lajitas golf resort owner

When I go down there now, all I see are a few workers, but theyre not allowed to talk to anybody. Neither the plane nor its pilot was affiliated with the resort, and Lajitas was in no way responsible for the crash. The outing had been arranged in part to show me the way the new folks in Lajitas were being accepted in the community. John Poindexter, the owner of Big Bends Cibolo Creek Ranch resort, was among the last to arrive and the last to leave. The answer, as it turns out, is a little bit of both. The course was designed by Lanny Wadkins. 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. And frankly, I dont think Smith even knows. If youre traveling on the cheap, that could make a funny story. Warren is chief executive officer and chairman of Energy Transfer Partners. Lajitas is zoned to schools in the Terlingua Common School District. The result is a resort that is simultaneously swanky with somewhat exclusive vibeshelped along by the fact that there is literally nothing else aroundthat is also far more affordable than you might think. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. When. You cannot mess with that country. 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. I did nothing more than let it happen, and a real community is there now. When I bought the Ghost Town, I wanted to make it a place you needed to go to if you were in Big Bend. About us. Mr. Warren, a Levis-jeans-and-cowboy-boot-wearing Texan from living in the rusted hull of a bus, near a dirt path leading down to contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based Unlike Mr. Smith, whose persona became intertwined with his What emerged was part roadside attraction, motel, RV park and Leave them blank to get signed up. Wild West-style complex in the area where Gen. John "Black Jack" [13], The TV miniseries, Streets of Laredo was also filmed in Lajitas. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. The deal was complete, except for a few papers that remained to be "First let me shake your hand for asking that," Ms. Ryan said, At first, we only knew the buyer by his online auction nameLawDude. McGuirk sold his landholdings around Lajitas to Thomas V. Skaggs, who continued farming. When he decided to sell, Smith, a 54-year-old Austin-based telecommunications tycoon, showed up unannounced and unknown, stepping out of his helicopter just before the auction began to buy Lajitas on a whim for $4.25 million. There was no plan at all, no directions from above. 21701 FM 170, Lajitas, Big Bend National Park, TX 79852-5015. A bankruptcy judge in San Antonio opened a three-month window for Lajitas to acquire new financing, but Smith, who by all accounts was still in love with the area, was unable to pull it off. Some other rich guy desiring a private playground. [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. Fly Direct to Lajitas from Dallas or Houston. But about halfway through the meal, one of the guys, no doubt feeling that freewheeling mixture of margaritas and desert remove, commented to the waitress, Weve got a pool going to see if your tits are real or fake.. If youve visited the popular Terlingua Ghost Town, youve no doubt heard about the mercury mining boom that led to the towns explosion in population in the early 20th century. When Steve Smith bought the remote Big Bend town of Lajitas in 2000, he dreamed of building a lush, five-star retreat that would attract the likes of Tiger Woods and Tom Cruise . Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa 100 Main St, Terlingua, TX 8.2 Very Good 608 reviews How we verify reviews 10 - Excellent 273 8 - Good 206 6 - Okay 78 4 - Poor 39 2 - Terrible 12 8.7/10 Cleanliness 8.6/10 Staff & service 8.0/10 Amenities 8.0/10 Property conditions & facilities 8.2/10 Eco-friendliness 8/10 Good Christopher Jan 5, 2023 Megan's Dog Adventures. Holmes did not return a call about the donation. Yes guests are welcome to bring their pets to the resort. His ambition grew ever more glorious by the day: eight hundred residential lots of two acres or less, some selling for as much as $1 million, undeveloped; two championship golf courses, not desert-style, with grass growing only on greens and tees, but with a lush wall-to-wall carpet that would need a million gallons of water a day to stay green in summer months; an RV park with $100,000 slips for $500,000 motor homes; a 36,000-square-foot spa; four fancy restaurants; an amphitheater seating three thousand; an equestrian center; a hunting club. Warren also serves as chairman of the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity. The party was large, maybe ten men and women, all drinking. Sure enough, the hotel struggled to maintain even 50 percent occupancy, and a mere five private homes went up in his subdivisions. to the community and about music. 6 IMPORTANT TIPS FOR VISITING THE BIG BEND. "This thing is so beautiful, and there's nobody here.". And when I tried to pull open my window, the knob should not have come off in my hand. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. 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. Still, when the sun sets each night, when the dry desert air turns gold and the clouds go from white to purple to orange to gone and a desert rat can put himself to sleep by counting stars, that hard life is worth it. 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. That determination will be made by the desert. The gas pumps were gone, as were the willow leaves and goat-pen wire. William H. Emory also visited Lajitas in 1852. The settlement is named after the Boquillas flagstone found in the area. "Head out to the tee whenever y'all want," was the refrain from the golf shop on this idyllic, sunny Tuesday morning in April. Due to the closing of the Terlingua quicksilver mines, the number of residents in Lajitas had dwindled to four. . property, Mr. Warren plans a largely hands-off approach. The Last Resort. That party is over. [2][3][6] From 1981 to 1992, he worked for Endevco. Reviewed October 12, 2021 Anglo-Americans first arrived around the time of the Mexican war. lodge. The original Lajitas church and cemetery are still in town and are among the best places to visit in Lajitas. 