lajitas golf resort owner

Hundreds of trees, including pears and plums that had no business being in the desert, were ordered before there was a plan to plant them and then planted before there was a way to water them. "This thing is so beautiful, and there's nobody here.". In the late 1890s quicksilver was discovered near Terlingua, eleven miles from Lajitas, and a rapid influx of people followed. She also had no way of knowing about the rest of the nights events. "It's the exclusivity. goat. I even ran the rafting business out my back door, Ivey said. I only had two rules: no fighting and no spitting, at least not in the store. LAJITAS GOLF RESORT $179 ($201) - Prices & Reviews - Big Bend For more flight It can be quite a jolt. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 75 in 2010. He gave generously to local fire and EMS departments. Id hold out a brown paper sack that theyd put their guns in, and Id put their groceries in that sack and hand it back to them when they were leaving. The trading post was also the only chance for gas in the area, and it wasnt unusual to see a pilot like Tinsley taxi his plane down the highway to the pumps to refuel. She said, You guys are execs at Lajitas, arent you? When they acknowledged they were, she said, I cant wait to tell everybody what redneck assholes you are. The table went silent, and when she walked off, one of the guys followed her to the bar and asked her not to say anything. Our automated scheduling system is available 24/7. That determination will be made by the desert. Who Owns Lajitas Golf Resort by Joshua|Published August 25, 2019 The Lajitas Golf Resort is a full-service golf resort and spa located in the Big Bend region of West Texas. There was no plan at all, no directions from above. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. Since Clay Henry, goats have been mayors of the community ever since. "misery ground into the walls. Lajitas Golf Resort is an unexpected and fascinating oasis in the middle of the vast desert that makes up much of Big Bend Countryand today, Lajitas Golf Resort is nearly simultaneous with the town of Lajitas, TX. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. The party was large, maybe ten men and women, all drinking. The name Lajitas is Spanish for little flat rocks and refers to the Boquillas limestone of the area. . Checks were cashed and loans were made, and Ivey accepted payment in dollars, pesos, or by barter. The place seemed to be about three stars shy of the target, fine for the desert but not for the price. [26][27], "Kelcy" redirects here. No stranger rode into town with his checkbook in his teeth to run up the bidding and take the place over. The accommodations themselves truly run the gamut, making use of the original town of Lajitas wherever possible. View more hotels in Lajitas Now the owner has put a huge statue of Robert E Lee right on the golf course. Rooms were scattered all over the grounds, along the boardwalk, on the golf course, and across Ranch Road 170, driving up operating costs. For groups of She said the exclusivity of the resort was like ", "It produced a feeling that no matter how nice the adornment, You leave someplace nice, fly fifty minutes, and expect to arrive someplace nice. It closed temporarily in 1910 and reopened six years later. RV park, where he says it used to take a $100,000 membership to stay. Lajitas Golf Resort accepts credit cards. lodge. ambition. people," Mr. Warren said from town, joined on the trip by business Others wondered if Smiths bean counters had prevailed upon him to fund his dream with other peoples money. "I still think it could be something special," the 52-year-old And at that point, reconciling the deserts harshness and beauty is your problem. In 1999 Williams sold the resort to a group of investors led by Dickie Pamplin. A skeet range was put in that had shooters firing over the bike trail. 1,059 reviews. [6], Lajitas is located on the eastern end of the Big Bend Ranch State Park. It then became a port of entry when several cattle ranches and mining enterprises appeared in Coahuila and Chihuahua in Mexico and increased commerce across the Rio Grande River. [4][5] The election included incumbent human mayor Tommy Steele, as well as a trading post wooden Indian named Kevin Zinter, and a dog named Buster. The first is the effect of the arid Big Bend environs, of the baking sun, beating winds, and unrelenting dust. Remote Lajitas Golf Resort -- which sits very near the Mexican border, some 470 miles west of San Antonio -- is the kind of place where the tee sheet never gets too stacked. To be fair, Smith did do some good. It is speculated that Cabeza de Vaca crossed the Rio Grande at Lajitas around 1530, and it is almost certain that Antonio de Espejos party did in 1588. Apart from teaching my students in class, we also go outside the four walls of the classroom to physically experience what was discussed in class. It was closed temporarily in 1910, reopened in 1916, and closed permanently in 1939. But the true injustice came with my breakfast: $33 for coffee, a small bowl of granola, some strawberries, concentrated orange juice, and a cute little box of Special K, like the kind my mom used to provide before she trusted me to pour from the big-boy box. the Rio Grande. Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. Lajitas International Airport is a privately owned airport for the use of the resort's guests and property owners located 4 miles East of Lajitas and 14 miles West of Terlingua adjacent to Big Bend National Park. Theres a light in peoples eyes in far West Texas, a joy that comes with living exactly where and how a person wants. According to Beasley, the monument is a gift. Nothing unusual about that or about the fact that a couple of the men were somewhat flirty with the waitress, an attractive young woman whod been living in the area for about a year. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. The population remained at 50 in 1990 and grew to 75 from 2000 to 2010. Andbig bonus for ussome rooms are pet friendly. The contraband would be returned at a reception when they arrived. [5] The omicron variant has arrived in the U.S. as Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is blocked by a federal judge. Farming along the narrow floodplain of the river served to bring in more families, and by 1912 the town had a store, a saloon, a school with fifty pupils, and a customhouse. He married Amy Hudson on June 3, 2010, in Dallas. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas appointed Warren to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. When Lajitass marketing team suggested that all the resort needed to take off was a visitor with A-list celebrity credentials, one Tom Cruise or Tiger Woods, Terlingua just laughed. Down in South County, where the economy desperately needs Lajitas to remain open, locals hoped that whoever bought the resort would scale back the dream, place it somewhere between the best plans of Mischers and Smiths. Always found it to be poorly maintained, with poor food service. You cannot mess with that country. She was all smiles when I met her, one more witness to the greatness of Lajitas. Who Owns Lajitas Golf Resort | Find Out Here Now [2][3] He serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. A private buyer shipped it to a Lajitas golf course owned by oil and gas billionaire Kelcy Warren almost exactly two years since the Confederate General was pulled from its perch in what was then Lee Park. And everyone carried guns back then, but they knew to check them with me at the door or Id lose my beer license. Ivey shakes his head as he realizes that this wasnt that long ago. , we came back to resort and spent time lounging in the pool. For Sales Info, Contact: Scott Beasley 214-981-0758 Welcome To LAJITAS GOLF RESORT Lajitas Golf Resort in Lajitas, Texas Tucked away in Texas' historic Big Bend between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park lies Lajitas Resort, the perfect setting for your away-from-it-all adventure. Whether you want to go horseback riding, golfing, hiking, or rafting on the Rio Grande, Lajitas Resort can put something together for you. The second day was to be spent on the Ambush, the only course Smith ended up building. Lajitas Golf Resort 94 reviews Claimed $$$ Hotels, Golf, Day Spas Edit Open Open 24 hours See hours See all 236 photos Write a review Add photo Location & Hours 21701 Fm 170 Lajitas, TX 79852 Get directions Edit business info Amenities and More By Appointment Only Accepts Credit Cards Good For Kids Private Lot Parking 2 More Attributes He also hosted monthly dances and impromptu barbecues, when conjunto bands, crossing back into Mexico after performing stateside quinceaeras, would stop in and play for free beer. Visit hotel website. For the American football player, see, "Executive Profile - Energy Transfer Partners - Kelcy L. Warren", "List of Public Companies Worldwide, Letter - Businessweek", "Inside Kelcy Warren's Dallas Mansion - WSJ", "College of Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington", "Kelcy Warren emerges as one of Dallas' bold new philanthropists", "These Billionaires Received Taxpayer-Funded Stimulus Checks During the Pandemic", "The New Forbes Philanthropy Score: How We Ranked Each Forbes 400 Billionaire Based On Their Giving", "John Fogerty, Lyle Lovett, Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy LaFave put on a killer show on Kelcy Warren's ranch in the Texas Hill Country", "Why Kelcy Warren Named a Park For His Son", "Million-Dollar Donors in the 2016 Presidential Race", "Dakota Access pipeline company and Donald Trump have close financial ties", "The Texas Electric Grid Failure Was a Warm-up", "Stealth billionaire lays claim to Woodall Rodgers park naming rights", "Lajitas Resort: Why you better go now - El Paso Inc.: Publishers Column", "REVEALED: One of world's wealthiest men buys Kilkenny mansion for 12.6m - Kilkenny Now - Your City. The crossing, a smooth rock bottom all the way across the river, was the best between Del Rio and El Paso. beer-guzzling goats and the legend of Pancho Villa could lure the I think he was just writing checks.. But the other reason for the difficulty in determining someones age out there cuts the other way. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1978.