What real function do 'golf headcovers' really serve?

Golf club head covers are designed to protect the heads and shafts of your woods from damage that can occur when the clubs jostle around in your bag. This can occur on the back of a golf cart, or from constantly picking up and setting down your bag when walking a course. Whether you carry your clubs, pull them on a cart or attach them to a power cart, some jostling is inevitable. The design of headcovers, serves to provide additional padding and protective skin, to absorb shocks and maintain a field of spacing between the woods in your bag.

Driver Head Covers

Usually, the most expensive club in your bag is the driver. This club can cost a golfer as much as $500. To protect that investment, driver head covers are recommended to keep the club head from damage. Most driver covers are made of neoprene or cloth, and some have a rubber or latex inner lining. Plush or some other padding, can be found on more premium headcovers, providing an additional layer of protection.

According to a number of golf club retailers, a driver head cover is included in the purchase of a new driver. But there are many styles that are available off-the-shelf

Fairway and Hybrid Club Covers

Fairway wood head covers, like driver covers, are usually made of neoprene or cloth, but they are smaller to fit snugly on club heads that are generally smaller than a driver. Much like drivers, these clubs have gained in popularity and price in the modern golf era. They are engineered with such precise design and materials to create specific spin and loft on the ball, and though pricey, can provide golfers of many different handicap a distinct advantage on long Par 4s and Par 5s.

The number of fairway or hybrid clubs in your bag is a personal preference, but most golfers use covers to protect these clubs.