In the 1950’s, as the suburbs of Atlanta moved east, several family playgrounds sprang up. There was Misty Waters in Decatur, Glenwood Hills across from East Lake Golf Club, and Clifton Springs in Gresham Park. Mr. Frank Weaver owned and operated Clifton Springs. It was built in the early 1950’s, and flourished into the early 70’s. It featured a 1 acre swimming lake, complete with a large white sand beach, a dock in the middle with a 3/4 diving board, and a 20 foot platform with two levels and a diving board at the top. Trust me, the diving board at the top was not for the faint of heart. There was also an 18 hole Par 3 golf course, a driving range, a bowling alley, and a miniature golf course. There was a children’s area featuring a small carousel, a Briggs and Stratton powered ferris wheel and a miniature train that ran through the woods. My father and uncle laid the tracks for the miniature train. In later years the bowling alley became a slot car track.
Clifton Springs was Gresham Park Beach. There was sand, there was water, and we played in both. There were transistor radios and teenage girls in bikinis. As far as my 7 year old mind knew, it was the beach. My parents and I would go there Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons, have lunch at one of the picnic tables in the shade, and lounge on a blanket on the sand. I would play in the water with all the other kids that were there, with my father standing guard near the rope that separated the shallow end from the deep end.
I remember the first time I ever saw the ocean for real. I was 8 years old, and we were on our way to Fort Pierce, Florida to visit my cousins. This was before I-75 and The Sunshine Parkway, and we were traveling down US 1. We stopped at Daytona Beach. I remember vividly running out, diving in the water, and the shock of the salt hitting my eyes, nose and mouth. I thought I was diving into the water back up at Clifton Springs. I had no idea the ocean was salt water. Imagine how I felt when I found out that the moon wasn’t really made out of green cheese.
As we grew older, we would ride our bikes to Clifton Springs, or our parents would drop us off. I think it cost 50¢ to swim all day, and we didn’t have to sign any waivers or releases. Remember, this was a different place and time. Mr. Weaver would put your belongings in an individual wire basket behind the counter, then give you a colored cloth tag to pin onto your swimsuit. A different color for each day. You would walk past the jukebox room where all the hoods hung out, smoking cigarettes in their teardrops. At the gate one of the lifeguards, John or Tommy Morrison or Pat Sammons, checked your cloth tag. Then you were in, off to the docks and the diving boards.
Growing up in Gresham Park, in the summer you were one of two places, the ball park or Clifton Springs. Either place was jam packed every day. For many of us, our first exposure to golf was at Clifton. The tee boxes were concrete with black rubber mats. It was also lighted so you could play at night. The first time I ever played golf was at Clifton at night with Andy Shook, my friend who lived across the street. We were twelve, and shared his brother Ronnie’s clubs. Miraculously, we didn’t break any of them.
And then, of course, there were the cars. You drove down the hill to the lake, and there was a driveway across the dam, atop the wall behind the beach, into the parking lot behind the clubhouse, and back up the hill. There was always a steady stream of cars around the driveway. The thing to do was to cruise the Dairy Queen on Gresham Road, pull into McDonald’s two doors down, check things out there, then head down to Clifton to cruise the beach. The picture here is circa 1968 and the driveway is clearly visible. Also visible are the two docks, the carousel, the miniature golf course, the bowling alley and of course, the clubhouse. Look closely and you can also see the diving boards on the two docks.
Time marches on, and things change. Misty Waters became an apartment complex. Glenwood Hills became a subdivision. Clifton Springs survived, at least the golf course, into the late 80’s. The swimming lake was shut down and drained by 1978. They built a big, new swimming pool behind the gym in Gresham Park. It was a nice pool, but it wasn’t Clifton Springs. It never could be. Clifton Springs was a time and place gone forever.
Bobby Willis, a local sports hero who played for the Atlanta Crackers, bought the golf course in the mid 80’s. He cleared out the lake, re-filled it and built an island green on it. It was about a 135 yard shot from the tees which were located in the middle of where the parking lot used to be. And no, the green was not easy to hit. I played in a couple of leagues there, and won my first golf trophy for 3rd place in the 1986 “B” division. It is the one golf trophy I could never part with. Not because it was my first, but because it is from Clifton Springs.
A megachurch bought the property in the early 90’s, but you can still see some of the tees and greens. And the lake is still on the property, at the back behind the church. It makes me happy to know it is still there, but I wish I could make one more lap in my convertible down the hill, across the dam, around the wall and through the parking lot… Still Cruisin’! –J.
Great article. One correction: Glenwood Hills park was on Glenwood Rd between Candler Rd and Columbia Dr at the bottom of hill where Shoal Creek goes under Glenwood. Today Shoal Creek II Park is there. My family helped build Glenwood Hills baseball fields and my dad coached and my brother and I played Little League and Babe Ruth baseball there.
