Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Nodland, OD · Updated August 2026
Call (561) 799-3932 or book an appointment.
Eye Expressions fits prescription and non-prescription sport eyewear in Palm Beach Gardens, for golf, boating and fishing. Sport is where the fitting matters more than the frame, because the frame moves: slide a quarter inch down your nose and your eyes sit outside the optical center of the lens. Dr. Michael Nodland has run this family-owned practice on Fairway Drive just off PGA Boulevard since 2010. This is a golf town — PGA National is here, and so is the Intracoastal — so sport eyewear is not a niche request at this counter. Everyday and fashion frames are on the designer glasses and sunglasses page; this one is about lenses that have a job to do, and it sits within the wider eye care services at the practice.
What sunglasses are best for golf?
The best golf sunglasses give contrast between grass tones, cut glare off the fairway and water, and stay clean optically when you look down at the ball.
Reading a green is a contrast task, not a brightness one: you are separating green from green. A tint that darkens everything equally makes that harder, which is why brown, amber and rose suit golfers better than neutral grey.
Address is the other problem. Looking down sends your eyes to the lower part of the lens, which can distort in a curved frame, so we check where your eyes land at address.
Should I wear progressives on the course?
Usually not. Progressives are a real problem in golf: the reading zone sits at the bottom of the lens, exactly where you look at address, so the ball goes soft. You are looking through a segment built for 16 inches, not six feet.
The usual answer is a second pair of single-vision distance glasses in the bag — you lose the scorecard and gain a clear ball. Almost no optical website says this, and you should hear it before you buy.
Do I need polarized lenses for boating?
For boating and fishing, yes — polarization is the whole argument, and no other lens treatment does the same job. A polarized lens carries a filter that blocks light vibrating in one plane. Light bouncing off a flat surface comes back strongly polarized in the horizontal plane, so the filter removes most of that reflection while leaving the rest of the scene alone. The practical result is that you stop seeing the surface of the water and start seeing into it: structure, weed lines, fish, the sandbar you were about to run onto.
A dark lens that is not polarized cannot do this. It dims everything equally, glare included, so the glare stays proportionally as strong as it was and you end up squinting at a darker version of the same problem. That is the single most useful thing to understand before buying sunglasses in a coastal town. Maui Jim, which built its reputation on polarized lenses, is one of the eight frame brands the optical carries.
| Situation | Polarized? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boating, fishing, the flats | Strongly yes | Cuts surface glare so you see into the water rather than off it |
| Driving in bright sun | Usually yes | Removes glare off wet road, hoods and other windshields |
| Golf | Personal preference | Cuts pond and cart-path glare, but some players find it flattens the read on a green |
| Beach and open water on deck | Yes | Reflected glare off any flat bright surface is the same physics |
| Reading an LCD screen | Often no | Many displays emit polarized light themselves |
The caveats, which tend to come up after the purchase rather than before it:
- Screens. Many LCD displays emit polarized light, so a polarized lens can dim them, tint them, or black them out entirely at certain head angles — chartplotters, fish finders, phones, some car dashboards and aircraft instruments. Tilting your head brings the image back, which is how you know that is what is happening.
- Windshields. A polarized lens can reveal stress patterns in laminated glass as faint blotches across the screen. Harmless, and distracting the first time you see it.
- Wet patches. Polarization removes the reflection that makes a wet patch on a surface obvious, which is why some pilots and some skiers choose not to wear it.
Polarization, tint color and UV protection are three separate decisions that get made together and are frequently confused with one another. A lens can be fully polarized and still be the wrong tint for reading a green.
Which lens tint should I choose?
| Tint | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Grey | Bright sun, boating, driving; natural color | Least contrast lift; grass stays flat |
| Brown / amber | Golf, changing light; lifts green-brown contrast | Shifts color perception |
| Rose / vermillion | Reading greens, tracking a ball | Strongest color shift |
| Green | Long hours of bright sun, fairly natural color | Less contrast lift than brown or rose |
| Yellow | Overcast, dawn and dusk | Little use in Florida midday sun |
Tint is contrast and comfort, not UV protection; that comes from the lens material and coating.
What should I look for in a sport frame?