[8][3][6]. Sticking to their goal to truly have everything, they even have an airport (the wifi on the resort, however, is questionable at best). Unlike Mr. Smith, whose persona became intertwined with his Faces age faster in the desert, the skin browning and creasing and toughening up in ways that city and suburban dwellers dont have to worry about. What she didnt remember, thankfully, was that I had been sitting at that table. BEST RV PARK AROUND BIG BEND NP - Review of Lajitas Golf Resort Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 View all View all photos (863) Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. Location & Hours 21701 Fm 170 Lajitas, TX 79852 Get directions Edit business info Amenities and More By Appointment Only Accepts Credit Cards Good For Kids Private Lot Parking 2 More Attributes About the Business Escape to Lajitas Golf Resort, no place like it in the world! Fast forward another few decades, though, and Lajitas, TX experienced a curious twist of fate: a corporation from Houston bought the entire town, restored most of the buildings, and turned it into a resort for golfers and visitors exploring Big Bend Country. slashed prices on the hotel rooms and began charging $29 a night at the [1] It was inhabited by aboriginal Mexicans for many years. Despite all this, Smith never did manage to get people to come in meaningful numbers, and when I stayed there in October, I understood why. In 1986 he sold his Huntsville-based restaurant chain, Tinsleys Chicken and Rolls, and made millions, and he used part of that haul to put a house on the river just upstream from Lajitas. Ivey can speak to that loss with singular authority. These days, Clay Henry can be found (stuffed) at Starlight Theatre in Terlingua, but Clay Henrys descendants continued to act as mayorat least until his grandson met a gnarly fate. If youre on a mountain out there and a cold front comes in, you could freeze and die, he said. Dennis smiled and said something that hinted roughly at the wonders of clean canvases, bottomless toolboxes, and endless lumber supplies, and then excused himself to go to the restroom. Twelve miles east, on the Terlingua Ghost Town porchthe stretch of cement in front of the come-and-go storefronts where locals gather each evening to watch the Chisos Mountains change colors in the sunsetSmiths Ultimate Hideout, as his marketers called Lajitas, was already being derided as the Ultimate High Doubt. But unlike their city friends who made annual pilgrimages to Big Bend and worried that the new Lajitas would ruin the area, the beer drinkers on the porch watched Smith spend and felt a surprising amount of concern for him. It is named for his son. Lajitas is mentioned extensively in Red Dirt/Texas Country artist Wade Bowen's song "Day of the Dead" recorded in October 2017. new chef has been hired to bring the restaurant things like chicken But its not the reason anyones coming out here, and thats why Im proud of it. It is a nonprofit event to raise money for children's charities and local public service organizations. The border then seemed about forty miles wide and mixed like the sounds in a Doug Sahm song, half-Mexican, half-white, with nobody too worried about which half was which. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. View 72 homes for sale in Lajitas, TX at a median listing home price of $89,000. to come back with his 5-year-old son. If you fall off a cliff, you will die. The community was said to be "about the only place where you can shoot 360 degrees", since Santa Fe and Sedona were already used up. Beasley doesnt seem concerned about any controversy. Nearly every living thing a desert dweller encountersbe it plant, bug, or beastis capable of drawing blood. A variety of guided outdoor activities are available. [5] [24] He also owns an 8,000-acre ranch near Cherokee, Texas, [5] the 20,000-acre Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa in Lajitas, Texas, [25] and a private island near Roatn, Honduras. Mr. Smith called it the Ultimate Hideout, but STD Testing Centers Lajitas, TX " 800-221-4291 Ive heard he spent between $80 million and $100 million, but I dont know, said one of the creditors attorneys, who asked not to be identified while the bankruptcy was pending. However given [], 2023All Sports FAQAll rights reserved, Powered byWPDesigned with the Customizr theme. That's who I want to be and I can't," he Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about. It's a quick trip to Terlingua for other dining options, although we had breakfast at, The morning of our second day we explored the. At 1:48 p.m., the wire transfer went through for the property. McGuirk sold his landholdings around Lajitas to Thomas V. Skaggs, who continued farming. Its dangerous. Every day at five oclock sharp, when the whistle blew at Lajitas, the porch at the trading post became the spot for Big Bend happy hour. H.W. [11], In 2022, he ranked No. In Rexs time Lajitas consisted of the trading post and an old cavalry post that was used as a hunting lodge, and Rex met Mischer when he came out for deer and dove hunts. The private owner is Addison-based attorney Ronald Holmes of Holmes Firm PC, a friend of the course who was down in Terlingua for Thursdays dedication. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. "I'd be surprised if there are more than 10 people here," Mr. Review. [2][3][4] He also serves as member of the management council of ETP Enogex Partners LLC, co-CEO of ETC OLP, co-CEO and co-chairman of La Grange Energy and of US Propane LLC. outdueled San Francisco hotelier Manou Mobedshahi in the town's saloon contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based I think that's the biggest thing that's Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Proper golf attire is required on the golf course and in the clubhouse. money and support her songwriting. Lajitas resort avoids foreclosure with bankruptcy court filing. [3] After two replacements of the original Clay Henry, the trading post and stable where the actual mayor lived is now closed and they goat no longer resides there. Theres a simple story of manners that gets retold on the porch when Lajitas is discussed. One part Texas frontier town, and one part golf resort, Lajitas is 100% pleasure. The Big Bend is