I lived at the corner of Summit Dr (exits on Glenwood across from East Lake Country Club) and Swazey Dr (exits on Second Ave) from 1952-1962. Then, 1962-1974, we lived off Dawn Dr, behind Gordon High. ( Went to Leslie J Steel, Terry Mill, and Tilson Elementary Schools.)
I experienced all the fun of Misty Waters, swimming, Putt Putt and par 3 golf, rolller skating, also at Clifton Springs, swimming, par 3, the train.
Great memories!
Thanks!
No one has mentioned the GREEN WATER!!
The water was green and you couldn’t see a
foot down. Born in 1960, we lived there from
1968-72 and no, nothing will be like Clifton
Springs pool. The best way to describe it is
the point of convergence for the movies,
American Graffiti, Breaking Away, and Stand
by Me with a Southern National Lampoon’s
charm. There have been better and there have
worse, bigger, more famous, more dangerous,
but nothing quite like it.
P.S. My brother played football at then Walker H. S.
He was friends with Tommy Martin. My other brother
played for the Dekalb YellowJackets and I played
for the Bees, Gnats, and Hornets. It was crack in
time, that has since been filled.
Howdy! I grew up on Rollingwood Dr. in the Meadowview subdivision – we were at Misty Waters every sunny Saturday with the neighbor kids. We would be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the late afternoon. Can you imagine? Your parents were glad you were out of their hair! 🙂 The above pic sure looks like Misty Waters to me – it was the same arrangement of part beach/part large pool with a dock in the middle and diving platform. I have no memory of Clifton Springs at all. The baseball fields are still there in Gresham Park where I played Little League. Yes is was a great time and place to be a kid! (PS there is still a park where Misty Waters once was. Near Candler Rd. and I-20.)
I spent a lot of time at Clifton Springs, I loved the Beach and I loved the Dock. I can remember the choo choo train cruising slowly around the property , it was just a great place to enjoy the Summer. Unfortunately the owners decided to shut it down rather than integrate , it was really sad to see such a treasure closed down.
Great job Jimmy! You captured it perfectly. Living in Sherwood Forest, it was quite a walk on a 90* day, but it seems like I did it weekly during summer vacation. Played golf there many times. Even at night. I will always remember the first time I heard The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” at the jukebox.
What a great place to grow up.Meadowview elemntry,then Walke High,sugar creek,the woods,horse stable,ballpark.=…so much
WOW
Nice memories, Jimmy. We went everyday in the summer. I kept all the tags. We lived behind the ball park, so it was quite a walk for us. Good years to grow up in.
We had NO IDEA at the time but this was truly our “MAYBERRY”…for all the kids in and around Gresham Park…
I also lived across the street from Clifton Springs, in the Sun Valley Subdivision. I spent every day of my summers growing up going to the pool. What great memories! It was such an important part of my childhood. You are right when you say there will never be another Clifton Springs, I couldn’t agree with you more.
I lived in Sun Valley directly across the street from the entrance at 3015 Corbin Ave. I learned how to swim there, and Pat Sammons was my instructor for my lifeguard certification. Used to walk over there by 10:30 AM in the morning and back home for dinner by 3:30 PM. My dad bought me a season pass every year. I played for the Tigers Major League team at Gresham Park, and coach used to tell us not to go swimming before a game but usually I did. Got in trouble for it a few times!
Hi!! Does anyone know, if there are pictures of any of the Men playing Golf around late 50’s early 60’s??? From Clifton Spring’s? Or…a Website..with pictures from back then.
Please and Thank You,
Leta
My dad was grew up there I mean my dad actually grew up there with his parents and brothers. My dad was a life guard among others things. My grandfather was the ground s keeper and lived on the property. The Allen family’. My dad was John Allen but the called him Marion. That’s for the share.
So many great memories of so many summers! From 7 years old, not allowed past the rope to 17 years old hanging with the cool kids at the juke box. Cruising the driveway around the pool and laying on beach towels shiny from baby oil watching who was Cruising. I have several of those tags, different colors for different days pasted in my scrapbook with dates and important happenings noted. Thank you for this post and your story. What a lucky bunch of kids we were.
Some things about Clifton Springs I had forgotten, like the driveway around. Others, like the hoods hanging out at the jukebox (why mom was so reluctant to let me go there!) and the basket and tag for your suit, will forever be in my brain. It is really sad, as I see my grandkids growing up, realizing they just never had this type of experience. Times have changed in so many ways. And you are right, a swimming pool, no matter how nice, can never compare to Clifton Springs. June Starmer Sowell