Why you should NOT keep your golf clubs in your car

[TheFrugalGolfer]

So, I did something stupid with my golf clubs: I stored them in my car all the time during a hot spell when temperatures hit the 90s for a long period. Went to the driving range this morning, and 2 heads flew off my clubs (pitching and gap wedges). Obviously, the epoxy softened in the heat. I've learned my lesson.

Has this happened to you?

In the interest of perhaps preventing others from repeating my mistake, I wrote a short article about this for my The Frugal Golfer website/blog.

https://www.thefrugalgolfer.com/post/why-you-should-not-keep-your-golf-clubs-in-your-car

Steve
TheFrugalGolfer.com

 

[GolfSpy SAM]

1 hour ago, TheFrugalGolfer said:

So, I did something stupid with my golf clubs: I stored them in my car all the time during a hot spell when temperatures hit the 90s for a long period. Went to the driving range this morning, and 2 heads flew off my clubs (pitching and gap wedges). Obviously, the epoxy softened in the heat. I've learned my lesson.

Has this happened to you?

In the interest of perhaps preventing others from repeating my mistake, I wrote a short article about this for my The Frugal Golfer website/blog.

https://www.thefrugalgolfer.com/post/why-you-should-not-keep-your-golf-clubs-in-your-car

Steve
TheFrugalGolfer.com

 

Oh, wow.  I'm in SoCal, and it definitely gets hot here.  I store mine in the garage, where it routinely gets upwards of 90+ degrees - but my understanding is cars (due to a smaller space directly in the sun) would get even hotter - based on some incredibly preliminary internet searches, cars can get upwards of 120 degrees when the weather is only 75, which is crazy. 

Good advice, and thanks for sharing!

[Josh Parker]

Yeah mine can't even stay in the garage here. Temp today was 92 and when I got in the truck this afternoon it showed 120.  

Garages here aren't insulated and get just as hot almost. 

[GolfSpy SAM]

2 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Yeah mine can't even stay in the garage here. Temp today was 92 and when I got in the truck this afternoon it showed 120.  

Garages here aren't insulated and get just as hot almost. 

Garages average 15-20 degrees hotter than outside, which on a hot day here is 90-100.  Epoxy should easily withstand 150-degrees, so in theory, garage storage is safe (I keep my clubs there, and I've yet to have an issue), but it makes sense that in a confined trunk where the temp can quickly get to 150+, there might be an issue.

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

Garages average 15-20 degrees hotter than outside, which on a hot day here is 90-100.  Epoxy should easily withstand 150-degrees, so in theory, garage storage is safe (I keep my clubs there, and I've yet to have an issue), but it makes sense that in a confined trunk where the temp can quickly get to 150+, there might be an issue.

For sure. They should but luckily I have the space in my office so I don't have to test it.  I also worried about the grip solvent giving too before I used the air compressor. 

[Rob Person]

It was hest index of 109⁰ today, I keep reflecting shades in front and back windows of the truck. At 730 when I left work, the internal cab temp was 122⁰ ! It's also a black truck so that didn't help. I will be removing them from inside the truck ASAP from now on!

[Coulter]

Thank you for the reminder! I sometimes forget this and out of convenience leave my bag in the truck. (You never know when you’ll get a chance for a range session or a quick 9) 

[SlikHands]

Guilty! I did this one time in preparation for a fitting I was doing after work. My 7i head flew onto the range! First thing the fitter said "Did you have your clubs in your truck today?" 

Not his first rodeo. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Definitely worth the reminder and it's so easy to do or let the clubs sit in the car for a long while between rounds etc. 

While it hasn't happened to me I am almost surprised it hasn't at times.

Hope everyone else sees this and understands how crappy it can be!

[No3PuttLaLa]

That’s wild, never even thought about that. From now on, I will consider the clubs like my child or dog and never leave in a hot car. Too hot for us, too hot for them! 

[bens197]

Bummer to see this happen and a kind reminder for us all. 
 

