Q&A: Charlie Henry, Golf Shop Manager at Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Alex Elias
Can you briefly describe your background?
I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penn State University's Professional Golf Management Program. I've always had a passion for merchandising and knew that was the route I wanted to pursue. I first came to Sleepy Hollow as an intern in 2024, working under our former Golf Shop Manager, Jared Marschall, who is now the Head Golf Professional at Stanwich Club. After my internship, I moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where I spent two years as an Assistant Golf Professional at Panther National. When the opportunity came to return to Sleepy Hollow and take over as Golf Shop Manager, it was one I couldn't pass up. Coming back to a place that played such a big role in my career and being able to lead the Golf Shop has been an incredible experience.
As the Golf Shop Manager at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, how much pride do you and the members take in the club's logo?
The members and staff all know the level of prestige our logo carries in the golf world. Our members love wearing it with pride, and there's a great deal of respect for what it stands for. It's something people are genuinely proud to be associated with.
When you speak with guests, how quickly does the logo come up? Would you go as far as to say they mention the logo just as much as the course? Subsequently, does it ever surprise you how much guests purchase?
The golf course is always the first thing people want to talk about, but once they walk into the golf shop, the logo quickly becomes part of the conversation. People love the history behind Sleepy Hollow, but they also love the hype around our logo and merchandise. We have guests come in planning to buy one thing and end up leaving with a whole bag of merch. It really shows how much people value having something with the Sleepy Hollow logo on it.
What trends within golf merchandise have you noticed over the last year?
Dozens of new brands have entered the golf merchandise industry over the last few years., and it's been awesome to watch the industry evolve. One of the biggest changes I've noticed over the last year has been the rise of AI and how it's changed the creative side of merchandising. In the past, clubs were much more dependent on brands to come up with new designs or alternate logos. Now, with AI, golf professionals can get incredibly creative just by opening up a computer. It's made it much easier to bring ideas to life, create unique concepts, and design merchandise that really stands out to our members and guests.
What new product are you most proud of?
The Sleepy Hollow Knicks Championship T-shirt was probably one of the most fun projects I've been a part of. AJ Sikula, our Director of Golf, had the idea to do a Knicks-themed shirt, and I got to run with the design. It was cool to combine a New York sports team with the Sleepy Hollow brand. Once we posted it on our Instagram page, it absolutely took off. We were getting calls almost immediately asking if we could hold shirts for people, and the entire run sold out in less than 24 hours. Our members were asking us to reorder them almost right away, which was awesome to see.
Sleepy Hollow has just about as many headcover options as any club. Can you discuss the process that goes into coming up with new ideas, whether it's the New York Rangers Jersey Headcover, the Hole 16 Headcover, or the more recent Headless Horseman release?
Headcovers have always been my favorite products to design because I think you can get really creative with them. We have such an iconic logo and so much history to pull inspiration from, whether it's the Headless Horseman, our golf course, or even New York sports. We're always paying attention to what members and guests are bringing in from other clubs to get ideas, but our goal is never to copy what other clubs are doing. It's to create something different. It's easy to throw a logo on a navy or white headcover and call it a day, but I think there's something special about being the first club to come out with a unique design. That's what we're always striving for.
