This March, Reno business Golf Headquarters celebrates 30 years of operation.
For three decades Golf Headquarters has made its home on Kietzke Lane, fitting clubs and supplying golfers with the latest and greatest in equipment and merchandise. But in 1982, a 23-year-old Scott Hickey was simply looking for a job in golf after being named an All American golfer in college. Little did he know that 30 years later he would be the shining example of golf retail in northern Nevada, outlasting 16 other privately owned golf shops – all thanks to the support of the local community.
“Northern Nevada has been very good to me; golf has been very good to me,” Hickey said. “Working in this community has allowed me to apply my education in marketing to something that I love and create a successful business out of it. For that, I am very grateful.”
Hickey purchased the business at the urging of a former colleague after it fell into Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the hands of a previous owner. By utilizing the region’s growing market for golf, along with a steady stream of customers from the nearby convention and resort corridor, Hickey paid off all of the store’s debtors by age 30 and began to expand. Slowly, the store grew to 2,800 square feet, and then to 6,500 square feet. In the early 2000s, Golf Headquarters again expanded to fill 11,000 square feet. And as the store grew, so did its reputation, as it received repeated club fitting awards from golf giants Mizuno and PING.
But Hickey doesn’t take all the credit. In addition to the community as a whole, the longtime Reno resident credits much of his business acumen to his father, the late Jim Hickey, and former gaming magnate William Pennington, both of whom dispensed advice without being overbearing. His younger brother Pat, who manages the store, also makes the list.
“Both my dad and Mr. Pennington were incredibly influential in the decisions I made to develop Golf Headquarters,” Hickey said. “They gave me advice without telling me what to do. They helped me without even trying. We spent a lot of time on the golf course together, which allowed me to learn just by being around them. I also owe a lot to my brother, Pat. He has the people skills – the aptitude – to talk to people and make them happy. The store would not be where it is without him.”
Golf Headquarters is at 4112 Kietzke Lane in Reno and is open seven days per week. For more information, call 775-826-2245 or visit the website at www.RenoTahoeGHQ.com.
