A 300-pound bronze statue commemorating a landmark Black golf course has been stolen from a Dallas neighbourhood near Love Field, leaving community leaders appealing for information.
The six-foot sculpture, which depicted a golfer, stood on Mabel Avenue beside a historical marker for Hilliard Memorial Golf Course in the Elm Thicket/Northpark area. Only its concrete pedestal remains.
Dallas police said unknown suspects removed the statue overnight on 24 September. A theft report was filed on 30 September, but the monument had not been recovered and no arrests had been announced as of Sunday.
Statue honoured Dallas golf course’s Black history
Hilliard Memorial Golf Course opened in 1950 and was created for African American golfers during the era of segregation. It is regarded as the first municipal golf course of its kind in the southern United States.
Records from the Texas Historical Commission state that the course covered 65 acres, included nine holes and was formally dedicated on 16 April 1950. It operated until 1954, when parts of the site were cleared during the expansion of Dallas Love Field.
The statue was installed near the former course site during last year’s Juneteenth celebrations. It had become a visible reminder of the neighbourhood’s heritage and the golfers who used the course before its disappearance.
Jonathan Maples, president of the Elm Thicket/Northpark Neighborhood Association, is helping raise awareness and asking residents to check security-camera footage that could shed light on the theft.
Police are investigating the case under number 820294-2026. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective D Cunningham on 214-329-8909 or by email at dante.cunningham@dallaspolice.gov.
