Seniors and losing sight of ball off the tee

[Tanner25]

Hi seniors, how do you guys deal with that moment when you have a difficult time spotting where your ball lands, mostly from the tee box. Yes, a more visible ball will help and I like a yellow ball. But, my last few rounds, I lose focus on where the ball went. So, it's visual and mental too. I've gone from rarely losing a ball to losing many. 

[Curmudg3on]

We make sure everyone in our group watches all of the tee shots.   It's difficult sometimes and just not a tee shot.

[McMunch]

49 minutes ago, Curmudg3on said:

We make sure everyone in our group watches all of the tee shots.   It's difficult sometimes and just not a tee shot.

This.

My usual foursome is all 60 plus and we've been doing this for years. Its your responsibility to the group to watch everyone's shot (if possible)

so you can find it fast and move things along.

[AzRoger]

When driving off the tee I can track my ball flight no problem but rarely see where it rolls out to. Rarely have problems finding my ball, when looking at the ball flight just look for a reference marker like a tree or something in the background to get the line. At my home course it's easy because I know approximately how far my ball should be off the tee, sometimes I'll use my gps to confirm distance. Yes, getting old sucks but there are worse things we could be doing then playing golf.

[jvincent]

2 hours ago, Tanner25 said:

Hi seniors, how do you guys deal with that moment when you have a difficult time spotting where your ball lands, mostly from the tee box. Yes, a more visible ball will help and I like a yellow ball. But, my last few rounds, I lose focus on where the ball went. So, it's visual and mental too. I've gone from rarely losing a ball to losing many. 

 

Prescription sunglasses are a must for me.

[WilliePPQ]

For me, in addition to making sure everyone is paying attention to shots, I've found that various tints of sunglasses seem to help. For whatever reason, amber seems to help. Might be worth a try on something inexpensive.

[Maine Golfer]

Im in my mid 30s and this happens to me, AMA 

Edited November 4, 2024 by Maine Golfer

[SnowbirdTom]

This came to mind. I have issues seeing after a couple hundred yards too.

 

[Tanner25]

Also, the rays of sunshine seemed different, maybe the time of year? Crazy how none of this was an issue, until now. Yes, getting older sucks.

[596]

I'm pretty much the dedicated ball spotter. The other guys can't see at all.  I'm 69 and most of the guys are 73 or more.  If I don't watch they'll be looking for their ball either 100 yards past or on the wrong side of the fairway.  Just to keep the game moving I spend lots of time directing everyone to their ball.  It kind of sucks.  I try to play at least once a week alone so I don't have to watch everyone else.  

 

Not sure much can be done once you are losing your sight and can't follow the ball.  I'm very lucky. I can follow a ball for 300 yards and know right where it is most of the time.

[jdl]

31 minutes ago, Tanner25 said:

Also, the rays of sunshine seemed different, maybe the time of year? Crazy how none of this was an issue, until now. Yes, getting older sucks.

yep, the low sun makes it even tougher. And all the leaves. I also switched my contact lens, now have one for "distance" and one for "close". I've noticed I have more trouble tracking the ball flight in the "in between" with this arrangement.

[larrybud]

I'm 55, and wear what I call "golf" contacts, which are 0.5 power stronger than my normal contacts. I only wear them for golf. I can see balls 300 yards away.

[Flashman]

I had cataract surgery last year. I have found that yellow tinted glasses help me to follow the ball flight. They work the best in low light conditions. They don't have to be expensive.  I paid 20 bucks on Amazon. 

[MountainKing]

I'm 44 so not sure I fit into the senior world, but I do have a degenerative cornea disease that has impacted my eyes and ability to see things like golf balls off in the distance.  While I can be corrected to 20/20 with hard contacts, fine detail is difficult.  I pretty much am not able to see a golf ball beyond 150 yards, give or take depending on weather conditions.   Knowing my visual limitations, on drives and longer shots I make sure I have a reference point so I know what line my ball is on.  I also am very aware of how far all my clubs fly, so I know where I should be looking, and can utilize gps to help with that on unfamiliar courses.  Learn to work with your limitations.

[Greenie]

3 hours ago, larrybud said:

I'm 55, and wear what I call "golf" contacts, which are 0.5 power stronger than my normal contacts. I only wear them for golf. I can see balls 300 yards away.

Yes.. I am 64 and I have contacts I wear only for golf. I have eyes like a hawk with a little help from my contacts. I am the official ball spotter in my group. 

 

@Tanner25 I am sorry you are having problems seeing your ball. We have one guy in our group that can't see his ball. The rest of us make sure we are watching his shot so we can tell him where his ball is. His eyes are that bad that he can't play as a single anymore because he has no clue where his ball went.

 

With my friend he insists his eyes are fine. The rest of us disagree. I went to the optometrist for help. I wear contacts which allows me to play golf. Two other guys wear prescription sunglasses. I don't know if not seeing the ball is related to your vision or something else. I would suggest a visit to an optometrist to find out. I know for me under low light or overcast days I find it a little difficult to see my ball but it's not a big problem for me yet.

 

Good Luck!

[Priceyd]

Far from  senior, but I hit the ball normally further then my regular partners can see ( they are seniors). My big thing is using my golf watch and tracking all shots, so when im not sure where it went I know once I get to that distance it should be pretty close.

