Feeding Your Golf Addiction in Winter Pt. 2: Maintain your equipment

This is the second in a series of essays on things you can do to feed your off-season golf addiction.

Maintain your equipment.

Cold, snowy days are a great time to give some TLC to your gear.

Get your bag out of the shed and empty it completely. If you’re like me, chances are you’ve come across old scorecards, useless balls, protein bar wrappers, and lots of dirt — the detritus of a busy summer. Vacuum the inside and wipe it down. Then wipe the outside. Cut off any loose threads. Remove the goo from the zipper teeth; I use Goo Gone for that.

Wipe your tow or push cart clean. Lubricate the bearings. Tighten the bolts.

Then take a look at your clubs.

Clean the dirt from the heads and go to the grooves with a scrub brush. Then polish them well with a clean cloth. Also wipe down the shafts. If any residue remains, try the Goo Gone on it as well.

If your plastic ferrules are nicked or damaged, you can also polish them. Put a little acetone on a lint-free cloth and quickly wipe the ferrule. That will remove the stains. If there are deeper indentations, you may need to use a stronger wiping motion on them. Be careful with the acetone. That’s powerful stuff, and not for inhalation. It can cause brain damage, or worse. Make sure it doesn’t get on anything plastic or painted material. It’s best to do this in the garage with the door open (I do that too).

Finally, take a look at the handles. At the very least, give them a good wash. However, a better option is to simply replace them. Replacing handles is very easy and relatively inexpensive if you use rubber slip-on handles. You can get a complete grip kit on Amazon, which includes grips, tape, grip solvent, and a rubber clamp.

If you need instructions on how to change your golf grips, I have them here.