Kaenon Polarized Eyewear
Golf Sunglasses Duality: Style and Function
With as much as we might spend on clubs, balls, green fees, etc. in this crazy game we can’t get enough of, sometimes we might overlook one important connection to our ability to play well- our eyesight. Have you ever been paired up with someone that keeps squinting into the sun and asking you, “Did you see where my ball went?” Don’t be that guy! There are ways to protect your vision, see the ball better, and look good all at the same time. Kaenon, a sunglasses manufacturer located in Newport Beach, California, has a full lineup of highly fashionable and functional polarized sunglasses that are perfect for the demands of the game of Golf. You may have seen some players on the PGA Tour wearing Kaenons and not realized it. Robert Allenby has worn their “Kore” model for some time, and Davis Love III has recently begun wearing the “Hard Kore” model. Given these seem to be the two most popular models seen on Tour, I figured they required a run down for our membership. Here goes!
First, lets have a look at the Kore model. There is a decidedly sports-oriented shape to the frame and lenses on this model. It would really appropriate for just about any sport, be it beach volleyball or cycling, or anything else really. I especially liked this design’s open bottomed lenses so as not to interfere when looking down at the ball for Golf. The shape of the lenses wraps around the entire field of vision nicely. The lenses cover enough area above the eyes to help block out light from above (one pet peeve of mine for some sunglass designs.) They also extend outward far enough as to provide excellent peripheral vision. The overall size of the lenses does a great job of coving enough area to block out wind nicely as well.
The frame on the Kore model is very flexible and soft. It wraps around the shape of your face nicely, and featured rubberized temples to keep them in place. There is a rubberized nosepiece -which keeps the Kore in place with a slip-free grip, yet it never left any large red impressions on my nose like some sunglasses can. They were very comfortable in this way. I typically wear a hat while playing, and the temples fit well underneath the bottom of my hat. There was no need to “prop” the temples over the hat like with some sunglasses. The frames come in multiple sizes, which I especially appreciated, as my face is wide, and sometimes sunglasses can be a tough fit for me. The large size fit me very well.
Second, I gave the Hard Kore model a spin. They were definitely the more “fashion-forward” looking of the two pairs. With wider temples the look is more “Italian” high fashion (which the frames did, in fact, say they are made in Italy on both pairs.) This also serves a functional purpose in blocking out light from the periphery. They acted like “blinders” in a sense. I can’t say I was able to get used to the feeling. I tend to wear my sunglasses for the day to and from the course while driving, and I didn’t like this sensation at all while changing lanes and crossing intersections. You may be different, of course, so this is just my observation. Out on the course, they were very good at “narrowing” one’s focus to the shot at hand at least.
The overall fit of the Hard Kore I found to be well suited to keeping light and wind out of my eyes. I could see this pair being especially good for an activity like fishing, where you might want to keep all the light that you can out of your eyes due to the reflections of the water. On the course, paired with my usual baseball hats, the temples were a bit large, and did not fit under my hat as nicely as the Kore model. I also found them to fit a bit narrower, and the lenses would sometimes lose contact with my nose and be “suspended” while putting. I think this particular model simply did not fit my face shape as well. But, simply finding a local retailer to try them on would, of course, solve this dilemma. (
http://www.kaenon.com/dealers.cfm)
Once you find the appropriate fit, the lens technology is what the Kaenons are all about. Kaenon has multiple lens tints to choose from, as well as levels of “LTL” or “Light Transmission Level.” This allows you to choose the correct amount of light level to come through the lens, as well as the appropriate tint for the light conditions you most often find yourself playing in. I tried the LTL level 28 in both the Copper and Grey tints. The Copper tint was especially useful for enhancing contrast, and I found these lenses to be very effective on overcast days. The greens seemed to “pop” out really well with these lenses. The Grey lenses seemed to be the best as an all-around lens tint. They provided excellent contrast and very true color representation. The Copper tint did change the color perception slightly, so they may not be as appropriate when driving for example (although red, yellow, and green are all perceptible, so no worries!) If you had to choose just one tint between the two for all-around functionality for ever-changing conditions, I might suggest the Grey tint.
The Light Transmission Level 28 (blocking 72% of visible light) was really good for both tints. It filtered out enough light to keep my eyes refreshed all day, but I never found that they were too dark when clouds would roll over. Also, in later day conditions, this light transmission level let through enough light so that I did not find them to be too dark. I would say this level would be good for most people who also wear a hat while golfing. Only if you go sans-cap would you perhaps need more light to be filtered out and go up to the LTL 12 level. Kaenon does a great job on their website of providing full technical background on their lens technologies, and helping to choose the appropriate tint and LTL level for your needs. (
http://www.kaenon.com/tech.cfm)
The Kaenons were my first time experiencing a “polarized” lens. I must say they do a fantastic job in cutting glare. For example, the back window of my car really casts a lot of glare as I am standing behind my car. I can easily see inside the car in full sunlight with these lenses. Also, I noticed when there were puddles on cart paths that I could see right down to the small pebbles in the pavement. Avid fishermen have used polarized technology for years, and I can certainly see why now. Out on the golf course, water holes, especially on par 3’s featuring water, did not pose a problem. Also, grass itself tends to reflect a lot of light out on the course. I discovered this when using a polarized lens for the first time. Each hill as I walked seemed more clearly defined in the distance, for example. I really liked this enhancement in perception. The only adjustments came closer up when coming across a puddle like in my example above. But I never found myself wanting to remove the glasses to read a putt more accurately.
Kaenon has quite a technology story to share. While perhaps only an ophthalmologist could truly discern all of this information, the benefits out on the course were readily apparent. The comfort of the Kaenon frames is excellent, and the lens technology provided a clearer focus out on the course while reducing eye fatigue. I especially liked the fact Kaenon has a slightly more fashionable look about their sunglasses, and less of an “Extreme” sport look like some brands, while still providing a fit and optical clarity that enhances the golf experience. Play your best, and make sure to protect those eyes out there.
Michael White
Independent Equipment Reviewer
GolfDiscussions.com
