Local business closing after 25 years

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A local specialty store will close its doors at the end of this year, but not by choice. Technology and the recession are forcing this business to close its doors.

It's the sale of a lifetime for golf enthusiasts, but it's the end of the line for Golf Headquarters. It’s a store that opened 25 years ago, as Golf Masters in the basement of a sporting goods store.

"I always wanted to own my own business, the market seemed right for an off course specialty store,” Bucky Whitlock, former owner of Golf Headquarters said of his start in the mid-80s.

Bucky and his wife Cindy Whitlock have brought everything from golf balls, clubs, and shoes away from pro shops and into the community.

"I mean, a lot of sweat equity here, my wife and I have been committed to the golf specialty business for a longtime, and I mean I think it’s hard,” Whitlock said.

What's hard, is the storm that's hurting small businesses across the country; a combination of an ongoing recession and booming internet sales.

"We felt that we could grind our way out of it. It just hasn't worked out that way,” Whitlock explained.

That's why all of their sales across the store are final and many of their display cases are empty. At the end of the month, Golf Headquarters will cash out for the last time.

"There are some mixed emotions, you know its kind of a mixed bag. You know really appreciative of all the support we got. But (we’re) probably a little troubled that we couldn't continue to serve," Whitlock went on to say.

The Whitlocks say it’s a decision they only recently came to, but have wrestled with for a while.

"We’re just turning a page, but it’s not the end of the book. We're gonna move on to the next thing and hope the community supports us in our next endeavor,” Whitlock ended saying.

So they'll treat this going out of business sale as one last opportunity to serve their community before their doors close for good.