Before you go throwing out any of your old golf clubs, just stop and have a think! Do your clubs really need replacing, or are they just looking worn out?
I have found in many cases that all my old clubs need is a quick paint job to get them looking like new again!
Painting your set of golf clubs is very affordable to do; usually costing less than $50 USD.
So before you think about replacing your clubs, first examine each club and then separate them in 2 piles.
- Clubs that are damaged or have decreased in performance.
- Clubs that are looking old, have scratches and scuff marks.
Any of your clubs that fall in group 2 can be restored to their original condition.
So please continue reading as I will outline all the steps that show you exactly how to paint your golf clubs and get them looking new again!
How to Paint Fill Golf Clubs
Preparation:
Some preparation is required before it’s time to paint your golf clubs. There are two vital aspects that need to be taken care of before any painting can begin:
- Roughing up: Unprepared metal is hard and has a nonporous surface which does not allow the paint to stick on to it. Consider roughing up the metal surface so that when painted, the paint stays on.
- Paint: Choose a paint that can withstand heavy impacts, abrasions, and friction. Golf club heads are meant to undergo a substantial amount of friction and hence choosing a normal paint would not serve the purpose.
Materials Needed To Remove Paint
The materials needed to remove the existing paint from the golf club are:
- Paint remover/Acetone.
- A small nail or anything with a sharp edge.
Materials Needed to Paint a Golf Club:
- Degreasing agent (water-based).
- Masking tape or painter’s tape.
- Heavy-duty canvas drop cloth.
- Etching primer.
- A spray can, in case the primer doesn’t already come in a spray can.
- Epoxy paint.
How to Remove Existing Paint from a Golf Club:
To remove the existing paint, follow the steps given below:
- Use a Q-tip to apply generous amounts of paint-remover to the areas of the golf club where you do not want any old paint. Acetone will work well. Wear latex gloves before using acetone.
- Let the golf club sit with the paint-remover on for at least two hours.
- Once it has soaked-in the paint remover, use a nail, or any object with a pointed edge to scrape the paint from the golf club and out of narrow or hard-to-reach areas, like letters and edges.
How to Remove Paint from Golf Clubs
Steps:
- Apply generous amounts of paint-remover using Q-tip. Acetone will also do the job. Wear latex gloves before using acetone.
- Let the golf club sit with the paint-remover for a good length of time.
- Once the club has soaked in acetone, use a toothbrush dipped in acetone to scrub the paint off.
- Use pointed objects like nails or safety pins to get the paint out of narrow or hard-to-reach areas, like letters and edges.
How to Apply Paint Fill to Golf Clubs
- Prepare the golf club by liberally applying a water-based degreasing agent on it. Afterward, clean it well so that when the paint is applied, it sticks on properly.
- Keep the golf club in a position so that it gets completely dry.
- If there are areas that you would not want to be painted, use masking tape or painter’s tape to cover these areas.
- Place the club on a heavy-duty canvas drop cloth.
- Pour etching primer into a spray can if your primer does not come in one already. Spray a thin layer of the primer on your golf club’s head. Applying a thick layer of primer at one go will turn runny and deliver an improper finish.
- Keep the golf club aside for four hours to let the primer cure.
- Once it dries up completely, apply three thin coats of epoxy paint with brief intervals in between each spray. Just like in the fifth step, a thick coat might ruin the finish. To thin the paint, mix it with acetone.
- Allow two hours (or enough time to dry) between the application of each layer of paint.
Best Paint to Use on Golf Clubs
Though some suggest using acrylic paints on golf clubs, I would strongly recommend enamel paints and paints with epoxy mixed in them. Enamel paints offer faster drying times and stick on well, making them the best paint to use on golf clubs.
Acrylic paints, on the other hand, are not designed to endure the friction that the club is subjected to on the golf course.
How to Paint your Driver Head
How to Prepare your Driver Head before Applying Paint
- Use acetone or any paint remover to remove the existing paint from the driver head.
- Dedicate a good amount of time while using sandpaper on your driver head. Good preparation time will pay off in the long run.
- Apply a thin layer of etching primer. This will help the paint stick on to the driver head’s surface better.
- Let the driver head dry before you apply another thin coat of primer. Allow it to dry up completely.
- Paint with two or three-parts Polyurethane would be your best choice to paint your driver head.
