Cleaning your golf clubs is a critical step to take after each round of golf. Even a quick cleaning will ensure your clubs last longer and perform as they should.

For easy cleaning, dip your club faces into a mixture of warm water and soap. Scrub the entire clubface with a brush, paying attention to the clubs’ grooves to remove any dirt or debris. Towel dry each club, repeating the cleaning process if any individual club needs more attention.

Now that’s the simple process, but what if we wanted to give our clubs a bit more cleaning treatment?

Read on to learn more…

Step-By-Step Golf Club Cleaning Method

Materials Needed To Clean Golf Clubs

​Before you run off to your favorite golf store or drop even more money at the pro shop, let’s get into the habit of using materials we already own to clean our clubs.

You’ll find everything on this list in your cupboards. We’ll recommend some golf-specific products later on.

1. A plastic bucket – large enough to submerge the clubhead.
2. Warm water
3. Dishwashing liquid soap
4. One large towel (use old towels, not your wife’s new towel set)
5. A soft bristle brush – old toothbrushes work great
6. A small dry cloth (used for the golf grips only)

That’s it. There’s no need to complicate things with specific golf club cleaners or golf brushes.

Now, let’s get into the best way to clean golf clubs.

Step #1: Create The Soap Solution

Mix warm water with a few tiny drops of dish soap in your bucket.

We recommend warm water and not hot water because hot water may loosen the hosel, which is the socket of the clubhead that fits into the shaft.

Soap-suds may develop, which is alright. If the amount of suds gets out of hand, adjust the amount of dish soap you use next time.

Step #2: Soak the Club Face

Place the clubface of your clubs in warm soapy water for a few minutes.

Dirt from a day of regular use is not very difficult to remove; 5 minutes in the water with dish soap should suffice.

For clubs that haven’t been cleaned in a while or have built-up dirt and grime, it may be necessary to submerge them for 10+ minutes to loosen the

NOTE: If you still play with fairway woods made of wood, skip this soaking step. Wood will soak up water causing the material to be saturated and even change shape.

Step #3: Brush Thoroughly

After the soaking is complete, remove the clubs from the water and brush them with a toothbrush or a soft bristle golf brush.

Begin with the club’s face, ensuring all dirt and debris is removed from the grooves of each iron. If the brush doesn’t remove the dirt from the grooves, consider using a toothpick or similar pointed edge to trace along the grooves.

Once you’re satisfied with the grooves, move on to the other parts of the clubhead and shaft.

But, DO NOT wet and brush the grips of your clubs. 

Step #4: Rinse and Dry

Rinse the clubs with lukewarm water; however, do try not to wet the grip.

After you rinse the clubs, wipe the club heads with a dry towel. Make sure that the entire club is immaculate and dry to prevent any build-up of rust.

Step #5: Take Extra Care of Club Grips

Dip a small cloth into the dish soap & water mixture and scrub the golf club grips on all sides.

Take care to identify dirt, grime, and debris that may be hidden due to the dark color of the grip.

When you are satisfied that they’re clean, run the grips under lukewarm water. Do not use hot water as the heat could loosen the glue underneath the grips.

Dry each grip as thoroughly as possible.

Step #6: Pack Away

Once a club is clean and completely dry, stow it away in your golf bag in its proper spot.

Be sure the club is dry to prevent rust or warping due to humid conditions.

 

How Often Should You Clean Your Golf Clubs?

We recommend golfers get into the habit of cleaning their clubs after each round.

It may seem like a lot, but once you’ve cleaned your clubs a few times, you’ll notice just how dirty they get after every round.

This depends on other factors like course conditions, weather, how often you played out of the rough, sand, or even mud, and when you plan on playing next.

One other habit that will be helpful is to clean your club after each hit, taking care to notice how dirty they’re getting. If they’re accumulating a lot of excess dirt that your golf towel or cleaning tool can’t handle, then you know they’ll need cleaning before your next round.

 

Golf Club Cleaning Products & Kits

If you’re looking for more than just warm water and dish soap, here are a few golf club cleaning products we’ve used and recommend.

ClubPur Golf Club Cleaner Kit: We love this kit for its multi-purpose functionality. With the cleaning solution, brush, and cloth, you can clean your clubs, grips, balls, and even golf shoes. It even comes with a resealable carrying pouch.

ClubDoctor Iron Polishing Solution: We like this cleaning and polishing product if you don’t need the whole kit and want to focus on cleaning your irons.

Skinny Golf Stixpick: For cleaning while on the course, we love this multi-functional brush, groove pick, divot fixer, and ball marker.

 

3 Reasons You Should Clean Your Golf Clubs

1. Preserve Your Investment

Golf clubs aren’t cheap. Sure they range in prices, but even the most inexpensive sets are a few hundred dollars.

By taking care of your investment, you’ll extend the lifespan of your clubs.

2. Clean Clubs Perform Better

If football is a game of inches, then golf must be a game of millimeters.

Just one small element that impedes your golf shot can have significant effects. Whether it’s a leaf, twig, grass clippings, water droplets, or a small amount of dirt on your clubs, it will impact your performance.

By taking care of your clubs, you’ll have far more control of the club, how the golf ball comes off the face, and even how much spin the ball will have.

3. Take Pride In Your Game

Taking a small amount of time to clean your dirty clubs is a sign of respect. For you, for your clubs, for the golf course, for your opponents, and for the game itself.

Whether you’re a tour pro or hit over 100 every round, what you get out of the game of golf is what you put into it. It’s all part of the standard etiquette that keeps the game of golf fun for everyone.

 

Read More

For additional club care tips, read our article titled “How To Take Proper Care of Your Golf Clubs.”

Pin for later