How To Properly Store Your Clubs In Winter

Don’t just throw your clubs in the garage this winter! These helpful hints will help lengthen the life of your golf clubs

For all those fellow golfers who can play year round, I sure do envy you.  In my neck of the woods, sadly there becomes a time late in the year in which you can no longer play golf and need to store your golf clubs for the long winter season.  Just like the lawn mower, weedwacker or any other gas powered tool you own needs winterized, so too with your golf gear.  Here are some tips to help preserve your investment as well as have your clubs in tip top condition when spring comes, a golf vacation arises or you get a bonus day when the golf gods look down upon you where you can sneak out and play.

Give your golf clubs a good scrubbing

Don’t be the one guilty of having the dirt and grass from your last round of the year to be caked onto the face and grooves of your clubs all winter long.  Don’t think cleaning means using the buckets at the course or driving range either; those are likely to be contaminated with fertilizer that will wreak havoc and create surface rust on your clubheads.  Use clean water with a little soap and a soft bristled brush.  Invest in a few minutes’ worth of prevention.  Finally, allow them to completely dry before sticking them back in the golf bag.

If you own one of those expensive milled putters, you might also add baby oil or Vaseline all over before putting on the head cover.  This tip will also work on unplated carbon steel wedges to prevent them from pitting and rusting. If you are storing your equipment in an area that might be humid (like a damp basement or live near the ocean), you might even want to put chrome cleaner or wipe your steel golf shafts with 000 steel wool from pitting and rusting too.

Take this time to remove the oil and dirt from your hands off the grips while you are at it unless you planned on re-gripping at the beginning of next golf season.  Again, mild soap and water and a soft bristled brush will work on all rubber grips, while rubbing alcohol on a clean rag will clean the surface on synthetics grips like Winn and SuperStroke.  Another convenient option is also the Karma Grip Wipes, which I found work very well on all types of grips.

Don’t forget to clean the pockets in the bag

You’ll be surprised what you will find when you go to clean the clutter from your bag.  I doubt you need all those pencils or small broken golf tees.  Sort all the golf balls and put the natty ones in with your golf shag bag.

For the “glove” of it

Determine if your golf glove(s) have seen their final days and need thrown in the garbage or if there is still some good life to them.  Those that fit into the latter category make sure to wash them with soap and cold water, lay flat and allow to air dry for a few hours.  Put the glove(s) back over your hand to stretch them out and lastly take the glove back off and flatten them out and store them somewhere they will be easy to remember where you put them.  I like to put them in my shoe bag.

 

It shouldn’t be called a rain hood

Call me a fair-weather player or lucky this past year, but I can’t remember when I played in a pouring down rain that I needed to put the rain hood on the bag.  Sure, I endured a brief shower, but it didn’t require me to dig through the bag to remember which pocket it was in.  But I will tell you it is handy when it comes to end of the year storage.  It will keep the spiders or small critters from having a condominium to live in, not to mention the dust and moist air from attaching itself to your gear.  Just make sure the clubs are thoroughly dry before putting on the “storage” hood.