franklygolf

This week’s Q&A is an excerpt from Frank’s book: Dear Frank…Answers to 100 of your Golf Equipment Questions

Hi Frank,
Thanks for all the information every week.

Reading about the engineering and technology side of golf is as interesting as reading about all the courses that I’ll never play that are featured in the golf magazines.

The past three years or so I’ve been able to store my clubs in the den (i.e. “room we don’t use for anything important”). After some sprucing up and remodeling of the den, my wife has finally noticed the clubs and wants me to store them in the garage — an unattached, unheated structure. We can still play golf here in western Oregon in the winter, so I use the clubs 2-4 times a month from October through March. I know that colder temperatures can influence balls, but can leaving the clubs out in the cold (temperatures range from, say, 40 degrees on up) affect their performance and durability? I have graphite shafts on the woods and hybrid, steel shafts on the irons. I worry that the graphite in particular could get brittle and break in transit if not in use.

I’ll try to keep the clubs warm until you can answer.

– Jay

Jay,

Sorry to hear that your wife has been so nasty to your clubs. I suggest that you apologize to them on their way to the garage. You really don’t have to worry about the temperature they will experience in the garage even at 40°F; this will do them no harm, and you will probably be more brittle than they will at such temperatures.

The only concern about a garage separated from the house and not air conditioned is that you may experience condensation on the clubs during the diurnal temperature changes and varying humidity levels.

A daily dose of moisture will encourage oxidation on metals and you may experience some rust pitting on the steel shafts or forged blade heads. Moisture on golf balls, whether it comes from storage in the garage or from resting in ponds on the course, is not good for them or for us, because the covers are inclined to absorb moisture and will deteriorate in the long term. For us it means the loss of a stroke.

Bottom line is; if you have an option, it is probably better to keep your clubs and balls in the den rather than in a garage with a potential condensation problem due to a wide range in temperatures.

You may have to be a little sweeter to your wife and/or give up something else near and dear to you, but at least your clubs will be happier and this may be reflected in the way they treat you on the course.

Hope this helps

Frank