not the kind of place you want to drive through and look out your window at, Ivey continued. We cater to a wide range of guests from celebrities to families and international . On the one hand, hes wealthy and owns his own plane. Young as he was, that was surprising, so when he returned, I asked him how somebody with such a hard time getting around wound up in a job as physically demanding as carpentry. Its a small section of the population that gets it out here, she said. Now", "Castles in the ire: the minted moguls snapping up Ireland's stately homes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kelcy_Warren&oldid=1135081936, This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 14:53. civilization. As an Amazon Associate, Lone Star Travel Guide earns from qualifying purchases. Its previous owner, Austin multimillionaire Steve Smith, Make no mistake, desert life is hard, and the sacrifices required are made hourly. bankrupt resort and give Lajitas another life. The vision for a resort at Lajitas began in the late 1970s, These activities increased commerce across the Rio Grande into Texas; consequently, by 1900 Lajitas was designated a substation port of entry. In any event, last summer Lajitas borrowed $12.5 million from a financial house in Connecticut. McNairs group paid $132.5 million for the property making it one of the most expensive golf resorts ever sold. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. He then sold the land to Thomas V. Skaggs, who became successful in the Lajitas Wax Company, which sold candelilla wax. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. There was a reason Big Bend hadnt already been overrun by the wealthy: the Chihuahuan Desert. Bill grew up in that Lajitas, in the late fifties and sixties, attending school in Alpine but spending his weekends, holidays, and summers down by the river. The Texas Bucket List - Lajitas Golf Resort in Lajitas - YouTube He even had employees ambush chartered busloads of seniors headed to his hotel, stopping their caravans on the highway and stealing their valuables. He started his career working for the Lone Star Gas Company. There was, in fact, a large contingent of resort employees in La Kiva that night, all of them transplants from around the United States but for one young woman who had grown up in the area. Lajitas Golf Resort is open Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. reprints, email [emailprotected], call 800-374-7985 or Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. Soon, they sat in an outdoor living room by the outdoor Copyright 2016 (c) | VisitBigBend.com | All Rights Reserved | Brought to you by the Brewster County Tourism Council |. question. [14], Warren has hosted the Cherokee Music Festival since it began in 2007. Yes there are several natural hot springs located on the resort property. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. At press time two weeks later, the various parties were still trying to hammer out an agreement, and the door was open for someone else to swoop in and snatch it up. From 1996 to 2000, he sat on the board of directors of Crosstex Energy. Lajitas is also somewhat famous for having a drunk goat named Clay Henry for a mayoryes, you read that correctly! Its just spectacular.. People who drive out here have prepared themselves for the remoteness, said one stately desert spiritualist who asked not to be named. Beautiful views yes. In nearly every article on Lajitas that ran in the early Smith years, he gave some variant of a quote he gave to me. since 2003 and hopes to remove the exclusivity from the resort. John Poindexter, the owner of Big Bends Cibolo Creek Ranch resort, was among the last to arrive and the last to leave. Pizzeria Attendant / Barista; F&B Management. Your County. But with a little bit of practice and guidance anyone [], As of June 2018 Woods daughter Sam is 10 years old and has not expressed public interest in playing golf. But he also waves his cowboy hat over his head and yells yeehaw like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove whenever he flies it into the Trans-Pecos. Additionally, there were no televisions, the latter a rarity among communities in the decade. And the people. As part of the contract, his son cleans up trash from the park once a month. The trading post was that communitys heart, the hub for little villages on both sides of the river. What emerged was part roadside attraction, motel, RV park and But the desert has always had a way of withering material ambition. living in the rusted hull of a bus, near a dirt path leading down to If you take a plane, you just show up. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. The three-hundred-yard walk to dinner that night was unlit and took me through a construction pit, and the meal for me and my friend at the gourmet Ocotillo was decent but blandthe venison chop, snapper filet, and rattlesnake cake all tasted like their sauce. Lajitas Golf Resort | LinkedIn When I visited it in August and October, the trading post was dead. They should be selling its history and its culture. Bring on the Shiplap. But if you just paid $7,000 to fly your jet out there, $900 a night for a condo on the boardwalk, and $165 for greens fees, you expect a little more. NYSE:ETP, By Paul Meyer, The Dallas Morning in denim with a pink bandana around her neck and gray hair loosely It became Steve Smiths problem when he bought the town of Lajitas at a public auction in February 2000. The resort is currently owned by a group of investors led by Bob McNair. That effort ran out of steam and money in 2007, and a group of investors bought the property, cut the prices in half, and have created a luxurious and affordable environment for visitors to Texas Big Bend. Rumors from the summer started to resurface. Yes guests are welcome to bring their pets to the resort. Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about Lajitas Golf Resort. And there was one other significant problem. [9] It is located on the Rio Grande, bordering Mexico,[10] between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Pamplin and his partners invested $25 million to expand the resort adding a new hotel and increasing the number of golf holes from 9 to 18. travelers to these 25,000 acres of Chihuahuan desert on the fringes of Scott Beasley, whose company WSB Resorts and Clubs manages Lajitas among other businesses and properties, said he is committed to having the resort show a profit in 2017 - if not sooner. Asian money. At first blush, its almost impossible to tell the age of a resident of south Brewster County, and there are two good reasons for that. There were weeks of discussion leading up to the 13-1 Council vote on September 5, 2017, ending with it being taken down and stored. While few doubted that Smith genuinely loved the area, they saw no signs that he knew how hard it was to live there. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Please be sure to check back frequently as this journey continues. Lajitas International Airport at Lajitas Golf Resort It is located on a bluff overlooking the Rio Grande at San Carlos ford of the old Comanche Trail, in the northern part of the Chihuahuan Desert in southwestern Brewster County. models. My first thought was, Id spend a million to spruce it up a little bit, he told the San Antonio Express-News shortly thereafter. was Mr. Warren's first Smith and a group of hastily scraped-together investors. Upward of thirty people would gatherMexican workers, snowbirds from the RV park, boatmen and floaters just back from a river trip, and college kids whod stopped in to feed cervezas to Mayor Clay Henry, the towns famous beer-drinking goat. Yes the resort offers weddings and other special events. But there was insight to be gleaned in the law firms lobby. Share. If youre traveling on the cheap, that could make a funny story. The resort was originally owned by oilman and entrepreneur Clayton Williams Jr. Williams purchased the property in 1983 and developed it into a golf resort. And a federal judge approved the sale of Lajitas earlier this LAJITAS GOLF RESORT - 236 Photos & 94 Reviews - Yelp natural gas transportation company Energy Transfer Partners. Ms. Ryan told Mr. Warren she remembers years ago when the bar [2][3][4][6] He has been the co-chairman and co-CEO of Energy Transfer Partners since 2007. The Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa is a 20,000-acre golf resort business in Lajitas owned by Texas businessman Kelcy Warren, who bought the resort from previous owner Steve Smith while the business was going through financial distress. Though a biblical rainstorm and lightning display in the night knocked out the resorts electricity for twelve hoursa common desert occurrence that, among other things, might incapacitate an alarm clock and cause one to miss an early tee timehe was still able to get on the course because no one else was playing that day. The Big Bend area is in Central Standard Time. Marlins David Tinsley has been a Lajitas weekender since falling in love with the region on his first river trip through Santa Elena Canyon, in 1974. Lajitas Resort: Why you better go now | Columns | elpasoinc.com The auction itself was off-limits to the press, as lawyers for Lajitas worried that the presence of reporters would chill the bidding. I have stayed here several times before I knew who the owner was. [2][3][6] From 1981 to 1992, he worked for Endevco. Mr. Leslie on Friday See pricing and listing details of Lajitas real estate for sale. At some point in 2006 Smith decided to stop pouring his own fortune into Lajitas. world. The general rides near the Texas-Mexico border. The crossing was described as a smooth, rock bottom, and was best between Del Rio and El Paso. And when I tried to pull open my window, the knob should not have come off in my hand. Black Jack's Crossing Pandemic unemployment benefits to end next month. Lajitas, Texas: A Big Bend Country Ghost Town (Turned Resort) [18], Warren donated $6 million to Governor Rick Perry's presidential campaign. Lajitas, he hopes, may have another life yet. But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. Guests can cancel their reservations up to 72 hours prior to arrival for a full refund. Dallas most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday. It was live-music night at La Kiva, the best of it played by a young female fiddle player from the Northeast whod put off grad school to take a job at Lajitas. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. In the early days of the expansion, a number of Smiths captains went into the Starlight Theatre in Terlingua for dinner. Dallas' Robert E. Lee statue has a new home. Warren is chief executive officer and chairman of Energy Transfer Partners. Anglo-Americans first arrived around the time of the Mexican war. Warren said Thursday looking about. If you talk to the people who live in South County. On his first day there he got an audience with Smith and a tour of the resort, the scale of which left him impressed.

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