Bob-O-Links Golf Course — 1924-1973
by Paula Bosse
Bob-O-Links golf and St. Thomas Aquinas… (click for larger image)
by Paula Bosse
The photograph above (with a view to the southeast) shows Abrams Road (at the left), a few blocks south of Mockingbird. On the right is St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and school, and on the left, part of the Bob-O-Links Golf Course, Lakewood’s only public golf course. If you’re familiar with that part of town, it’s pretty incredible to see all that open land right in the middle of it.
Bob-O-Links, a 9-hole course, was opened by Harry McCommas in 1924 on 60 acres of the land originally owned by the pioneer McCommas family (the family’s full 640 acres covered land that stretched from what is now Abrams Road to White Rock Lake). Despite a creek meandering through seven of the course’s nine holes, the course was an immediate hit, mainly because it was one of the few public courses in town. This is where East Dallas residents with golf-fever would go to play if they couldn’t afford to join the Lakewood County Club.
From an article by John Anders in The Dallas Morning News:
When [Harry] McCommas, 75, decided to build a golf course on his grandfather’s sheep pasture in 1928 [sic], there were only three other golf courses in Dallas. And two of those three are now gone. “We were really out in the country then. There was no water, gas or electricity so we hauled in our water by truck. We didn’t need much since it was originally a sand course.” (DMN, July 6, 1973)
When the course opened in 1924, it was pretty much out in the sticks. By the late 1950s, though, Lakewood was booming, and developers were eager to build things — much to the dismay of nearby residents. Development was staved off for over a decade, but during that whole time, developers never stopped trying to get the area re-zoned, either for commercial use or for apartments and townhouses. Eventually — inevitably — the land was sold, and the days of the little golf course came to an end. The only “victory” the neighborhood could claim is that only single-family homes would be built on the land.
Bob-O-Links Golf Course closed on July 4, 1973. And as one drives down Abrams Road these days, it’s almost impossible to believe that it was ever there.
via Flickr
via Flickr
Dallas Park Board minutes, July 4, 1958
1962 map detail
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Sources & Notes
I have no information about the top photo. It was posted on the Lakewood neighborhood group on Facebook by local bon vivant Michael Vouras. Comments on his post suggest that it may be a photo in the possession of St. Thomas Aquinas, taken around the mid 1960s. I welcome more info! (UPDATE: Below in the comments, other dates are suggested.)
A present-day aerial view of the same area can be seen here. The golf course (formerly on the left) has been gobbled up by houses.
A great article on Bob-O-Links — “The Bygone Days of Bob-O-Links Golf Course” — was written by Patti Vinson and appeared in a 2015 issue of The Lakewood Advocate; read it here.
Further reading from the archives of The Dallas Morning News:
- “Re-zoning Denied for Bob-o-Links” (DMN, Sept. 17, 1960): this re-zoning request was to build a 35-acre shopping center; it was shot down by angry neighborhood residents
- “Negotiations Finished To Buy Bob-o-Links” (DMN, Feb. 9, 1973): purchaser was long-time Dallas developer Hal McGraw who promised to build only single-family homes
- “Farewell, Bob-O-Links” by John Anders (DMN, July 6, 1973): very entertaining article about Anders’ last round on the course, with memories of his earlier experiences on the course and quotes from owner Harry McCommas
Wish I’d been there. “FORE!”
Pictures larger when clicked!
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Copyright © 2016 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
That photo was taken prior to 1960 because I grew in a house next to St. Thomas and it is not there. Our house was built in 1951. FYI – Bob O Links was designed by A. W. Tillinghast, who designed many famous golf courses, including Winged Foot in New York, site of five U.S. Opens.
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Thanks, Jim. I’ll edit the date.
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Either the date at historicaerials.com is wrong or Jim’s memory is wrong. The building on the south side of the church parking lot is not in this 1956 aerial: http://i.imgur.com/gkZMK30.png
It is in this 1968 aerial: http://i.imgur.com/OXQ0H3v.png
Also note that the building south and slightly east of the church changed.
If the dates at historicaerials.com are correct that would mean the photo is definitely some time after 1956.
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That Morning News snippet (1960) is interesting, for all that it must be less than 100 words:
” . . . the East Dallas Zoning Committee . . . heard the torrid case in Council Chambers . . .”
Unless the chambers were hot (it was September), I guess that neighbors really didn’t want a 35-acre shopping center on the site of Bob-O-Links Golf Course. That’s the first time that I ever heard a zoning case described as “torrid”, but it leaves me wondering how many other land battles, almost inevitably lost by Dallas residents, went uncovered, or were consigned to little space filler boxes in the newspapers.
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Ha. My first thought when I saw “torrid” went to the intense atmosphere of a souped-up Carol Burnett-style soap opera parody, complete with steely stares, fiery arguments, and ominous organ.
Imagine if that area HAD been re-zoned for a shopping center. Residents: remain vigilant!
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I always loved Uncle Harry, a funny charming fellow.
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I’m wondering if the negative on this photo is flipped? I remember Bob-O-Links as located on the east side of Abrams and St. Thomas on the west. Got to play miniature golf there a few times as a child.
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Woops, just saw the direction in the description–Abrams heading south. Now my head feels right!!
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I’m forever looking at things upside-down1
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[…] “Bob-O-Links Golf Course — 1924-1973.” I grew up not too far from this area, and I can’t believe that it ever looked like this. The street on the left is Abrams; the view is to the southeast. The East Dallas golf course for those who couldn’t afford to join the Lakewood Country Club. […]
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I spent two Jr High summers caddying at Bob O Links. They had some very good golfers show up there. Made good money. The clubhouse was very small, but they had a counter service for the golfers. That’s where I had my first “:black cow” (root beer float) I got addicted to them. If we found golf balls on the course that did not belong to our golfer, they would let us keep them and we would sell them at the clubhouse. Back then the “rough” was really the rough and the tall grass would easily hide golf balls. As I recall the owner had a son, Hal, that was an excellent golfer. It was a charming area for that time.
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I still have free pass to the putt putt course
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This photo was taken well after 1960. The building on the west side of the church is the rectory and church offices. It was built in the mid 60’s. I lived across the street from St Thomas and next door to the old rectory from 1949 until we moved in 1965. Our house was sold in late 1965 and the old rectory was sold about the same time as the priests moved into the new rectory. I may have given my friend Tony Lalamia the putt putt pass as I worked at the miniature golf course in 61. Moved on to the golf course as a starter for a few years.
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I lived on Marquita nearby for 3 months from my Marriage to my getting my Greetings to take a job with Uncle Sam – played 2 or 3 times at Bob-O-Links – Yes Hal McCommas was good – I watched he and ? Ewing play a match at Stevens in the early 1950’s
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Here’s an aerial from 1945: https://digitalcollections.smu.edu/digital/collection/agr/id/16/rec/16
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