I’d recommend leaving them in your living room so you can occasionally grab an iron and practice your grip

[No3PuttLaLa]

23 minutes ago, bens197 said:

Bummer to see this happen and a kind reminder for us all. 
 

I’d recommend leaving them in your living room so you can occasionally grab an iron and practice your grip

So, I’m not alone eh?

[Triple_Putt]

Wow, my clubs pretty much live in the back seat of my work car. Most of the time I play 9 and then head to work or hit the range and go right to work so I love always having them ready to go….. but would hate to have something like this happen to me

[colombiafrank]

Wow, didn't know that. 
Good that I live in the tropics and in Bogota it usually doesn't get hotter than 73°  plus, I keep my bag in a spare room where I can practice.

[The TXBexar]

On 6/25/2024 at 6:16 PM, Josh Parker said:

Yeah mine can't even stay in the garage here. Temp today was 92 and when I got in the truck this afternoon it showed 120.  

Garages here aren't insulated and get just as hot almost. 

Insulating your Garage Door definitely helps keep the garage heat down. I did mine myself and up here in Dallas the temp hit 99 outside earlier this afternoon, my garage thermostat said it was still only 84 in the garage. Besides the backwall of the garage, the 2 side walls of my garage definitely are not insulated, just brick finished on the outside. 

[Josh Parker]

16 minutes ago, The TXBexar said:

Insulating your Garage Door definitely helps keep the garage heat down. I did mine myself and up here in Dallas the temp hit 99 outside earlier this afternoon, my garage thermostat said it was still only 84 in the garage. Besides the backwall of the garage, the 2 side walls of my garage definitely are not insulated, just brick finished on the outside. 

Yeah.  I need to insulate the attic space and want to do at least the one outside wall that gets the afternoon sun.  My builder did great on the spray foam for the reg attic space and 2x6 walls, but the garage had nothing.  

[HikingMike]

I may just be lucky, but I’ve been keeping my clubs in my car during the summer for years now. I have a boxy hatch (Scion xB), so my clubs are in the bigger space, not just a trunk. And my car is silver. But it certainly gets hot here in the Midwest, 90s F and occasionally 100s, with high humidity. The car can be scorching sometimes. One good thing is that I do normally drive somewhere at lunch so the middle of the day gets broken up. 
 

I go straight from work to the course 1-2 times per week, so it would be tough to avoid it. I have a small shed. I wonder what temps range in there. Not much room in my small house. Attic would be fine for temps, and has a staircase, but it would still be a pain. 
 

After reading this though, I might invest in a windshield shade. Also maybe a thermometer to check the temp inside my car. And I may avoid dark colors on future vehicles  

[russtopherb]

I noticed on an iron with a graphite shaft a few years back that the shaft was starting to spin a little and it freaked me out. The clubs came out of the trunk at that point, and only go in when I know, for a fact, that I'll be hitting the range or the course that day. It's just not worth it. 

[LeftyMatt89]

On 6/25/2024 at 7:20 PM, GolfSpy SAM said:

Garages average 15-20 degrees hotter than outside, which on a hot day here is 90-100.  Epoxy should easily withstand 150-degrees, so in theory, garage storage is safe (I keep my clubs there, and I've yet to have an issue), but it makes sense that in a confined trunk where the temp can quickly get to 150+, there might be an issue.

This is helpful because I moved my clubs from the house to the garage due to my office now being upstairs and not practical to haul them back and forth all the time. I keep them closest to the house in a little rack designed for golf bags so hopefully it stays under 150 even in the hot humid south. No issues thus far in one year 

[Chux13]

Wowza! Sorry to see but am curious if anything else may have been the culprit or contributed to that failure point?

I am guilty of leaving clubs in the bed of my truck under a tonneau cover in this Arizona heat more often than not and have yet to have a failure of this kind. I am curious if your clubs had some pressure on them and created a weak point on those hosels? I remember having to keep the clubs in the back seat of a Dodge Neon I use to have to avoid putting pressure on the driver head as that trunk was not very wide. 

That....or I wonder if your clubs were re-shafted? Could be from poor epoxy/setting of the shaft in that club head?

Edited July 10 by Chux13
Added other thought.