- Apply three thin coats of paint with intervals in between each. The time allowed in between each application will allow the paint to cure completely. Applying thick coats will form lumps or turn the paint runny.
How to Paint Golf Club Shafts
Steps to Paint your Golf Club Shaft:
- Sand the steel shaft using sandpaper to prepare it before painting. This will enable the paint to stick on properly. To roughen up graphite shafts, remove the coating at the tip of the shaft. Then use the sandpaper to sand it.
- Roughening the shafts up also ensures that no dirt or dust is left behind in the part.
- Cover the other parts. The club head and the golf club grip may be covered with painter’s tape so that paint does not get on them.
- Place the shaft on a piece of newspaper or a drop cloth that is lengthier and wider than the shaft.
- Use a thin coat of a latex-based primer on the shaft. Using too much primer will lead to chipping issues later.
- Set the shaft aside for the primer to dry.
- Pick a color of paint of your choice and apply thin coats on to the shaft. Turn the shaft over to cover the whole part with paint. Do not spray thick coats of paint as it may leave lumps on the shaft.
- Now place two blocks of wood, one each beneath the grip and the club head. This will allow the shaft to dry properly without touching the surface of the newspaper or drop cloth. The curing time can extend up to 48 hours before you use the club again.
How to Paint Fill a Putter
The following materials will be needed to paint your putter:
- Metal bowl
- Latex gloves
- Acetone
- Metal pick
- Q-tips
- Toothbrush
- Dish wash soap
Preparation for Painting a Putter
- Take a metal bowl and pour acetone into it. Wear gloves made of latex as a precaution before you transfer the acetone.
- Place your putter in the metal bowl filled with acetone. Make sure all parts of the putter that you want to be painted are submerged well in the acetone.
- Let the existing paint on the putter soak up the acetone. Allow it to sit for a good length of time.
- After some time, scrape with a metal pick on the surface of the putter to see if the paint comes off. If it doesn’t, let the putter soak up acetone for some more time.
- Once you’re able to scrape paint off the putter using the metal pick, remove all the paint on it.
- To remove paint from hard-to-reach areas, use Q-tips.
- To ensure that your putter is free of paint, grease, and debris, use a toothbrush dipped in dish washing soap and make sure you clean it.
- Let the putter dry completely.
- Once it’s completely dry, use a toothpick to apply paint on the putter. Dip the toothpick in the paint of your choice and apply it on the putter.
- Applying a thick layer of paint can form bubbles or lumps. Make sure to keep the surface devoid of bubbles by using your toothpick to break or push bubbles to an area outside of the painting job. Clean the bubbles once the paint is completely dry.
- To clean up the paint, let the newly painted putter sit for a while to cure. Then dip your Q-tip in acetone and brush it gently on the areas where the paint is to be cleaned.
How to Paint Fill Golf Irons
Preparation:
- Mask other areas of the golf club using painter’s tape.
- Use Acetone or paint remover to remove the paint from your golf iron. Wear latex gloves before you use acetone.
- Let the golf iron dry up completely.
- Use a pointed object like a needle or a safety pin to clean out inaccessible areas in the golf iron.
Steps to Paint your Golf Iron:
- Use acrylic spray paint with the color of your choice to paint the iron.
- Use a damp paper towel to remove the excess paint.
- Let the paint dry up.
- Use two to three coats with enough intervals between each coat for the previous layer to dry.
How to Paint Fill Wedges
Steps:
- Remove the existing paint from the wedges by soaking it in a bowl filled with acetone for a few minutes.
- Dip a toothbrush in acetone and scrape the paint off the wedges.
- Let the wedges to dry.
- Dip a toothpick in enamel paint and paint fill your wedges.
- To remove any excess paint, use a razor blade. You can also use a lint-free piece of cloth dipped in nail polish remover to remove the excess paint.
- Use a Q-tip dipped in acetone to even out the smudges.
How to Paint Golf Club Grooves
Steps:
- Rinse thoroughly to clean any grit, dirt, dust, or debris that might be stuck to the grooves of your golf club and let it dry completely.
- Use enamel paint in a spray can to paint your grooves.
- After a thin layer of paint, allow it to dry well before you apply a second layer.
- Once you’re satisfied with the number of layers of paint, allow the grooves to dry completely.
- Once it’s completely dry, spray clear-coat on the paint and let it dry again.
Need help removing scratches from your golf clubs? Read my handy guide here