When the weather turns cold, only the truly committed are still out there playing golf.

The diehards. The purists. The sickos.  I may get in a few rounds here and there, but it’s more about scratching the itch vs. improving my game.  I’m more excited for those warm March days, and the even warmer April mornings.  You get it.

I tend to use this time of year a little differently. Winter is for maintenance. For resetting the bag. For cleaning up the small things that get ignored when you’re chasing tee times and daylight.

It’s amazing what collects in the bottom of a golf bag pocket. Broken tees. Crumpled scorecards. Receipts from the halfway house. Balls that look like they survived a cart path demolition derby.

Dirty grips. Mud-caked grooves. Towels that have seen things.

Clean it. Clean it out. Refresh it.

At the very least, you won’t look like a hobo the next time you head to the first tee.

Here’s my offseason checklist:

Clean Your Clubs

I’m borderline fanatical about clean clubs during a round. I always keep a half-wet towel in the cart and wipe them down after shots. But I’m talking about a deep clean.

Grab a bucket of warm water, a little Dawn, and an old toothbrush. Scrub the faces. Get deep into the grooves. Clean the soles. Wipe down the shafts.

You’ll be shocked at how much gunk comes out of the scoring lines.  Clean grooves spin more.

Grip Check

Grips are the most underrated and neglected piece of equipment in your bag.

If your hands aren’t connected properly to the club, nothing else matters.

I’ve gotten into the habit of changing mine every year — usually right after the first of the year. I’m a Golf Pride guy: MCC grips on the woods, ZGRIP Cords on the irons and wedges. This year, I may experiment with wraps or slightly different thickness just to see what changes.  If anyone has any insights on this I’d love to hear…

If your grips still have some life in them, give them a proper cleaning.

Soak them well. Spray with Dawn Powerwash. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then scrub — hard — with a brush. Rinse thoroughly and dry.

You won’t believe two things:
A) how clean they look afterward
B) how dirty they were before

Clean Out the Bag

Well – before that…do you need a new bag?  Serious question…

The only way to do this properly is to empty the whole thing.

Get a few shoe boxes. Grab a trash can. Take everything out.

Vacuum it. Hit it with a leaf blower. Wipe it down with a damp rag. Do whatever it takes to get it back to tip-top shape.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find five pencils, 37 tees, three broken ball markers, and something unidentifiable at the bottom.

Start fresh.

Before putting everything back in, check the following:

a) Nice Balls

Any ball with scuffs, scratches, or cart-path tattoos goes straight to the practice shag bag.

Only put playable, clean balls back in the gamer pouch.

January and February are prime time to stock up. Most ball companies — Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway — run early-season specials. Mercari can also be a sneaky-good source (lots of Christmas gifts getting flipped).

Don’t start the season with junk ammo.

b) Glove Love

Are your gloves stretched, shiny, or crusty?

Throw them away.

Stock up now. I keep one glove in play and a fresh backup in the bag at all times. Nothing derails a round like a ripped glove on the 4th hole.

c) Tees and Tools

You don’t need 100 tees.

A small handful. A few ball markers. One or two divot tools.

Discard the clutter. Keep it simple.

d) Shoe Fix

Now’s the time to clean and condition your golf shoes. Replace spikes if needed. Scrub the soles. Wipe down the uppers.

I just did this with a pair of FootJoys, and they look brand new.

You don’t want to discover blown spikes on the first wet round of spring.

Fix or Upgrade

Winter is also the time to make hard decisions.  There might be some work…some elbow grease that needs to be spent.

Grooves

Check your irons and wedges. Are the grooves worn down? Especially your wedges?

Those clubs take a beating. Spin matters. If they’re tired, it might be time for an upgrade.

Towels

Gross towels are, well, gross.

Bleach them or retire them to the rag pile. There’s no reason to start a season with something that smells like last August.

Headcovers

Be honest.

Are your headcovers an addition to the bag — or a subtraction?

Upgrading headcovers is one of the easiest ways to give your setup a fresh look without changing a single club.  Check out the good options out there from Bluegrass Fairway, Winston, or Linksman Goods.

Umbrella and Rain Gear

This deserves its own post, but spring golf is wet golf.

Quality rain gear is worth every penny. I’m a big Zero Restriction guy — especially the short-sleeve pullovers and the full rain set. An umbrella is mandatory, even if it’s just for pop-up showers.

Dry golfers score better.

The “Man Bag”

I keep a small zip pouch in my bag with Band-Aids, waterproof tape, ChapStick, sunscreen, Advil, and Tums — the essentials.  You never know.

Like the Boy Scouts: always be prepared.

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That’s my winter reset.

Clean it. Simplify it. Upgrade where necessary.  There’s something satisfying about opening your bag on the first real day of spring and knowing everything inside is intentional.  Sharp grooves. Fresh grips. Clean towels. No junk.

It won’t fix your swing.  But it might fix your mindset.  And that’s not a bad place to start.

What am I missing?