How to Keep Your Golf Equipment in Great Condition

YUK! I have just returned home after a mud-spattered round of golf. You know the sort of round I mean - a bit of rain, a bit of wind and soggy conditions underfoot.

I walked into the bedroom and realised that my trousers were caked in dried mud. It is something that goes with the territory at this time of year - and it is only going to get worse. 

At least on this occasion we only had to endure a bit of light drizzle but I know there are going to be tougher days ahead. I am determined to keep playing throughout the autumn and winter but I know that it’s not for everybody.

But it got me thinking about what we should all be doing at this time of year to properly look after our equipment, whether we play 52 weeks of the year or hang up our clubs for the winter and wait for the weather to improve.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

So here are my do’s and don’ts for winter golf:

DO NOT leave damp or wet waterproofs in your golf bag. We have all done it, and me more than most. You finish your round and stuff your wetsuit in your bag, promising yourself that when you get home you will retrieve it and either hang it up to dry or put it in the washing machine. There is nothing worse than playing golf in the rain on, say a Monday, and then repeating the process two days later, only to realise that you have forgotten to dry and/or clean your waterproofs. Quite apart from the fact that they will still be damp, the chances are pretty high that they will smell anything but sweet.

DO NOT leave golf jumpers in your bag. I have been guilty of this more often than I care to remember. You know the sort of thing - you ferret through your wardrobe looking for your favourite golf jumper. It is nowhere to be found. What have you done with it? Have you left it somewhere? Have you lost it? And then the penny drops. You have left it in your bag. You dig it out. It is crumpled and creased - and bound for the washing machine before you can possibly consider wearing it again.

DO make sure that you have a decent umbrella - it is something you are going to be using time and again in the weeks and months ahead.

If you are playing golf in the rain DO NOT leave your towel hanging outside your bag. Tuck it in. Even if you do that, with the best will in the world the chances are that it is going to get damp or downright soaked, so when you get home remove your towel and put it in the wash along with your wetsuit.

DO buy more than one golf glove. In wet conditions, a damp, slippery golf glove is about as much use as a chocolate teapot so make sure that you have a couple of spares in your bag. Again, when you have finished your round remove your damp gloves and leave them in a warm room so that they can properly dry out. And DO NOT cut corners when it comes to golf gloves - a cheap glove will almost certainly be unusable after it has been soaked. And please, DO NOT be afraid to throw your glove away when it shows signs of wear.

DO remove the covers from your driver, fairway woods, rescue clubs and irons after playing in the wet. Again, all you have to do is leave them in a warm room to dry out before you use them again.

DO NOT leave wet golf shoes in the boot of your car. Almost everybody I play golf with does exactly that, and, for the life of me, I cannot understand why. I have a shoe bag (dirty shoes can make one hell of a mess of the boot) and I always put my shoes inside upon completion of my round and if they are damp I take them indoors and put either old newspaper or kitchen roll inside. And I always clean my shoes after use, paying particular attention to the soles and soft spikes.

DO NOT leave chocolate biscuits, snacks, sandwiches, drinks, etc, in your golf bag. Trust me, this is something you really do not want to do. I hold my hands up to this one - I am a serial offender and I have made a personal vow to myself to stop. I have lost count of the number of times that I have gone into my golf bag and pulled out a chocolate bar that has melted in its wrapper, tried to eat a biscuit that has gone soft because it has been in there so long and spat out water that has not been changed for weeks.

DO check your golf balls. We all throw filthy golf balls back in our bags. As club golfers we are likely to want to try to use a ball for two or three rounds (lakes, thick rough and trees notwithstanding!). From time to time I will remove all the balls from my bag and put them in a basin of warm, soapy water and then dry them before returning to my golf bag. And I thoroughly inspect them - any and all balls with flaws are discarded fo use on the practice ground.

DO clean your golf bag on a regular basis. This is something that most of us fail to do. If you are playing during the autumn and winter it is inevitable that mud will end up on your bag. A quick wash down with a sponge and warm water will get rid of it.

DO clean your trolley. This is a no-brainer. I have recently changed my car and have laid down a sheet in the boot so that my clubs and trolley do not transfer mud and dirt to the rear carpet. I always try to clear the mud from the wheels of my trolley when I come off the 18th green but you seldom catch it all, so remove your wheels, take them home and wash them thoroughly before putting them back in the boot. Your car (and its next owner) will thank you for it.

DO clean your clubs on a regular basis. Whether you are a 52-weeks-of-the-year golfer or somebody who hangs up your bag for the winter, please make sure that you clean them. I use warm, soapy water and a soft brush and the thing that I always focus most on is ensuring that the grooves in my irons are spotlessly clean. If grooves are filled with dirt it is impossible to make clean contact. It is just as important to ensure that you have dried them thoroughly before putting them back in the bag. You spend up to £500 on a driver so why wouldn’t you look after it? It takes seconds to wipe it over with a wet sponge - and do the same with your fairway woods and rescue clubs.

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