming that they must look sweet, here's what you need to know to get a great pair of golf sunglasses.
    

• The lenses should block 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB rays (University Health Services).

• The larger the lenses, the better because gaps around the lenses let light in that damages your eyes. Wrap-around lenses offer the most protection (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency).

• Only buy golf sunglasses that don't slip off your face or down your nose because a quarter-inch slip away from your forehead lets in 20 percent more UV rays (Baptist Memorial Health Care). Also, loose glasses are a terrible distraction. Try pushing them back onto your nose during a backswing.

• Blue-blocking lenses are especially good for your eyes if you are outside a lot because they help reduce bright glare (Public Health Agency of Canada).

• Always test the lenses for distortion before you buy. You can check the lenses by holding them out at arms-length and looking through them at a straight line. If the line is straight, no distortion. However, if the line bends or sways as the sunglasses are moved back and forth, the lenses distort images, and you shouldn't get them.

• Although the darkness of the lenses doesn't affect UV protection, it does affect how comfortable your eyes feel (Public Health Agency of Canada). Find golf sunglasses dark enough so you don't have to squint.

    Although you will no longer be able to blame your bad shots on being blinded by the sun, you really should get golf sunglasses. If not for your health, at least get them because they'll help you perform better while playing.