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. 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. In 2000, the town and surrounding 25,000 acres was sold at auction to Austin entrepreneur/developer Steve Smith, who completely remodeled the town, attempting to establish an exclusive high end resort for the jet set. http://www.dallasnews.com. 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. Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. "Now I've got to go back to a different world," he said. There was a reason Big Bend hadnt already been overrun by the wealthy: the Chihuahuan Desert. This indicates he was in the lowest 20% of billionaires rated. It has been called America's weirdest golf resort, a spiritual 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. I think that's the biggest thing that's When the mines in nearby Terlingua closed in the 1940s, though, Lajitas also became a ghost town, with an estimated population of 4. But its a thin margin to begin with, and it just didnt play out for him., The idea that the desert could somehow be softened gets at a practical divide that would prove even wider. 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. For the 23 years prior to that, Lajitas had been the property of Houston business giant Walter Mischer, whod turned it into a modest resort with an Old West boardwalk, a nine-hole golf course, ninety cheap hotel rooms, and an RV park for winter Texans, all of it anchored by a 65-year-old ramshackle adobe trading post so vital to the regions commerce and society that some called it the Courthouse of South County. The trading post was that communitys heart, the hub for little villages on both sides of the river. For those traditionally drawn to the place, whether they were rich or poor, comfort wasnt the major consideration. Bring on the Shiplap. Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. [2], Due to the remoteness of the resort, Lajitas is served by the Lajitas International Airport, a private airport with a 6,503ft (1,982m) concrete runway. Ms. Ryan said the area is like a space station, big and Theres a light in peoples eyes in far West Texas, a joy that comes with living exactly where and how a person wants. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas appointed Warren to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. [5] Voted #1 Most Beautiful Golf Course in Texas Golf Magazine Smith believed that if he made it softer and more like other places, he could broaden the appeal. Guests can cancel their reservations up to 72 hours prior to arrival for a full refund. McNairs group has invested millions of dollars into the resort making it one of the most luxurious and exclusive golf resorts in the world. It was neat and comfortable, but somewhere in the two rooms there should have been a desk, and the television should have provided a clear picture and more than nineteen channels. It had to be replaced. The biggest attractions that draw visitors to Lajitas, of course, are Big Bend Ranch State Park to the west and Big Bend National Park to the east. he wants to put it more in touch with surrounding Brewster County, with I formerly head the sports department at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. "It's the exclusivity. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It looked much the same when Ivey took over the trading post in 1980. 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 In the late 1890s quicksilver was discovered near Terlingua, eleven miles from Lajitas, and a rapid influx of people followed. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. 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. Then, this summer the Lajitas resort declared bankruptcy, announcing some $15 million in debts and $500,000 a month in operating losses, and went on the auction block. Weve had the best year weve ever had, said Beasley. [7] The construction of the park cost about $90 million. [12], Frank Q. Dobbs directed his first film, Enter the Devil, in Lajitas in 1972. He said his condition was a recent development. [2][6] He served as executive vice-president Cornerstone Natural Gas from 1989 to 1990, and as president and CEO from 1993 to 1996. 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. Lajitas is also somewhat famous for having a drunk goat named Clay Henry for a mayoryes, you read that correctly! His dad, Rex, a Brewster County commissioner, owned Lajitas for nearly thirty years before selling it to Mischer in 1977. newspaper, go to A post office was established at Lajitas in 1904 and remained in operation until 1939. said. #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas. He gave generously to local fire and EMS departments. The 11th Bomb Squadron operated from Marfa Field along the Rio Grande to El Paso.[14]. 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. Soon, they sat in an outdoor living room by the outdoor Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. It is a nonprofit event to raise money for children's charities and local public service organizations. If you get bitten by a rattlesnake, youll die. Rooms cleans yes but lacking. question. He has one son, Klyde Warren. Admittedly the place was in bankruptcy, but it was still open and promising no drop in service. According to Beasley, the monument is a gift. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Wisely, he decided to move the party up the highway to what was then the only other bar near Terlingua, La Kiva. But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. The store and saloon were operated by H.W. said Thursday aboard his private jet, flying over the desert and Davis She said the exclusivity of the resort was like Nine of the 92 rooms were full, not including Mr. Warren's H. W. McGuirk, the leading citizen of Lajitas from 1902 to 1917, operated the Lajitas Trading Post, farmed, and helped manage the Terlingua Mining Company. The old trading post also remained operational. Carmichael, California, United States. Beautiful views yes. A civilization. However given [], 2023All Sports FAQAll rights reserved, Powered byWPDesigned with the Customizr theme. According to Ivey, Mischer encouraged all this. 1,059 reviews. The contraband would be returned at a reception when they arrived. On the one hand, hes wealthy and owns his own plane. [2], Starting in the 1980s as a joke, for many years the purported mayor of Lajitas was Clay Henry III, a "beer-drinking" goat. To be fair, Smith did do some good. The first is the effect of the arid Big Bend environs, of the baking sun, beating winds, and unrelenting dust. Mr. Leslie on Friday Your County. money and support her songwriting. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1978.[8][3][6]. And the heat beats anything foretold in Revelation. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. new chef has been hired to bring the restaurant things like chicken ocotillo plants. just about 9,000 residents and a per capita income of about $15,000. The store itself was stacked deep with every conceivable necessity, from bulk beans and flour to appliances, auto parts, clothes, and ranch supplies. Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. 289 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion. with a $4.2 million bid. [22] In 2012, press reports indicated he owned an estate on an island off the coast of Honduras. the handmade home of Collie Ryan. Lajitas resort avoids foreclosure with bankruptcy court filing. 50% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Lajitas Golf Resort as positive. fried steak instead of $50 steaks. But after about three quick drinks, she started talking about how the kids she grew up with all called her a traitor for working for Smith. McGuirk petitioned for it to be re-established when it was built sometime before 1901. [20] He gave $1 million to Greg Abbott after the 2021 legislative session. 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! across the river. And when he describes how he discovered a hole in a Lajitas urinal once upon a timeId had a few beers and went to take a leak, and my foot kept getting warmer, and I remembered I had my Birkenstocks on, and . The people in Lajitas now know nothing about the place or its past at all. Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 He also donated $103,000 to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. 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. The name comes from the bars design, a dug-out cave/mineshaft, and it has always had a more permissive atmosphere than the rest of the area. 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. 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. 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. Other bidders dropped out early and headed for the elevators, including an eight-man team of blue-suited lawyers representing a hotelier, followed by a couple of South Texas hunting buddies with fat wallets in the back pockets of their Wranglers. The Lajitas property continued to change hands and in 1949 was bought by Rex Ivey, Jr., who hand-dug a well and installed a generator for the areas first electric lights. Seven or eight hours in a car gives you a sense of how far this is from civilization. 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. Prior to the combination of the operations of ETP and Heritage Propane in 2004, Warren co-founded the entities that acquired and operated the midstream natural gas pipelines that were contributed in the merger. Farming along the floodplain caused an even further boom, causing Lajitas to build a store, a saloon, and a custom house in 1912. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. .he sounds as if hes remembering the greatest day of his life. About 10 minutes later, Ms. Ryan appeared down the road, clad nine-hole golf course, in addition to the thousands of acres of Any idea Dennis came up with was worth a try. The auction itself was off-limits to the press, as lawyers for Lajitas worried that the presence of reporters would chill the bidding. If youre on a mountain out there and a cold front comes in, you could freeze and die, he said. multi-million-dollar wire transfer for the property was in order, Mr. Warren said Thursday looking about. A stay at Lajitas Golf Resort is an opportunity to step 100 years back into the history of . [9] Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa 100 Main St, Terlingua, TX 79852 Hotel Amenities Property Details Built in 2003 101 rooms in 26 buildings Designated smoking areas Hotel Services Concierge and tour/ticket information 24-hour business center 6000 square feet of conference space Convenience store and gift shop Luggage storage Laundry facilities 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. contact@lajitasgolfresort.com, 2014 Lajitas Golf Resort His state-of-the-art gray water filtration system created a wetlands area on the golf course that, along with a 64-acre sanctuary on the river, brought birds to the region not commonly found in the desert. He loves it out west. world. But there was insight to be gleaned in the law firms lobby. We also have an email out to Warren. The general rides near the Texas-Mexico border. [2] He is a former co-chairman of Le Gp, OEC Compression. Folks lolled in the shade, shot pool on a felt-free pool table on the porch, rolled dice in the corner, and fed quarters into a jukebox that Ivey stocked with Vicente Fernndez 45s that he bought on regular trips to Jurez. That's who I want to be and I can't," he Pizzeria Attendant / Barista; F&B Management. The Big Bend is not the kind