How Long Do Golf Gloves Last?

It will depend on a variety of factors but you should expect a glove to last approximately 10 rounds.

The useful life of your glove will depend on the following:

• The material it is constructed from
• The quality of the product
• How you grip your golf clubs
• The weather
• The level of care you take
• How often you take the glove off
• How seriously you take the game

Let’s break it down for you so you know how long golf gloves last and how you can make yours last longer.

Although you can probably expect around 10 rounds from a glove the following factors are going to greatly affect the actual amount of time you will be able to use your gloves.

Material Gloves Are Made From

Golf gloves are usually either made from Cabretta leather or synthetic materials or a hybrid of the two.

In my experience, synthetic gloves will usually last longer although you tend to sacrifice a certain amount of feel.

I’ve found that synthetic gloves tend to keep their shape better for longer and tend to be more durable with regard to wear. Despite this I still prefer to use leather gloves whenever possible, only resorting to synthetic ones when it’s raining.

Quality Of The Glove

Having tried “cheap” glove manufacturers in the past I have tended to stick with bigger names such as Titleist or Srixon since the cheaper gloves tend not to fit as well in the first place and tend to wear out more quickly so any cost saving is marginal as you are having to go through more gloves.

If you are just considering leather gloves then there can be quite a disparity between their durability due to the thickness of the leather that is used. A Titleist Players glove probably has thinner leather than the majority of other gloves and therefore provides excellent feel but the downside is you are much more likely to wear a hole in the glove. Compared with a different manufacturer’s glove which had thicker leather.

It becomes a trade-off between feel and durability.

How You Grip The Club

If you have a poorly formed grip or you are strangling the club then you are going to wear the gloves out more quickly than someone who has lighter grip pressure and holds the club in a more orthodox fashion.

Weather

The weather will have an effect on the life of your glove. If you tend to play in a warm climate you will sweat more and sweat is definitely an enemy of your glove. Particularly so if you tend to leave your glove on all the time giving it no opportunity to dry out.

How Well You Care For Your Glove

If you just tend to throw your glove in any old pocket of your bag and not look at it again until the next time you play golf then you’re not doing it any favors.

First, always try to keep the glove in its original packaging as this will help keep it in the best condition possible.

If the glove gets wet due to rain or sweat then let it dry out first before putting it away. Ideally, you should use several gloves and rotate through them during the round leaving them to dry on your bag.

If it gets seriously dirty you could even try washing your glove.

How Often You Take The Glove Off

This one is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you want to remove your glove between shots if it is getting sweaty as this will give it a chance to air out. On the flip side, you will be stretching the glove out slightly every time you are taking it off and putting it on.

How Seriously You Take The Game

The lower your handicap the more seriously you are likely to take your golf and your performance. Since your gloved hand is the most important in terms of holding onto the club during your swing, better golfers are likely to want to maximize their chances of keeping a solid hold without having to strangle the club. This means our more likely to change gloves more often.

You could also argue that a higher handicapper is likely to take more shots every round so that will cause the glove to wear quicker in terms of the number of rounds played.

How To Increase The Lifespan Of A Golf Glove

Some gloves can be quite expensive so you’ll want to get the best out of them for as long as possible. Try employing some of these suggestions:

Find A Glove That Fits Properly

Arguably the most important thing to get right. If you get a glove that doesn’t fit correctly then you are likely to wear it out more quickly or be unable to use it because it is stretched out of shape. Either way, you aren’t going to be getting value for money.

To check you are buying the right size see if your preferred manufacturer has a size guide or use this glove size guide from Footjoy.

Many golfers are wearing completely the wrong type of glove some estimates suggest up to 20% of people should be wearing a cadet style golf glove rather than a regular one.

Put It On Properly

The instructions on the back of this Srixon glove show you how to do it. When removing the glove gently pull the glove off your fingers rather than yanking it off your palm.

Store It Correctly

Follow any instructions on the packet for storing your glove after you’ve used it. They often suggest flattening the glove and replacing it back in the pack that it came in. Alternatively, you could keep them in a zip-lock bag. 

Dry It

Whether from rain or sweat allow your glove to dry out before storing it. One useful tip for helping a glove to keep its shape is to place a number of golf balls inside and then seal up the velcro.

Rotate It

Even if you’re not playing in particularly warm conditions you’ll still find your glove may get a little sweaty so it’s probably best to rotate through 2 or 3 gloves per round and attach them to your bag so that they dry out while you play.

On particularly warm days I might swap my gloves every three holes. Hopefully, by the time you get to the back nine, the one you started with will have dried out enough to be useful.

When Is It Time To Change Your Glove?

The most obvious sign that your gloves should be replaced is rips and tears. These are going to significantly compromise your hold on the club to the point where you would probably be just as well not using one at all.

The next reason to change to a new glove would be if it has stretched to the point where it’s becoming loose forcing you to apply extra pressure to maintain your grip on the club.

The third reason for swapping out your glove would be if it’s become a little too shiny and therefore the club is starting to slip. Once a glove reaches this state you might as well not be using it at all.

What Do I Do With Old Golf Gloves?

I tend to have two sets of gloves in my bag. I retain my best and newest gloves for competitive rounds or rounds that I am taking very seriously. Gloves that are a little past their best are reserved for practice sessions or bounce games where things aren’t quite as serious.

Obviously, your standard will dictate to some extent how often you get rid of your gloves. Accomplished players are more likely to want to change their gloves more often because they want the best combination of grip and feel at all times. Performance is more important than the cost of replacing a glove every few rounds.

By contrast, I’ve seen some high handicappers playing in competitions with gloves that I wouldn’t even consider using at the driving range! Shiny, crusty or with rips and tears aplenty!

How Long Do Golf Gloves Last: Conclusion

So you should now have some idea of how long your gloves will last and how to improve their longevity. Take a look at my reviews of leather gloves if you’re in the market for a new one.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]