Ocean Drive Beach Golf Resort

Shagging at Lynrock: steps back in time

EDEN — Tommy Amburn has no idea how many pairs of shoes he wore out on the concrete dance floor at the old Lynrock swimming pool in the mid-1960s.

He’ll get the chance to give another pair a workout on Saturday, when the Steppin’ Out Shag Club hosts the third annual “Reunion at the Rock.”

For many, the shagging event is a chance to return to a scene from their youth — a place that was once a mecca for area teenagers.

“At that time, it was the second-largest swimming pool in the state,” Amburn says. At least that was its reputation.

It was 100 feet by 300 feet, says Mark Wilson, who is the son of Mitchell Wilson, the current owner.

And Amburn, who lived on Valley Drive — the street the pool is on, had a front-row seat.

Built in 1953, Lynrock was a lot more than a pool.

With a go-cart track, a miniature golf course and a nine-hole golf course, it was a paradise for youth.

Near the pool was a trampoline area — four trampolines sunken into the ground and spaced only 5 or 6 feet apart.

“A lot of us who got good on them could cut flips from one to the other,” Amburn says.

They also showed off on the 12-foot high dive, turning 3\u20091/2 flips before splashing into the water below.

They didn’t do it just for the thrills. Nearby, a grassy sunbathing area was thick with teenage girls who would spread their towels and slather on baby oil and iodine, a homemade mixture for a surefire tan.

“Sometimes you couldn’t find an empty spot to throw down a towel,” says Amburn, who also was a lifeguard.

But the centerpiece of Lynrock wasn’t that mega-pool, it was the Seeburg 100-W jukebox that sat on a concrete slab under a covered area near the pool.

It was there that Amburn learned to shag — the dance of choice at Lynrock.

The ’60s were known as the golden age of shagging, but Amburn says you had to tune in to radio stations in Louisiana and Georgia to hear that beach music sound.

Fortunately, the owners of a Reidsville-based jukebox company believed in giving the Lynrock teens what they wanted, and the Seeburg was stocked with beach-music favorites by groups such as The Drifters, Sam Cooke, The O’Kaysions, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, and Amburn’s favorite: Delbert McClinton.

“It was that jukebox that drew people,” Amburn says.

360 E. Ocean Drive Key Colony Beach, FL | Florida Keys Real Estate ...

7 Night Minimum, Maximum Occupancy 5.

Nicely decorated, immaculate, two bedroom, two bath, stilted, one-half duplex, within walking distance to the Cabana Club with pool and beach access across the street.  Relax on the front porch and enjoy the ocean view and breezes!  Bedding consists of 1 king, 2 twins, and one pullout.  If you are vacationing with a larger group, or planning a family reunion, the whole duplex next door is available as a rental also. Water view from the master bedroom balcony.  Includes all linens, washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and gas grill.  Key West is a scenic 50 mile drive away.  Are you a snowbird?  Come on down!  This is a great place to spend the winter! 

Cleaning fee $125.