Golfers wear golf shoes, as opposed to sneakers or flip flops or slippers, for two main reasons: to keep their feet dry during a round and to provide somewhat stylish footwear offering great traction on turf and sand for any kind of shot.
Golf shoes offer traction either with hybrid shoes, which have a variety of molded plastic nubs to keep a player from slipping, or in traditional golf shoes with spikes that screw in and out of particular positions on a shoe's outsole to offer traction points in all the right places. If you wear traditional golf shoes, all that twisting and turning and walking in golf eventually wears those spikes down, and they lose some of their grip. It's inevitable.
So, when golf spikes lose their grip, a golfer can do one of two things: get new golf shoes or get new spikes. For a lot of golfers, perhaps it's easier to just grab new shoes and spend $100 or more. For plenty of golfers, however, they really love a certain pair of golf shoes and don't want to give them up because a completely replaceable component -- the spikes -- aren't as good as they were out of the box. Besides, replacing golf shoe spikes is pretty easy and is much more cost effective.
Figuring out how often a golfer should replace their golf shoe spikes isn't an exact science. The shoe and spike makers would tell you to replace them basically every 12-20 rounds, depending on who you ask. If you play a lot of golf each year, that could be two or three times per season. Honestly, that's probably too much. I would recommend replacing them every 25-35 rounds or so. That puts most golfers in the every year range. Do it once per year, ideally at the start of the season, and you'll be in good shape.
There are some caveats to that, however. If you play on particularly firm turf, like in a desert or other dry climate, then replace them more often. There will be more wearing scuffing along firmer ground.
Picking the right replacement spikes for your golf shoe can be a little confusing. Of course, you could ask a PGA of America pro at your golf club for help, but there are good online guides, including from major manufacturers and retailers to help you make the right selection for your shoe type and what kind of grip you want from your spikes.
How to remove golf spikes from your golf shoes
Removing golf spikes from modern golf shoes is pretty easy. Most modern soft-style spikes have a pair of holes on the inside of them, and you can use a golf shoe spike wrench, which usually costs about $10, to easy grab the spikes at those holes and twist them off. Once you twist off all of your spikes, you can grab your replacement spikes, screw them into the open ports on your shoes and then tighten them with your wrench. Voila!
Replacing golf spikes is a simple process that will save you plenty of money, help you feel more comfortable on the golf course and keep you in those shoes you've so nicely grooved over the years.
