Please please please don’t do it. Please please please
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I understand the revulsion to the optics. And I also understand the perception that iron covers slow play. I even understand that some folks like the sound of iron chatter and the appearance of a slightly worn set, wearing it like a badge of honor. I’m just not in any of those groups.
I played 18 Thursday in 3 hours, five minutes. With a three-year-old set of irons that have very little wear on them.
I guarantee that if a guy is a slow player with iron covers, there are about ten other things he’s doing that slow down his play more. And I like the optics of continuing to have good-looking irons right up to the point where I decide to get a new set.
Now having said all of that, I’d agree that having iron covers on during a round probably doesn’t make that much of a difference since it’s unlikely you’ll see a lot of wear riding around in a cart for four hours (or walking for three 
).
Then why do I do it? Because it’s easier to have them on when I put them back in the car, which is probably where most iron chatter and dings occur. If you’re concerned about wear and religiously take your clubs out of your trunk when you get home, it’s likely your irons have very little extra wear.
Many of us don’t normally take the clubs out of the trunk, however. And on long driving trips or on flights where your clubs are in the cargo hold, the amount of chatter and dings increases significantly. Just like a good preshot routine, getting used to having iron covers on during play reinforces their use when you’re not playing–which is where you’ll see the most benefit.
Club Glove for me, by the way. I will admit that although it normally takes very little time for me to slip on and off the covers, the sand wedge cover can be a bear with my PM Grind 54 degree wedge.
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Well stated. Every word.
Fraser,
I use Face Savers and just have some extras at the house for when the red clip breaks. (I have had only one break in 3 years). One of my buddies has the slip on types but he loses one pretty frequently because when he drops his club in the bag sometimes it catches on another club and partially pulls up and then falls off when he travels in the cart.
It doesn’t slow me down or mess with my pace of play. At my club there are numerous “slow players” and its not because of their head covers. They take many practice swings, seem to have to calculate algebra to decide on a club, etc. etc. and no one wants to pick them for the dogfights.
One thing I do is leave the covers off my two wedges that I use a lot of. They are separated by my putter and the putter cover doesn’t let them clatter together which is the main reason I use them. I hate all that noise! Pro’s don’t ride in carts so that’s why you don’t hear too much clatter. Put two bags with no covers on irons and drive on the course and cart paths where I play and you will want some covers.
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Took your advice Lee, went with CG. Everything still firmly in place when I got to the course. Thx, @lwildernorva!
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Thx, Todd! Loved the FS, just not 
clips. Thru years went thru all my clips off “spares”, got tired finding hc on trunk floor.
Agree completely on PoP. I esp love the ‘one-club-strut’, pulls one club, walks across fwy, second thoughts, back to cart for another. Suppose 2-3 clubs just too heavy😁
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I have been using various iron covers on sets of forged irons. The face and sole shows signs of use but after several years the rest of the clubs look virtually new. Years ago when I carried I hated the clang, clang when I walked. Now I walk with an electric powered cart. As to the slow issue…your driver cover must be replaced, your putter cover must be replaced, you cover your fairways and hybrids. Why not irons?
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Irons don’t dent. At least, not from that. Smacking them down into the greenish sand that parts of Houston call a driving range, OTOH…
Contrast with my new-to-me 3 Wood that now has a ‘speed dimple’ in its top. I guess woods covers have a use after all…
You must use cast irons. Forged irons definitely get dinged in the bag. That’s where “bag chatter” comes from.
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One thing not mentioned yet, that I consider a big plus in using iron covers – they can prevent the relatively heavy, solid iron heads from banging (repeatedly) into your relatively expensive and much more delicate carbon graphite wood shafts. A “ding” on the shaft can potentially cause it to break at that spot…
I did same a year ago.
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I’ve got a new set of Srixons on order… first new set of irons I’ll ever own… they’ve been delayed, so I’m just waiting at this point.
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Exactly my feeling about using the iron covers.
I started using the covers when I bought my first set of Ben Hogan Apex, back then was my two weeks take home pay. I use the cover diligently for transporting, and when riding golf carts on some golf courses which requires cart.
If I walk, A large tour towel serpentine around the irons would do just fine from preventing bag chatter and clinking metal sound. So the covers stayed in the car.
Unfortunately, nothing last forever, since I sent through quite a few sets of the iron covers over the decades. The Face Cover you have is one of the better design.
I rotate the odd, even numbers so they won’t wear out too fast. Never attempted to repair the clip on the face saver. There must be a way to replace the plastic clip with a thin metal piece ?
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Hogan Apex were some cat’s ass clubs, weren’t they? I still have my set as a “back up”.
My first set of Apex was bought from Edwin Watts, 1992 1-E + SW. Before that I was just admiring My instructor’s sets ( he gets a new set every 3-4 years when the new ones were out ).
Didn’t get used to the Apex 4 until maybe several years later.
Got a set of used Apex Grind later with Apex 5 shaft.
These sets still see action from time to time.
My issue is , I’ll take a few practice sessions to get back into the grooves, whenever switch back and forth with other sets. I guess the Apex-4 shaft was considered a light weight steel shaft back then.
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Fwiw, I took Lee’s @lwildernorva advice, went with the ClubGloves. They protect well and are on/off in a flash, even on-course for casual rounds. I’m usually one of the fastest in the group; the CGs certainly haven’t slowed me any. Recommended.
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I picked up my Apex II set from a local golf shop here in Buffalo area. Circa early 80’s IIRC. The set was 2-E, I already had a Hogan Special SW. I loved the Equalizer; for a wedge, I could pull off a lot of different shots with it.
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The 91-92 Apex ( 92 model but I purchased it late 91 , Fort Worth, forged, with one redline under the signature ) is the set which I started using the head cover for transporting it and storage after cleaned and dried. Absolutely use the head cover if the golf course requires riding a golf cart. The golf clubs will take a tremendous beating banging around in the back of the cart. I’ll serpentine a large tour towel around the irons when I used a push cart for walking.
The club heads are still in excellent shape except sign for normal use, no excessive bag chattering.
The golf cart rocking motion will also cause excessive wear on the finishing of graphite shaft ( where the shaft contact the dividers or the rim of the bag).
Many don’t use iron covers and it’s just fine since those are their golf club and their property. I like to keep things a little longer for enjoyment and personal preference is to keep things in good order.
Signs of wear from age and usage are fine, just like I don’t mind salt and pepper in the hair and eyebrows.
The Apex5 and the N shafts will come out of hibernation when the temperature is above 70 degrees F, can’t motor it with the aging body well in the colder temperature.
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Apex Grind from approximately the same time period is my backup to the backup. I actually loaned them to my nephew’s oldest son who took up golf during the pandemic, and partially because he’s been a baseball pitcher throughout junior and high school, hit them like I never could. He’s now gotten a new set of clubs and returned the Apex to me (I told him they were his to keep, but if he ever wanted to get rid of them, they had to come back to me for sentimental reasons).
I play them occasionally, but wow, they do feel heavy compared with modern clubs.
You were generous, even when lending out to a relative.
I had never lend out golf clubs ( unless I meant to dispose of it ), books or women. I don’t even like it when someone suggested to take a look at my golf clubs.
Long ago, one of my friend asked to try my new driver ( Geek DCT ), foolishly, I let him since he could not try it out in local golf shop. One swing, put a sky mark on it.
Polished off most of the ball mark but somehow, it is never the same.
Apex models were never the same since the old man stopped giving direct feedback/inspection after he sold the company. Definitely not the same after he passed on. Many would say differently.
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