You’ve been wondering how long do golf clubs last? Simply put, it’s a pretty open-ended answer that depends on how much you play, how you play, and how you look after your clubs.
Golf is a very unforgiving sport. Mark Twain once called it “a good walk spoilt.”
It can be a seriously frustrating game when it’s not going right, and that means when you’re out on the course, you’ll want to take every advantage you can by having the best possible equipment.
Good equipment will help you play better and can ultimately help lower your handicap.
But you don’t want to be shelling out $600 to buy a new set of golf clubs every couple of years unless you’re a PGA tour pro.
And even the tour pros still hang onto their clubs for a long time. Tiger Woods, for example, only recently swapped out his old putter, which he had in his bag for over 11 years, winning 13 majors with it.
So here’s the question, when it comes to your golf clubs, how long should you expect them to last?
And simply put, it’s a pretty open-ended answer that depends on how much you play, how you play, and how you look after your clubs.
Ultimately the average set of clubs will last you anywhere from 8 to 10 years if you keep them in good nick; that’s about 300 rounds of golf.
How To Make Your Clubs Last?
Your golf clubs are by far the most durable clubs in your bag for the beating you give them.
If you play more than once a week, your clubs will have less of a shelf life than someone who plays only once a week.
But for both types of golfer, to make your clubs last you’ll need to take care of them properly, and here’s how.
Clean them regularly
Whether that’s on the course, or when you get home from your round, always check your irons over and give them a wipe down to remove any dirt or sand.
Most golfers commonly keep a towel and a plastic brush in their golf bag. This allows you to keep your clubs clean while you’re on the course. You can pick them up relatively cheap on Amazon (less than $20).
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Make sure after you hit a shot, you carefully scrub the grooves of the club, particularly on your wedges and shorter golf clubs.
With clogged grooves, you’ll struggle to get the best spin on the ball, as your club’s grooves will not be able to grip onto the ball on impact. Plus if you’re striking the ball with a dirty clubface, you’ll start to do some damage to the clubhead.
Off the course, you should regularly give your clubs a proper clean in warm soapy water to get rid of any dirt left on the clubs. Make sure it’s not hot water though and only soak them in the water for 5 minutes.
You’ll then need to immediately dry them with a towel to prevent them from rusting, and you can use the towel to wipe off any leftover dirt or sand on the club.
Make sure after you hit a shot, you carefully scrub the grooves of the club, particularly on your wedges and shorter irons.
With clogged grooves, you’ll struggle to get the best spin on the ball, as your club’s grooves will not be able to grip onto the ball on impact. Plus if you’re striking the ball with a dirty clubface, you’ll start to do some damage to the clubhead.
Off the course, you should regularly give your clubs a proper clean in warm soapy water to get rid of any dirt left on the clubs. Make sure it’s not hot water though and only soak them in the water for 5 minutes.
You’ll then need to immediately dry them with a towel to prevent them from rusting, and you can use the towel to wipe off any leftover dirt or sand on the club.
Store your clubs indoors
It’s all too easy, particularly if you’re tired or you’ve had a bad round, to leave your clubs in the boot of your car.
But this is one of the best ways to shorten the lifetime of your clubs.
Your car boot will get hot and this added heat can damage the grips on your golf clubs and can damage the internal cavity in your club heads.
Store your clubs indoors, in a cool, dry place, and invest in some club head covers for your irons. You should always put them on when you’re storing your clubs for long periods of time, but you can also keep your head covers on when you’re on the course to prevent them from hitting each other.
Change your grips
If you’re playing once or twice a week and are hitting the range a couple of times a week too, the grips on your golf clubs will start to wear away.
Your grip is one of the most important parts of your swing and if your hand starts to slip on the club, the shaft can turn in your hands meaning the clubface won’t hit the ball square on.
It’s advised for those who play regularly to replace your grips every 2 years. Having a new tacky grip can help you improve massively, plus it will lengthen the lifespan of your golf clubs.
When Should You Change Your Clubs?
Modern golf clubs are built to last.
Depending on how often you play, the style of your swing, and how well you look after your clubs, you really can make them last for up to ten years.
43% of golfers change their clubs after 4 years of use, while only 2% of golfers will replace them every two years.
Sure, if you see yourself improving greatly, i.e. hitting scores in the 70’s regularly, then you might want to think about picking up a newer model that can help you hit the ball sweeter and further.
But if you’re like me stuck on a mid-range handicap, all you need to help you kick on is a bit of TLC to keep those irons going.
But whatever you do to lengthen the life of your clubs, there will be a point where they will inevitably lose their ‘pop’.
For example, the groves on your clubface will start to wear away, you may find a few dents and nicks in your clubhead, and the club shaft may start to rust.
At that point, you will then want to look into purchasing a new set of clubs, as rusty clubs with worn-out grooves can seriously impact the way you strike the ball. For advice on when to change your golf clubs, we recommend you check in with your local club’s PGA pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do new golf clubs make a difference?
Yes, they do. Modern technology in golf means that newer clubs are more forgiving and they let you hit the ball further with their larger sweet spots and fresh grooves.
Can cleaning your grooves really make a difference?
Absolutely, and is something you should do after you hit the ball from the deck or the sand. Having mud in your groves can stop you from hitting sweeter shots and putting spin on the ball.
Is using a metallic brush head to clean my clubs bad?
We advise you to try not to use a metal bristled brush as it can scratch the clubface, use a plastic bristled brush to get the best results.
The 18th Hole
To get the most out of your golf clubs, especially your longer irons, you need to take care of them, clean them regularly, and store them indoors in a cool dry place. That way you’ll extend their life span by as long as 10 years, save yourself money, and ultimately play better golf.