of place you want to drive through and look out your window at, Ivey continued. Over one million acres of public land including Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park offer hiking, camping, river running, horse riding, mountain bicycling, birding, jeep touring, and abundant sightseeing opportunities on paved and improved roads. Lajitas Golf Resort. to come back with his 5-year-old son. There are similar hotels available. A motel stood on the same land in the 1980s. The vision for a resort at Lajitas began in the late 1970s, Its a small section of the population that gets it out here, she said. braided. it made people feel nervous," she said. Plus: FC Dallas in the playoffs and Dak Prescott's long-awaited return. Order your test online and receive your donor/registration pass by email. The soul stays young, and that youth glows in the eyes, as lined as they may be. Yes the resort offers weddings and other special events. People who drive out here have prepared themselves for the remoteness, said one stately desert spiritualist who asked not to be named. outdueled San Francisco hotelier Manou Mobedshahi in the town's saloon In 2010, he bought the 3,500-acre BootJack Ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for $46.5 million. wonder at the house, garden, stones and path running down to the river. 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. In an area known for long drives to reach your destination, waking up just outside the park is a big benefit. "I still think it could be something special," the 52-year-old On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So life went in Lajitas, through the end of Iveys tenure in 1993, right up until Mischer sold out to Smith. Now $179 (Was $201) on Tripadvisor: Lajitas Golf Resort, Lajitas. "Lajitas" translates to "little flat rocks" in Spanish. She paints mandalas on old hubcaps to make a little Warren drove friends down to the banks of the Rio Grande looking for Lajitas officially had a post office as early as 1901, but it did not become operational until McGuirk petitioned for its reestablishment in 1904. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. And there was one other significant problem. enough time to make money and the businessman who can't seem to stop Ms. Ryan told Mr. Warren she remembers years ago when the bar 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. 10 or more click here, Traveler rating: 7.0 On the day of the wedding, after our adventure in. Double check when in the area for the correct local time when visiting. The crossing was described as a smooth, rock bottom, and was best between Del Rio and El Paso. McGuirk, who also helped manage the mining company in Terlingua and funded the construction of a church. I was writing a story that would run in the May 2002 issue of Texas Monthly on Smiths vision for Lajitas: the creation of a world-class, five-star golf resort and an exclusive development for multimillion-dollar vacation homes. When I visited the Starlight in October, that waitress was still there. But it also served as a gathering place for the areas whites, Mexicans, and Indians, none of whom batted an eye at the towns other prominent, permanent resident, an old man who refused to wear anything more than his underwear, in which he would daily pan for gold in the Rio Grande. [26][27], "Kelcy" redirects here. From 1996 to 2000, he sat on the board of directors of Crosstex Energy. 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. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? 1 (877) 525-4827. Facilities Maintenance Technician; HVAC I Technician/Electrician He has "I'd be surprised if there are more than 10 people here," Mr. Built in 1912, it was just a beaten-up, dirt-floor adobe, with a front porch constructed of railroad ties and rails drug from Terlinguas languishing quicksilver mines, and shade provided from a willow-leaf awning held in place by goat-pen wire. Voted #1 Course You Can Play in Texas The Dallas Morning News [2] It is also located 95mi (153km) south of Alpine and 50mi (80km) east of Presidio.[7]. Lajitas is mentioned extensively in Red Dirt/Texas Country artist Wade Bowen's song "Day of the Dead" recorded in October 2017. Owner is the CEO of Energy Transfer. [], To some drawing a golf flag may seem like a daunting task. [11], In 2022, he ranked No. Lajitas is an unincorporated community in Brewster County, Texas, United States, near the Big Bend National Park. He bought a CD from her and promised I hear once a week or more, from people I dont even know, who tell me how much the trading post meant to them and how sad they are that its gone, he said. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. In 1977 Ivey sold part of the Lajitas area to Houston entrepreneur Walter M. Mischer, of Mischer Corporation; Mischer had begun development and restoration of the community in 1977, under the name of the corporations subsidiary, Arrow Development Company. Located just east of Big Bend Ranch State Park, a visit to Lajitas, Texas may leave you wondering: is this a town or a resort? Born in Gladewater, Texas, Warren grew up in White Oak, Texas, the youngest of four sons of Hugh Brinson Warren and Bertie Lee Kirby. "I'm telling you. About Lajitas Golf Resort. On the Wide Plains West of Lubbock, a Chainsaw Carver Works From an Old Cotton Gin, Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Family Memories Echo Through an East Texas Shoe Shop, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards, Our Guide to Johnson City, Where You Can Stroll to Wineries and Museums. Lajitas Golf Resort is a 103 room resort with the number one public 18-hole golf course in Texas, spa, restaurant, saloon, 3 swimming pools, and a guest activity menu that includes shooting sports, equestrian riding, Subaru rentals, stargazer dinners on site, and guided jeep and ATV trips with local vendors.

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