Cleaning & Caring for your Clubs

nientsu wrote:

Arnt our clubs just like our girlfriends. Before you buy them, you yearn for them everyday. Once you get them, you give them TLC everyday. You wash them clean, go range with them. But once you see a new model, the whole cycle repeats again and all we think about is to find the best price for our clubs.....

Nientsu, is that how you treat your girlfriends?

Thanks for all the information and motivation! now i know what i can do for golf while nursing my bad back.... at least it is still for the love of Golf!!!

G_Man wrote:

Now this is a thread I see myself really getting into!
Baby Oil, better to get Mineral Oil from hardware shops, literally the same thing, but unscented. 5.60 gets 1 litre
Brush, Metal brushes not the best idea. recommend small brushes for household use. NTUC 1.80!!!
Dish washing liquid, two rags...

but must always dry out the clubs. Ideally in the sun as water does get into the shafts and storing them before drying them out WILL cause pitting... And always sun the iron covers, moist covers will encourage rust as well...

hmm what about singer oil? would that be alright? and good tip about the sunning bit! i usually skip that part.. lol

ironfist wrote:

hmm what about singer oil? would that be alright? and good tip about the sunning bit! i usually skip that part.. lol

singer is okay, but it isnt cost efficient and its a hell when it gets on our skins and we have to try to get it off just before a game. Bearing in mind mineral oil is the main ingredient in most cosmetic products. And you can get it at most hardware stores as a wood stain. Just look for 100% mineral oil and you are fine.

Aiyo.. you all baby their clubs so much ah....

Metal brush ok lah; but get the bass ones; brass is softer than steel.
I just cleaned and air my clubs yesterday because kenna heavy downpour in Batam. other than that bochup.

If you are really anal or refinishing your irons, then you can also get a buffing wheel and some polishing compounds.
In the past, if the irons are in quite bad/dull shape I usually start with a brown compound (think it's called tripoli or something), worked up to a white rouge and/or a red jeweler's rouge. But be aware of the glare from the irons under the midday sun if you polish them too shiny!
If you have small gouges and rock dings, you might be able to soften this out with a fine diamond file.
For satin finishing, you can do like what stanley suggested with a fine green wool or steel wool or get a fine brass brush (satin finishing brush) for a drill or a dremmel-like rotary tool.

For rust problems, main culprits are usually damn covers which trap the moisture and also mositure that gets trapped inside the shaft, and covered by the grip tape at the end. I use a sharp object or a tee to puncture the end of the grip cap/tap and spray in a little WD40 down.

I don't believe in oiling the clubs too much because it becomes a real hassle to remove all the oil for the game.

G_Man wrote:

ironfist wrote:

hmm what about singer oil? would that be alright? and good tip about the sunning bit! i usually skip that part.. lol

singer is okay, but it isnt cost efficient and its a hell when it gets on our skins and we have to try to get it off just before a game. Bearing in mind mineral oil is the main ingredient in most cosmetic products. And you can get it at most hardware stores as a wood stain. Just look for 100% mineral oil and you are fine.

I just wipe all the clubs with a dry towel before the game starts, but I do agree that getting the oil off can be a real pain.

G_Man wrote:

ironfist wrote:

hmm what about singer oil? would that be alright? and good tip about the sunning bit! i usually skip that part.. lol

singer is okay, but it isnt cost efficient and its a hell when it gets on our skins and we have to try to get it off just before a game. Bearing in mind mineral oil is the main ingredient in most cosmetic products. And you can get it at most hardware stores as a wood stain. Just look for 100% mineral oil and you are fine.

roger that gman thanks! and i don't think i'd have the discipline to oil them after everytime i use them anyway so i'd probably oil them when i feel like it! lol

ironfist wrote:

G_Man wrote:

ironfist wrote:

hmm what about singer oil? would that be alright? and good tip about the sunning bit! i usually skip that part.. lol

singer is okay, but it isnt cost efficient and its a hell when it gets on our skins and we have to try to get it off just before a game. Bearing in mind mineral oil is the main ingredient in most cosmetic products. And you can get it at most hardware stores as a wood stain. Just look for 100% mineral oil and you are fine.

roger that gman thanks! and i don't think i'd have the discipline to oil them after everytime i use them anyway so i'd probably oil them when i feel like it! lol

Yeah, thanks G_Man. Updated the top post with your tip. Cheers

Added information on putter care from the SC website:

Quote :

Putter Care

The unique feel of Scotty Cameron by Titleist putters results from the use of milled carbon steel heads. This material is susceptible to oxidation and rusting if left damp. To preserve the natural finish of your putter you are urged to follow a few simple guidelines:

- Always dry your putter at the end of the day with the soft silicone cloth supplied.
- We suggest storing the cloth in your cover during the round and even wiping down the putter a few times during the round.
- Always use a dry headcover.
- Never leave you putter in damp or cold atmospheres.

