How To Clean Your Golf Clubs

The majority of amateur golfers are guilty of not keeping their golf clubs clean. Cleaning your golf clubs is important for a variety of different reasons and every golfer should keep their golf clubs clean at all times. 

There are many different ways to clean your golf clubs, below we are going to take a closer look at the best way to clean your golf clubs and we are also going to look at the best tools and accessories to keep your clubs clean on the golf course. 

The Importance of Cleaning Your Golf Clubs

Clean golf clubs are important for a variety of different reasons, below we are going to take a closer look at these reasons in terms of performance and durability. 

Performance

Golf is a game of precision and playing with dirty golf clubs can have a negative impact on your performance out on the golf course. Golf clubs have grooves for a reason and playing with dirty grooves will lead to all sorts of issues in terms of accuracy, distance, and control. 

To learn more about the importance of keeping your grooves clean click here.

Getting dirt stuck between the clubface and golf ball at impact can lead to all sorts of problems, dirt on other areas of your golf clubs can also cause performance issues. Modern golf clubs feature various technological advances including speed slots and removable weights. Keeping these areas and cavities clean is a must to ensure optimal performance in terms of aerodynamics. 

Last but not least clean grips are equally as important. A dirty slippery grip can cause serious performance issues, the last thing any golfer wants is for a club to slip in their hands during their swing.

Durability

Dirt can cause serious structural damage to your golf clubs. Dirt can easily lead to rust in the tip of steel shafts where it enters the clubhead. Rust will have a serious impact on the durability of your golf clubs and it can cause your clubheads to come loose after a shot. 

Modern golf clubs feature a variety of inserts and adjustable weights. Accumulation of dirt and dust within these cavities and adjustable weights can lead to weights getting stuck in the clubhead and it can also lead to small cracks and other issues. 

A lot of golfers that clean their clubs forget to clean their grips. Clean grips will extend the lifetime of a grip considerably. Grips get dirty very fast and once dirty, grips tend to get hard. Hardened golf grips tend to crumble and rip and once a grip starts crumbling the only thing that’s left to do is to replace it. 

How To Clean Your Golf Clubs

Simply wiping your golf clubs with a wet towel on the golf course after hitting a shot will assist in keeping your clubs clean but it is recommended to give your entire set a thorough cleaning regularly.

Step 1

Fill a plastic bucket with warm water. The bucket doesn’t have to be full, it just needs to have just enough water in it to cover your club when you insert your club into the bucket. Also, make sure that the water isn’t too hot, boiling water might loosen the ferrule on the tip of your shaft. 

Step 2

Continue the process by squirting dishwashing liquid into the hot water. Once the soap has been added place your irons and wedges into the bucket. Make sure that the clubheads are submerged with water. Leave the irons in the water to soak for a couple of minutes. At the time the water will soften up dirt and mud. 

Step 3

The next step is to clean your clubs with the help of a brush (plastic bristles) or an old toothbrush. Clean each club with the brush individually and make sure to tackle all areas of the club with the brush including the grooves, sole, and cavity on the back of the clubhead. 

Step 4

At this point, all dirt should be removed from your clubheads. Rinse the clubheads under running water and double-check to ensure that your grooves are squeaky clean. Use a cloth or old towel to dry off your clubs. Leave your clubs to dry before placing them back into your golf bag. If returned to your bag before being 100% dry you could run the risk of rust accumulating in the shaft. 

Step 5

Now that your clubs are clean the next step is to clean your grips. Cleaning your grips follows a similar process but there are some key differences. When cleaning your grips you will also need a bucket with hot water and dishwashing liquid.

However, instead of submerging your grips in the water simply take a cloth and dip it into the water, submerging your grips will allow for water to get into your shaft through the butt end of the grip and this will lead to all sorts of rust related issues in steel shafts. 

Use the wet cloth to clean your grips by scrubbing up and down the grip. Once you are satisfied take a dry cloth to dry off the grip. Leave your clubs out to dry for about 30 minutes before placing them back into your golf bag. 

Woods, Hybrids, and Putters

Your woods, hybrids, and putter won’t get as dirty as your irons but it is very important to keep these clubs clean as well. Modern woods and putters feature various cavities and adjustable weights in their designs and mud and dust can easily build up in these areas. 

The same process can be used when cleaning woods and your putter as for cleaning your irons. Make sure to insert one club into the water at a time, the last thing you want is to scratch the top of your driver or 3 wood. Additionally, keep the soaking part to about 30 seconds max to avoid water getting into the clubhead. 

Golf Club Cleaning Accessories

The market is flooded with a variety of different golf cleaning products. The majority of these accessories are nice to have but they don’t serve a purpose. 

Brush

Golf brushes come in many different shapes and sizes. A simple brush that can be attached to your golf bag is a great accessory to have with you on the golf course. With the help of a brush, dirt can be removed from your grooves with ease ensuring that your clubs can perform optimally at all times. 

Towel

Every golfer should have a clean towel with them out on the golf course at all times. Golf towels come in many different shapes and sizes but the most important factor to consider when buying a new towel is the material. The best golf towels are made out of materials that retain moisture to ensure that your towel stays damp throughout your round regardless of the conditions. 

To learn more about other must-have golf accessories and gadgets read our 15 Best Golf Gadgets article. 

Final Thoughts

Cleaning your golf clubs might seem like a simple thing to do but many golfers simply don’t do it. Cleaning your golf clubs is very important both in terms of performance and durability of your golf clubs. 

Cleaning your clubs is a fairly simple task and once your clubs are clean keeping them clean on the course is equally as simple with a towel and a brush. 

This article was last updated on January 28, 2021 .

Bertine Strauss
Written by
Bertine Strauss
The Golf Blog