How To Give Your Golf Clubs a Winter Checkup

The first thing you should do once your golf season ends is thoroughly clean your golf clubs. Don't use soap or cleaning chemicals, but do use these methods:

• Take a warm bucket of water and rag cloths, scrub all crevices of the clubhead
• Wipe the shafts as well as the grips to remove excess dirt and oil
• Use a small amount of mineral spirits or grip solvent to remove any sticky stuff or paint blemishes your clubs may have acquired during the season
• Use a clean, dry cloth to give the clubs one last wipe down
• Leave your head covers off for about 24 hours

The average player rarely, if ever, has the lofts and lies of their irons checked. This is, perhaps, one of the most simple yet underrated check-ups you can do for your game. For example, if you purchased clubs with standard loft and lie, at the end of the season your irons could be one-degree upright or de-lofted by a degree.

If you hit off of driving range mats or consistently play golf courses with firm conditions, we can all but assure you that your clubs require this attention at season’s end. The process is incredibly simple and any golf club retailer can handle it. They might charge you a few bucks, but it’s money well spent.

The end of the season is a great time to inspect the shafts of your clubs, particularly your driver. Graphite is strong, but not indestructible. Pay particularly close attention to where the shaft meets the hosel or adapter to make sure there aren’t any small cracks. You’d hate to take your first swing of the new year and lose your driver head.

Take a good look at the grooves on your clubs, particularly your wedges. Your grooves make all of the action happen on well-struck shots, and if they have nicks significant wear, consider replacing those clubs for next season.

After you’ve given your grips a good wipe down with warm water, allow them to dry and give them a good look. If they're beginning to feel more smooth than tacky, or have a shine to them, you’d be wise to replace them for the next season.

Re-gripping your clubs isn’t something you need to take care of right away. In fact, new grip models tend to come out over the winter, so you can decide if you want to check out the latest handles or try to find a deal on last year’s model.

Last, but most importantly, make sure to store your golf clubs with care over the winter.

Don’t:

• Store them in a detached garage. The temperature changes can lead to epoxy and durability issues.
• Keep them in the trunk of your car. See above.
• Place them directly on the ground in your basement.

Do:

• Store them in an attached garage if you have no other option
• Store them in a closet or area that stays the same temperature as your home
• Make sure your clubs are completely dry before putting them away

How you treat your golf clubs in the fall can be a factor in how they treat you in the spring. Take these simple measures to extend the life of your equipment investment and you’ll be thanking yourself down the line.