Our dear friend Lisa is an Audiologist and was of great support in my recent hearing aid journey. She sent me this insightful article which is worth sharing.
What Golf Can Teach You About Getting Hearing Aids
Written by Karl Strom
Published Dec 17, 2025
As a longtime and occasionally hopeful golfer (read: weekend hacker), I’ve observed there are at least three ways most people try to improve their golf game:
- Buy new, advanced equipment. Want five more yards off the tee or can’t find the fairway with a Geiger counter? Buy a new $700 driver. Can’t putt with a $400 putter? Surely a $700 one will do it… right? Or maybe it’s your clothes, shoes, or hat? Try paying your way to a better game—and good luck!
- Get your clubs professionally fitted. If you really think you should be scoring better, getting golf clubs fitted by a skilled expert trained to match equipment to your miserable golf swing could help.
- Hire an expert who has seen every bad swing imaginable—an instructor who can advise you on the best way to shave off some strokes, give you objective feedback and tips for practicing, and can actually start you on the right cart path.
You might see a trend here: it takes more and more involvement as you move from the worst options to the best options. It might also cost more, though in the long run, Option #3 might save you from overdoing Option #1.
This situation is not much different from getting a hearing aid. Here are your three parallel options for improving your hearing:
- Buy an OTC hearing aid. For mild, straightforward hearing loss, OTC hearing aids can be a terrific value for $400-$1,200. Some of the top devices involve “self-fitting” apps for your unique hearing loss, with telecare for onboarding and support. For more complex needs, OTC can be the “new putter” approach: sometimes helpful, rarely transformational. If you go this route, start with a reputable model that has strong independent test results and a good trial/return policy (30+ days).
- Get professionally fitted hearing aids. There are probably many options in your area, including Costco, for getting good, professionally fitted hearing aids that are good values. This is where many people see a big jump in real-world benefit—especially when the fit and follow-up are solid. There are often good options at a range of price points ($1,500-$5,000), and all providers offer a return window if it’s not the right match.
- Find a GREAT hearing care professional who really knows what they’re doing and can spend time with you. The right clinician doesn’t just “sell devices”—they diagnose, fit, fine-tune, counsel, and troubleshoot based on your lifestyle, following professional best practices. They also stick with you, fitting you with the best devices and then coaching you through the traps and roughs on the course to better hearing. While it can cost more ($2,000-$7,000), a dedicated audiologist or hearing aid specialist is the closest thing hearing has to a great swing coach.
Can Better Hearing Make You a Better Golfer?
In the 30+ years I’ve worked in hearing healthcare, I’ve seen the occasional claim that better hearing can improve your golf game. I’m skeptical—but not dismissive. Arnold Palmer said hearing aids helped him gain more confidence in his game (fair warning: he was also a spokesperson for Rayovac batteries). I do think, for example, the sound of someone else’s putt helps me judge pace—though taking putting advice from me is like asking an accountant to DJ your wedding. I think it’s likely that better players can learn something from the sound of a club (e.g., a swing flaw or assessing the length of grass in the rough), but the scientific evidence that hearing aids improve your game is still pretty thin.
I have a sign in my basement that someone gifted me that says, “Golf: An endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.” That about sums it up for me. Honestly, I love the game and care less about my score than I do about getting outdoors, having fun with friendly competition, and socializing with my buddies during golf. And if nothing else, hearing your friends more easily—especially when you’re winning and listening to them grumble—absolutely makes your golf game more enjoyable, if not better.