[HikingMike]

Since I saw this post, I've been paying attention to the heat in my car. I did take my clubs out over the weekend once. However, I'm pretty sure my car hasn't gotten anywhere near 150 degrees F so far. Now it could get hotter than what I've been noticing lately. I'll just kind of watch it, especially if it temps get back to high 90s or 100s. Probably a windshield shade would be enough if I feel like I need something.

[TheFrugalGolfer]

On 7/10/2024 at 8:13 AM, Chux13 said:

Wowza! Sorry to see but am curious if anything else may have been the culprit or contributed to that failure point?

I am guilty of leaving clubs in the bed of my truck under a tonneau cover in this Arizona heat more often than not and have yet to have a failure of this kind. I am curious if your clubs had some pressure on them and created a weak point on those hosels? I remember having to keep the clubs in the back seat of a Dodge Neon I use to have to avoid putting pressure on the driver head as that trunk was not very wide. 

That....or I wonder if your clubs were re-shafted? Could be from poor epoxy/setting of the shaft in that club head?

The clubs that broke on the range were not re-shafted; original Callaway Mavriks (bought new) a few years old. Since it was pitching wedge and gap wedge that failed, I don't think it was because of them being under pressure when stored in my car. There is some pressure on my driver head when I put the clubs in the car (Leaf hatchback), but of course the driver has a bolt securing it. 

I'm inclined to believe it was the heat that caused the problem based on talking with the course associate pro who helped me retrieve one of the heads from the range. He's in his 60s and has been in the business for decades. He said he's seen this happen a lot, and he long ago learned to not keep his own clubs in his car during extreme hot and cold spells.

Here in Colorado we're getting a bad heat wave for the next few days, so I'm gonna be extra careful!

[PPP]

On 6/26/2024 at 9:58 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Definitely worth the reminder and it's so easy to do or let the clubs sit in the car for a long while between rounds etc. 

While it hasn't happened to me I am almost surprised it hasn't at times.

Hope everyone else sees this and understands how crappy it can be!

Definitely going to have to stop leaving my clubs in my car! 

[Middler]

I’ve never left my clubs in my car or garage. Excessive heat or cold will age them more than being indoors climate controlled obviously. I don’t want the dead weight in my car when they’re not needed anyway.

[fozcycle]

I live in central Florida(Tampa) so the summers are brutal. I never leave clubs in my truck overnight as they tend to get very warm. My clubs go inside next to the front door as I play 3x a week.I also store new balls in my closet as the garage gets very warm.

[jolter1]

Since I have owned only color black vehicles, I have never left my clubs in the vehicle but return them to my basement where all my golf related items are placed. Summers can be brutal here in southern NJ but I have always feared vehicle being broken into.

[PPP]

This explains how my buddy’s old ping putter bent inward. Good to know! 

[Will_Mac]

Man, sorry that happened.

Originally from NY and having worked 20 years in 'da Bronx, there was no way that I'd ever leave my clubs in the car.

Down here in NC where the summer heat can be blistering, I've just stuck to my old habits. The clubs come inside every day and into my half of the closet.

Now, I have considered the heat post-round. I have a black on black Suburban (it pre-dates our move here), and that thing will get danged hot inside as the club's parking lot is full-sun. I don't like leaving the bag in a hot vehicle while hanging with the guys, but it's really the only alternative. I crack the windows slightly when the weather allows.

[HikingMike]

I've been taking my clubs out sometimes now. However, I've also continued being aware of temps in my car lately as it has been hot and 90s pretty consistently. And my clubs have to be in my car as I leave from work straight to the course. I think my car just does not get as hot as others. I know I've felt it in other cars. So I guess I'm just lucky with my car. It is silver and I think the boxy body shape means it has less sun exposure through the glass surfaces during overhead sun angles. I feel pretty safe it's not getting close to 150. That said, my shed does stay a little cooler. 

[JAMGOLF]

I live in Ohio and don’t get to concerned about the heat. lol. I get more concerned about someone jacking them out of my trunk. Scared to death they are my babies.