- Wrap — coverage and wind protection, but it limits prescription strength.
- Non-slip temples and pads — rubber grips hold when you sweat, so nothing moves mid-swing.
- Impact resistance — polycarbonate and Trivex are the standard sport lens materials.
- Coverage — taller, wider lenses block low sun and side glare.
- Ventilation — vents and standoff pads move air and keep the lens from fogging.
Can I get a prescription in a wrap frame?
Sometimes, but not always. Wrap frames are genuinely limited for stronger prescriptions, because the steep base curve works against the curve the lens needs. Push a strong prescription into a heavy wrap and you get edge distortion and, for some people, a pulling sensation when you turn your head. We would rather fit a flatter frame that works.
Does the Florida sun matter outside summer?
Yes. UV exposure here is year-round and cumulative, adding up over decades on the water and the course. Long-term exposure is associated with cataract and with changes to the eye’s surface, such as pterygium and pinguecula. Wear UV-blocking lenses outdoors and have your eyes checked yearly. More on eye disease treatment.
Can I wear contacts instead?
Yes, and daily disposables suit golf and boating well: no frame to slide, a full field of view, and any non-prescription sport wrap can go over the top. Dailies handle sunscreen, salt spray and pollen better than a lens you keep a month. See contact lens exams.
Does insurance cover prescription sunglasses?
Most vision plans give an allowance toward one pair per benefit period, so prescription sunglasses are usually a second pair and often come out of pocket. Some plans discount additional pairs instead.
Eye Expressions accepts Medicare, VSP, EyeMed, Humana, Aetna, Anthem, Blue View Vision, MetLife, Superior Vision, Davis Vision and Advantica. Where the visit is booked ahead, we check what your plan allows toward lenses and frames and send you an estimated copay before you arrive.
Plan networks vary — being covered by a carrier is not the same as your specific plan being one we are contracted with. Call (561) 799-3932 with your card and we will check before you come in. How vision plan allowances work against a second pair is explained on the insurance page.
Frequently asked questions
Which brands do you carry for sport and sun? The optical stocks eight frame brands in total — Ray-Ban, Oakley, Maui Jim, Versace, Gold & Wood, Caviar, Leon Max and Flexon — and several of them make sport and sun ranges. Which of those ranges are on the boards at any moment changes, so call (561) 799-3932 and we will tell you what is in and hold a model for you. The full frame range, including the fashion and everyday lines, is on the designer glasses and sunglasses page.
Can I get golf glasses without a prescription? Yes. Non-prescription sport sunglasses are fitted the same way, and the fit still matters.
Is the optical open on Saturdays? Yes — 9am to 2pm, and Saturday is optical only. Come in to try frames on, pick up a finished order or have a pair adjusted. What Saturday does not include is an exam: there are no regular Saturday exam hours with Dr. Nodland, and the online scheduler will not offer you a Saturday slot, so a Saturday exam has to be asked for by phone on (561) 799-3932.
Can I just come in? Yes. Walk in, call or text — same day is fine — whether you are browsing frames, ordering glasses or reordering contact lenses. You do not need to have had your exam here: bring a prescription from another practice and we will fill it into a sport or sun frame. For an appointment rather than the optical, calling ahead is better — scheduled patients are seen almost always on time, so a walk-in may wait behind them.
Sorting out sunwear before your next round
Walk in, call or text — same day is fine. Bring your glasses, your prescription and your insurance card, and tell us whether you golf or fish; the right answer for a green is not the answer for the flats. An outside prescription is welcome, so a prescription written elsewhere is no obstacle. If you would rather we set aside time with an optician before you arrive, call (561) 799-3932 or book an appointment.
Eye Expressions · 7100 Fairway Drive, Suite 39, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 — on Fairway Drive just off PGA Boulevard, with parking at the door. (561) 799-3932 · Mon–Fri 10am–6pm. Saturday 9am–2pm is optical only — frames, order collection and adjustments; there are no regular Saturday exam hours with Dr. Nodland, and Saturday is not offered by the online scheduler, so a Saturday exam has to be requested by phone. · Book an appointment
Family-owned since 2010. 5.0 stars from around 500 Google reviews.