Winter is upon us again, and with it shorter and colder days. Throw on top of that the ever present chance of rain, and your chances to squeeze in a twilight 9 after work are very slim. After you have cleaned your clubs at the end of the season, it is sadly time to think about storing them for the offseason. If you store them properly though, they will be ready for you once the sun comes out again.
You may have stored your clubs in the garage in seasons passed and not thought twice about it. Or the garage might be your golf club’s permanent home. But, some garages have very high humidities in the winter months which can cause golf clubs to rust. If your garage has wide temperature swings from the summer months to the winter months, your club heads and shafts could be expanding and contracting each day. This repetitive stress could potentially weaken the epoxy and glues that hold on your club heads and grips.
Another factor to keep in mind when storing your clubs is the length of time they will be spending in one location. If you are playing again in a couple of days, keeping your clubs in the garage for a couple of days is fine. This short-term exposure to higher humidities will not cause any damage. If you don’t plan to use your clubs any time soon though, you should consider bringing them inside and finding them a dry and warm home.
The one exception to short-term exposure being okay is the trunk of your car. It is not recommended to store golf clubs in your trunk for any length of time. Not only will they be bumping into things as you drive and potentially getting damaged. They could be exposed to very high temperatures in the summer months which could easily damage the epoxy and glue that holds your clubs together. And God forbid that your car get stolen or into a crash, the last thing you will want to worry about is needing to replace your clubs. For all of these reasons, it is not recommended that golf clubs be stored in your trunk for any length of time.
Here are some simple Do’s and Don’ts of golf club storage that will take all the guesswork out of it for you.
Do’s of Golf Club Storage
- Do store in a dry, low humidity location
- Do store in a temperature controlled location
- Do always make sure your clubs and bag are completely dry before storing
- Do put the rain cover on your bag if it came with one
- Do store them inside your home, if possible
Don’ts of Golf Club Storage
- Don’t store clubs in your car trunk, even for a very short time period
- Don’t store them in a location with high humidity or potential for flooding
- Don’t store them in a location that has wide temperature swings
If you have determined that your garage is a good permanent home for your clubs, you should consider getting a golf organizer like this one from Amazon. It has enough storage space for two bags to fit comfortably, and also has shelves to store your golf shoes, balls, and your other golf accessories. It will also get your bag off the ground so if your garage ever floods, your bag should stay dry. This organizer is also attractive enough that you could use it indoors if you are storing your clubs in a big closet or bonus room.