The Gun Blue, Oil Can and Teryllium series putters are most susceptible so please follow these guidelines carefully. The Pro Platinum finish is more durable because there is a plating between the soft carbon steel and the elements but care should be taken to avoid dings, which can rust. The 1996 Copper rack featured 7 putters made from soft carbon steel and plated with copper. These putters are intended to oxidize into a rich patina but should still be maintained with your oil cloth. We suggest following the above guidelines to ensure that the beautiful finish of your Scotty Cameron putter can be preserved indefinitely.

very informative thread here.. thanks guys!

think the wire brush too harsh, tooth brush just right. impt is to clean after every game so that the dirt has not settled into the grooves. once it accumulates then will have to resort to wire brush.

baby oils? i tot it will make the club face slippery and result in less control?

Does any one know how to effectively remove the rust from a steel shaft?

Use a mild abrasive polish like Autosol. Works much faster but still takes a little elbow grease. Only issue is the rust will still return to the same spot if you do not continue to maintain your shafts. I assume that because if you do simple maintenance, steel shafts should not be that susceptible to rust. If the rust is deep seated though, you will still end up with a blackish grey spot where the rust was after removal.

You might also want to apply some lubricant like WD40 which claims to penetrate the material. If it really does, then it should help keep future rust at bay.

Not much you can do about rust on a steel shaft, unfortunately. Once it starts, it starts from the inside, and what you see on the chrome is only the tip of the iceberg.

Some people would argue that it is possible to slow down the spread of rust by coating the shaft after every round with a thin layer of Singer oil, engine oil, silicon oil, WD-40, ArmorAll, etc, but if the structural integrity of the shaft is compromised, one has to decide if it is time to change.

Fortunately, golf shafts do not cost a fortune these days, and it is not uncommon to find a decent set of pullouts for a reasonable price, since there are many people who have their own preference for shafts and sell the stock ones for aftermarket ones that better suit their swing/game.

Ghoonk is right, my first set or irons I didn't bother to look after them, when they finally snapped at the hosel, the rust was all inside with just a little on the outside. Took me ten years to snap them though, but my swing speed also slow la...

Thanks for the info, really useful

I just use the cleaning girls at NSRCC....very good

useful thread thanks!

Sometimes I get my clubs washed at the club house (in Johor) after my game. I normally don't air them out after washing but after reading this thread I will air them out when I get home. Just curious does graphite shafts face rust problem?

mloy wrote:

Just curious does graphite shafts face rust problem?

I have not seen pencil-lead rust before.

What I meant was the hosel (hope I spell that correctly), does it rust? Sorry me not good in this kind of things. Hope you can help b.b. carabanesis.

Believe the ah-bang that help you clean your clubs would have the mind to wipe dry your club heads before inserting the covers back. Since you are playing weekly, I think you would been able to catch the slightest hint of rust before it gets too serious.

I only extend this courtesy to you because I hope to get some strokes from you and you are the repeat champion of the GR Tournament series.

watermyforrest wrote:

How about:
- Golf shoes

Just go for the pressure washer after the game to get all the muck out. The important thing is to wash them while they are soft and not after they get to build up and dry. Sun the shoes with the insoles taken out once in awhile to get rid of bacteria as well. If it is a super expensive pair of leather shoes, can purchase mink oil to condition and waterproof them.

For clubs instead of toothbrush I prefer the type of brush they sell for cleaning car rims. It is also plastic bristles but made out of much tougher material compared to a toothbrush which is soft so as to not hurt our gums.

You can also purchase a sanding block (from Daiso) to sand your grips lightly once in awhile to keep them tacky and grippy.

b.b.carabanesis wrote:

Believe the ah-bang that help you clean your clubs would have the mind to wipe dry your club heads before inserting the covers back. Since you are playing weekly, I think you would been able to catch the slightest hint of rust before it gets too serious.

I only extend this courtesy to you because I hope to get some strokes from you and you are the repeat champion of the GR Tournament series.

Thank you. Would love to have a game with you. Let me know when.

does that count as an official invitation?