Selling dirty golf clubs? Is this a thing?

I'm almost always looking around at used club racks and scrolling eBay just in case I stumble across a treasure. Is there a reason why people sell dirty clubs? I've been noticing this a lot lately and can't figure out why it exists.

I could understand seeing this at a thrift store or pawn shop where a person just needs to come up with some cash and doesn't have time to wipe them off. But with eBay, if you're taking the time to pull out your camera and get decent pictures, I feel like there should also be some time to clean the clubs a little and dig the dirt out of the grooves.

I'm a newer golfer, so I'm curious if there is something I'm missing? I've known guys that won't clean their wedges because they want as much "grab" as possible, but even with that rationale, I still feel like I would try to clean them before selling them to maximize their value.

Can someone tell me I'm not crazy? At least not crazy for this reason...

This is just a random picture of a Miura wedge listed on eBay. Sorry if you're the seller. I don't mean to insult you - in fact I would love to know if there actually is a reason for this. Thanks!

wear marks are a groove too high

Think of it like a seasoned skillet ?

wear marks are a groove too high

Hey Johnny...

Looking forward to you broadcasting the Open Championship!

I’m confused, are you talking about the dirt inside the grooves or the wear on the face of the club?

Think of it like a seasoned skillet

Ha ha, oooooooh. That makes sense.

I’m confused, are you talking about the dirt inside the grooves or the wear on the face of the club?

The dirt in the grooves and all over the rest of the face. Wear patterns are obviously just part of the nature of a used club, but they don't have to be dirty wear patterns, ha ha. Maybe it's just me. My wife laughs at me with the way I baby my golf gear. If we're watching a TV show together, I usually have my golf bag nearby so I can clean one thing or another. It's therapeutic. :wub:

The big box stores and their trade in section is the same thing. I mean, they are trying to sell clubs, right? I dont know how you could even put a club down to hit a shot with a dirty face anyway, much less sell or trade in a dirty club. Damp towel on a club after every single shot here.

Are people so desperate for Miura they'll buy that?

I think it comes down to the fact that many, if not most, people are freaking lazy.

wear marks are a groove too high

 

Hey Johnny...

 

Looking forward to you broadcasting the Open Championship!

Are people so desperate for Miura they'll buy that?

I was a little confused by that as well. It's listed for $129, but you can find the exact same club in mint condition for that price. I wasn't going to bring that up since it was off topic, but since you opened the door... ha ha.

The picture looks like a very well worn club as opposed to a dirty one.

About the only time I clean my clubs is when I drag them through wet grass and then wipe it down with a towel. Yep, the dirt effects spin, but I don't care that much. I would clean them if I shipped them to someone. But I don't clean them when my friends buy them from me direct (which has happened a lot lately)

Now when it came to my racing, and even training, time trial bicycles, they were kept perfectly clean every day. There's big difference between a $100 golf club and a $10,000 bicycle. They were cleaned handlebar to wheel hubs after every single race or training session. That included re-lubing everything, from cables to chain. A good cleaning and lubing took close to an hour after each days ride or race.

Everyone is different. Everyone's priorities are different.

Its a good thing for buyers. The worse the appearance/condition, the less interest, less sell price, etc. A seller that preps for the sale is likely to want more or will generate more interested buyers.

Iv'e sold clubs for dirt cheap, but I'm not going to spend time cleaning if I'm passing along a super deal. I've also cleaned clubs/re-gripped for a sale, and in that case I want more money.

I clean my clubs like...3 times a year. I just simply don't care. I'll spit on the club face and use a brush on it while I'm standing in the fairway. Then I use it and it gets dirty again. I just clean them right before I need to use them. Once my clubs enter my car & then home...they don't get touched.

Old argument, do you consider your clubs tools, or jewels?

I wipe/brush after every shot when necessary, which is most of the time. I give a full clean about once every couple of months which includes washing the heads and using Lamkin gripes on the grips.

And I would never buy a second hand wedge, even if it looked decent.

According to that Vokey research, wedges start losing their spin pretty quickly and after 500 shots there will have been a marked drop off in performance.

Old argument, do you consider your clubs tools, or jewels?

Why they can’t be both? A good workman always takes care of his tools.

For the guys who don't clean your clubs,do you clean your house? I'm asking for a friend. Don't be afraid to admit it

On a club that worn out doesn’t matter if the grooves are clean. I think you’re more focused on the “browning” and groove wear. Browning is build up of rust that happens to a forged or soft metal club when the finish is worn through and the raw metal exposed. You don’t have to worry about browning on a casted club. Another problem on eBay is blurry pictures and ball marks from range balls. Ball marks make the clubs look worn.

Also cool when the room is completely totaled, the guy has one sock on, sandwich on the bed, etc.

Maybe certain golfers don't realize their clubs are dirty? Often a person I end up playing with steps up on the first tee and has assorted sand and dirt all over his iron heads. Or a tuft of grass in the shaft-setting screw in his driver.

You don't at least hit your clubs with a damp towel between rounds? Don't you know that coarse sand on the club face gets pounded into the grooves, damaging them?

Of the golf shops I frequent, some clean the used clubs and others don't. I asked a player's rep why the shop didn't clean the dried mud off a used wedge I was holding. He said, "Yeah, we probably should..." I suspect intake policies determine whether clubs get cleaned or not.

For the guys who don't clean your clubs,do you clean your house? I'm asking for a friend. Don't be afraid to admit it

Mack's above quote exposes that the world has messy people.

People are lazy! That and people with the $$ to keep buying new clubs dont value what they have. I have one set and I keep them clean, even if they are low end.

This is good for you as a buyer. I will always offer someone way less for something that is dirty. Anytime you sell something, giving it a quick clean will always increase the value or at least keep people from low-balling you too much. Offer 50% and start there.

I’m not lazy, just have other things I’d like to do than clean my clubs. I do clean my house, though...

More importantly- why do some people care whether or not other people keep their clubs clean and feel free to make judgements about those people based on that useless information?

In the case of that wedge, I’d say the owner must realize if someone is stupid enough to pay $129 for a completely worn out wedge that isn’t worth $20, then that mentally challenged buyer isn’t going to care about a little bit of dirt in the grooves.

My clubheads and grooves are spotless after every shot and the grips get scrubbed down with soapy water and a pot scrubber sponge once a month.

I detest dirty clubs. I cringe when someone throws a dirty wedge back in their bag without even looking at it. Gross. Grooves exist for a reason.

My clubheads and grooves are spotless after every shot and the grips get scrubbed down with soapy water and a pot scrubber sponge once a month.

 

I detest dirty clubs. I cringe when someone throws a dirty wedge back in their bag without even looking at it. Gross. Grooves exist for a reason.

Exactly!

I wipe/brush after every shot when necessary, which is most of the time. I give a full clean about once every couple of months which includes washing the heads and using Lamkin gripes on the grips.

 

And I would never buy a second hand wedge, even if it looked decent.

 

According to that Vokey research, wedges start losing their spin pretty quickly and after 500 shots there will have been a marked drop off in performance.

They are a bit biased, no?

NOT cleaning your clubs gives you a tactical advantage.

The rules of golf allow you to hit the ball with a club that was made dirty previously. It does not allow you to dirty a club to hit a ball.

There are times when I would prefer to use a dirty club over a clean club. For instance if your last wedge shot was in the sand, a sandy face will produce lots of spin. So I leave my club face dirty after sand shots and clean before my next shot if I don't want the added spin.

ya those just look worn not dirty... but it is crazy the amount of dirty clubs for sale on various platforms. i've received clubs from global golf as well that were dirty, just like they were traded in and then sent with out any thing being done.