Golf 101: Off-Season Prep

With the exception of certain areas of the country, the golf season is winding down for players and there are only a few weeks remaining before the sticks get put up for winter. When that sad, sad day does come however, there are a few things that you need to do to make sure that your equipment is good to go before next spring arrives.

Let’s begin with your clubs. Before you store them, you need to clean them, and not just by wiping off the faces and calling it good. This cleaning requires a five gallon bucket, a medium stiff toothbrush, baby shampoo and warm water. The idea is to soften any dirt and grime that may be packed into the grooves of your irons and the ports and seams of your woods and hybrids in order to get that crap out of there easily. The use of baby shampoo (or any other mild type) insures that the finish of your clubs is not affected adversely. Nobody really wants splotchy clubs. Don’t use hot water, as a soak in a hundred-degree bath can warp ferrules (those little plastic dudes at the top of the hosel) and loosen the epoxy bond between the clubhead and the shaft. Five to six inches of water and a squirt of shampoo in the bucket should be sufficient for a full complement of clubs, but don’t soak them for any longer than ten minutes. One at a time, pull a club from its tub and scrub ‘til that club shines. After cleaning, make sure that you towel dry the heads and allow some time to air dry completely before storing.

After your clubheads are clean, it’s time to check your grips. Ideally, if you are a weekly player, you should change your grips each year, but if you play less regularly, you may be able to get a couple seasons from each set. Clean your grips before inspection, as removing a summer’s worth of sweat and grime can sometimes revitalize them and keep you from having to replace them. Now, with a critical eye, you need to make some decisions about these things. Are they shiny? Are there cracks or tears in the rubber? If you have cord-style grips, are there strings fraying about? If you answered “no”, be happy that you don’t have to spend any money. If “yes”, well, get out the wallet and treat the clubs to new clothes.

Moving on, let’s head to the bag. Open and clean out all the pockets and vacuum out any little bits of grass, pine needles and dirt that may have accumulated through the season. This also gives you a chance to get rid of all the trash that seems to show up by winter: extra pencils and cards, receipts, empty lunch baggies and the like. Dump the bag upside-down then use the vacuum again to remove any stubborn stuff. If you use a stand bag, you may need to lube the stand mechanism with a bit of WD-40 or Vaseline, then just wipe down the outside of the bag with a damp cloth.

Golf balls will last for years if they are stored at room temperature, but degrade when left in overly cold (or hot) weather.

Since your bag is now cleaned out, you probably have a few stray golf balls to deal with. Resist the urge to put them back in your bag, however. Golf balls will last for years if they are stored at room temperature, but degrade when left in overly cold (or hot) weather. Individual calls will be made, but the rule of thumb says that a scuffed and/or cut ball flies with less distance and won’t putt true, so put ‘em in your shag bag for knocking around in the backyard. The good balls should earn a place in the house for the winter, and will reward you for your kindness by being ready to play come April.

Finally, check out your shoes. Make sure that they’re still in one piece and not broken down at the heel. If either of these conditions exist, get thee to shopping. Solid footwear is very important to your game, and not simply for comfort. If your shoes are whole, give them a thorough cleaning and then check your spikes. Any flat or broken spikes need to be replaced, period, but it is probably a good idea to just replace the full set. Soft spikes very rarely give more than a year of service unless you play very infrequently, so be prepared. Replacement sets are not expensive though, and worth the few minutes that you spend in installation. Then, as with the golf balls, bring them in the house for storage.

Keep your equipment happy during the off-season and it’ll keep you happy in the new season.

Following these examples might cost you an afternoon or so, but it’s worth it in the grand scheme of things. Keep your equipment happy during the off-season and it’ll keep you happy in the new season.