 

[Hawkeye77]

19 hours ago, Tanner25 said:

Also, the rays of sunshine seemed different, maybe the time of year? Crazy how none of this was an issue, until now. Yes, getting older sucks.

IMO, always harder to see balls land in certain light which seems to correspond with late summer but I pretty much know my landmarks out 325 from the tees. 😀

 

I agree with much above - get your eyes checked including for cataracts (!), wear appropriate corrective and/or tinted glasses, play with others if you can.

[dblinden]

Two things: Not uncommon to develop "floaters" as we age and this can really impact sighting the ball against the sky. Nothing to be done about eliminating that issue. Secondly, having contrast between the ball and sky can significantly aid sighting. As mentioned, tinted lenses can help a lot. Do a search on this topic as related to competitive shooting. Various colors have value with different lighting conditions. The rear sight on my rifle has a rotating disc with 4-5 different colors and shades. Amber or tan colors are the most useful. I used a lot of grey tints. Greens and reds also can help. If you already wear corrective lenses, can obtain clip-ons to try out as well.  

[naval2006]

I play with a couple of golfers who are not too old but had a very hard time seeing the ball.  One of them had his eyes operated, and the other one got specific eyeglasses.  They are both doing wonderful now.  

 

 

[naval2006]

17 hours ago, Flashman said:

I had cataract surgery last year. I have found that yellow tinted glasses help me to follow the ball flight. They work the best in low light conditions. They don't have to be expensive.  I paid 20 bucks on Amazon. 

A friend of mine wears yellow glasses for golf and he says so.

[Socrates]

18 hours ago, larrybud said:

I'm 55, and wear what I call "golf" contacts, which are 0.5 power stronger than my normal contacts. I only wear them for golf. I can see balls 300 yards away.

I wish I could see my balls 300 yards away. 🤐

 

I hear you.  I sometimes wear a slightly stronger contact in my right eye to golf with.  I find I can see the ball better at distance that way.  My contact prescription is changing almost yearly now as my eyes get older.  My prescription is trending toward less and less correction, but that is because the lenses are hardening as I age and cataracts are just around the corner, so I can sympathize with those that can't follow their ball as they age. 

 

Flat light at this time of the year is a bane of all golfers.  Depending on the Latitude that you live at, the effect can be very dramatic and there aren't many hours in the day that it isn't a problem.  Good thing golf is over for the season and I can b**** about something else for 5 months. 

[kowalgolf]

Over 40 yrs. ago I was playing with my brother in laws and Micky said I can't see the ball. This was the start of a very aggressive form of MS. Still haunts me to this day. RIP Micky.

[Ghost of Snead]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

I agree with much above - get your eyes checked including for cataracts (!), wear appropriate corrective and/or tinted glasses, play with others if you can.

 

All great ideas and if you're playing by yourself, either move up a tee or take less club to your range of vision. 

 

 

[carrera]

20 hours ago, larrybud said:

'm 55, and wear what I call "golf" contacts, which are 0.5 power stronger than my normal contacts.

Do those stronger contacts impact your short-distance vision (like addressing the ball)?

 

How do you get an Rx like that...via optometrist?

[CutterJohn]

Recently turned 60 and have been dealing with this issue off the tee for a couple years.  I'm fine tracking the ball to its apex but sometimes lose it from there.  I went to a yellow ball and a slight red tint sunglass lens.  That's helped.  But, I'm still looking for a pair of sunglasses that fit well.

[Jeff58]

Yellow balls with Oakley “Golf” lenses.

[larrybud]

1 hour ago, carrera said:

Do those stronger contacts impact your short-distance vision (like addressing the ball)?

 

How do you get an Rx like that...via optometrist?

 

Just told my eye doctor what I wanted to do, so I had two scripts.

They don't affect addressing the ball, but man it's hard to read the scorecard!

[nsxguy]

23 hours ago, jdl said:

yep, the low sun makes it even tougher. And all the leaves. I also switched my contact lens, now have one for "distance" and one for "close". I've noticed I have more trouble tracking the ball flight in the "in between" with this arrangement.

 

Before I had Lasik done the optometrist gave me contacts to simulate that (mono-vision), the theory being the eye that can see better will dominate very quickly; fast enough so you'll be able to focus both close up and for distance.

 

I tried it for a while in the office (I forget if I tried it for golf though) and the result was my eyes couldn't really focus properly, or at least well enough for me, for either close or distance.

 

So I got the Lasik for distance and dealt with reading glasses. 

[ShortGolfer]

Around 2005 I used a Garmin Hiking GPS feature called Sight N Go.  The GPS had a compass so you could aim at a land mark and it would tell you how far off the line you were.

 

Sight 'N Go is a navigational feature included on select Garmin devices with an electronic compass. This feature allows navigation to a location that is within sight, but not immediately accessible due to terrain (for example, a large oak tree on the opposite side of a chasm).

Utilizing this feature will create a new location projected from the device's current location in the direction the device is pointing.¹ While navigating to the new point, the device will track the distance between the two points. Additionally, a directional arrow will guide you to the position.

[Pepperturbo]

Even though I wear prescriptions, my eyes are still nearly pilot rated, so I am typically the ball tracker.  Amazing how blind some guys are, yet they don't know it, or they do. 🙂  They B looking for their ball 100yds too far, or not nearly far enough.