Golf is a game where anything you can do to get an edge is welcomed. I'm not talking about cheating — though there's a new rangefinder in town that certainly feels like cheating. Instead, I'm referring to devices that help make practicing more effective.
When those practice tools combine with technology, you know I'll be first in line to see. And seeing is what I did with the CaddieVision AR glasses specifically designed for golfers. They're currently available on Indiegogo for pre-order, but at the PGA Show 2025 this week, I went hands (and eyes) on with a pair, and what I saw impressed me.
What does CaddieVision do?
CaddieVision has two primary purposes: to use augmented reality to keep you stable over the ball and to serve as an AR range finder with overlays of the course you're currently playing.
For now, that's all these glasses do — and that's not a bad thing. When I heard about this pair of AR golf glasses, I immediately pictured an overly cluttered interface that would try to do a million things while doing none of them well. That's not the reality of how these glasses performed when I tried them, so I think it's a better piece of tech.
I should also note that while these glasses are bigger than your run-of-the-mill prescription or sunglasses, they aren't massive, and after wearing them for 10 minutes, I didn't find them uncomfortable or too heavy.
Controlling the CaddieVision is done with taps and swipes on the arm of the glasses, and I found this worked well, like some of the best AR glasses, even on the early prototype version I wore.
CaddieVision shot mode
I spent the most time playing with shot mode and was impressed by its simplicity and overall usefulness. Like some of the best golf apps on Apple Watch, CaddieVision's shot mode offers precise distance to the center of the green and club recommendations. It also monitors whether your head moves back or forward in the swing and alerts you if it does. This can prevent you from chunking or topping shots, as the goal is to stay stable over the ball.
The glasses also show you where to put the ball in your stance based on the club you're using and how far to spread your feet, giving you the best possible chance of hitting a good shot.
Most importantly, for me at least, CaddieVision does this with a minimal interface that doesn't feel intrusive. There's the club in the corner, indicators for how far your legs should be apart and the location of the golf ball (which you line up with your actual golf ball before the shot to lock it in).
When you're over the ball, you line it up with the virtual ball in the display and tap the side of the glasses to let CaddieVision know you're ready to shoot. It was easy, though it would be cool if it locked in automatically as soon as you looked at the ball.
While testing, the glasses were set to a pro-level of sensitivity, so even the slightest head movement would trigger alerts. That's adjustable, so if you're not the best golfer (like me), you can lower the sensitivity to allow for some sway and head movement. (We're not all Tiger Woods or Scottie Scheffler.)
The only negative aspect of CaddieVision's shot mode is that it eliminates the ability to make excuses. You'll know your setup is good, but if you hit a bad shot, it's all on you.
CaddieVision rangefinder mode
I tested CaddieVision at a busy convention center, so I couldn't get a great feel for rangefinder mode, but I could see how it would look at a golf course, only without the course. Essentially, rangefinder mode overlays bunkers and the green into your vision and tells you how far they are from you. It provides front, back and center distances to determine which club will most likely get you there or carry the hazard.
While rangefinder mode looks cool, I'd need to take these to a golf course to better understand how much I like using this functionality. But if it works as well as shot mode — and it seemed to in my quick test in the convention center — I'm in.
Other CaddieVision features
CaddieVision's Indiegogo campaign also talks about some features coming down the road that are currently in various stages of development. None of these were on the prototype, so I haven't seen them for myself.
A lost ball mode (you know I need this in my life), hero shot, tele-caddie, caddie AI shot and instruction mode are on the roadmap for the future. Since I didn't test any of these, I can't speak to how well they'll work, but they sound like promising ways to upgrade the glasses in the future.
