Damaged one of my irons. Rats!

[Doctorfro]

wrecked my nine iron on a simple chip shot underneath a cedar tree. Chewed up the sole. I know most on here will say, "just gives it character" but it makes me sick. I know you can't keep your clubs perfect and if it doesn't affect play then I shouldn't care but I do. Just as a putter (or any other club) should be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, I want all my clubs to be pleasing to my eyes and everytime I go to the bag to hit this club I'll have a momentary disappointment. Dang! Anyone have similar?

[DES NUTTZ]

If it doesn't affect play just see how much you can get out of it by selling it and use that money to buy a new replacement 9 iron

[blackxpress]

Happened to me yesterday. I've been complaining about the condition of the sand traps at my home course for a long time. The course is in excellent condition except that the traps are filled with creek sand. I played 36 holes yesterday and on the last hole (par 5) I hit my 3rd shot into the greenside bunker. When I hit my shot out of the bunker I heard this awful sound and realized I had hit a rock. That stupid creek sand has tiny little pebbles in it and one of them just happened to be under my ball. It put a good sized nick in the sole of my brand new SW and ruined what had been a splendid day on the golf course. It probable won't affect the performance of the club but, like you, I like to take care of my equipment. It really pisses me off that they're too cheap to put good sand in those bunkers and their cheapness messed up one of my favorite clubs. If they don't fix those bunkers real soon that's going to be my EX home course.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Happened to me yesterday. I've been complaining about the condition of the sand traps at my home course for a long time. The course is in excellent condition except that the traps are filled with creek sand. I played 36 holes yesterday and on the last hole (par 5) I hit my 3rd shot into the greenside bunker. When I hit my shot out of the bunker I heard this awful sound and realized I had hit a rock. That stupid creek sand has tiny little pebbles in it and one of them just happened to be under my ball. It put a good sized nick in the sole of my brand new SW and ruined what had been a splendid day on the golf course. It probable won't affect the performance of the club but, like you, I like to take care of my equipment. It really pisses me off that they're too cheap to put good sand in those bunkers and their cheapness messed up one of my favorite clubs. If they don't fix those bunkers real soon that's going to be my EX home course.

"Simple" solution: Avoid the bunkers!

[TheWarHound]

I am with you . . . a simple blemish just makes me sick. I got a small ding in my 5W, pissed me off, so I am now looking for the identical club. The ding doesn't hurt anything, but when I see it, I get pissed off all over again.

[Dub]

Had the same thing happen with my last set of irons.....first round with them and I had an 8 iron shot from some pinestraw. Took a full swing and heard a strange sound through impact....ball flight was fine.

Looked at the club and the sole had a huge chunk in it from a rock beneath the straw.

I wasn't concerned so much with the looks as I was the functionality of the soles new jagged surface. Ten minutes with a carefully wielded Dremmel tool and was smooth again.....however, it had the ugly divot on it forevermore.

Irons are tools.....tools made more the express purpose of swinging into the earth. Don't sweat the dings....unless they are in your grooves....then you have something to be miffed about.

I don't care to own shelf queens. I want functional weapons.

Here is one of the only photos I could find of my old irons....they are made for this stuff.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I know you probably dont want to hear this, but it doesnt matter. As long as the face is ok, that club is playable. You should see my irons . They look like i beat them on the cart path every day.

[blackxpress]

"Simple" solution: Avoid the bunkers!

D'oh!

[tjy355]

You should just go buy a new set of clubs.

Oh yeah, I'll give you $100 for the old set. I would offer more, but the 9-iron is kinda chewed up.

[Mr3Putt]

Irons are tools.....tools made more the express purpose of swinging into the earth. Don't sweat the dings....unless they are in your grooves....then you have something to be miffed about.

My thoughts exactly. I don't blame anyone for wanting that new car smell for the life of the clubs but c'mon. You're repeatedly slamming a clubhead into the planet at many miles per hour. If I replaced a club because of cosmetic issues on the sole, I'd be changing entire sets at the turn. Unless you shelve them, how can you not possible mar the club? Some steel is stronger than others, but after a round or two, all clubs will show some signs of wear. Plus, if the money's right, I'll play it right from the cartpath. I remember when my old X-12's were about a week old, I played a shot out of the Vegas desert that literally took a small chunk out of the iron. When I got home, I filed it smooth and had a great story. Now, when headed to the desert to play, I'll swap out my 7 iron with my really old golfsmith 7 iron specifically for desert recovery shots. If you've ever played desert golf, you know that natural desert floor is nothing like in the movies! Don't sweat the club marks. They're' battle scars to be proud of! Looks like that 5 iron up there was on a few tours of duty!

[Bourbon and Coke]

I have a nick on the face of my 7 iron... but it's off-center, so I'm not complaining too much.

I'm with the others--clubs are just tools. I'll use them until they go to hell, then I'll buy more. I'm not married to the $800 irons I'm going to depreciate to dirt. I didn't buy clubs as an investment.

[Bourbon and Coke]

(Okay, maybe I bought the Scotty as an investment...)

[MGP]

It's kinda one of the reasons I play less expensive irons and build my own clubs (aside from finding it relaxing and being able to easily customize them). I can get replacement heads cheaply enough that if one gets chewed up or seriously damaged I just replace it. I'll usually buy a whole set of heads if they are being obsoleted or phased out, usually at a dirt cheap price.

[Doctorfro]

I realize that some would concur and some say it's no problem. My last set of irons I had for 15 years and had only one such mar that I got years into their use (and I hacked through a lot of stuff during that time). If you bought a new car and got a door ding on the first day I would think that most would be annoyed to really pissed. The car still functions properly though. So do my irons. Just hadn't had a real nice set of clubs before and wished they could've stayed showroom fresh just a little longer.

[Dub]

I feel ya.....too bad it couldn't have held off longer.

[dmband8985]

the difference is a ding on the car didn't get there by using the car how its supposed to be use...its usually some a-hole in a parking lot that has no respect for other people and their property and swing their car door wide open and ding up your door in the process. the scuff on your iron go there by doing exactly what you should have been doing with it....with the forces put on the club and ball by your swing and the ground, i really think that every swing should leave some sort of mark on the club, especially on the sole