That party is over. To be fair, Smith did do some good. [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. Warren also serves as chairman of the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity. I only had two rules: no fighting and no spitting, at least not in the store. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Pizzeria Attendant / Barista; F&B Management. To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the Skaggs also became successful in a candelilla wax business, the Lajitas Wax Company. 21701 FM 170, Lajitas, Big Bend National Park, TX 79852-5015. Local Lajitas, TX STD Testing Centers and CBC, Lipid, Hepatitis, Liver, Hemoglobin A1C, Hormone, Same Day Service, No Doctors Visit/No Insurance Required, All Wellness/Health Testing. By then, consultants and friends had convinced Smith that the dream could be real, and toward that end he had already spent $40 million, which he estimated would be half of his ultimate outlay. In 2010, he bought the 3,500-acre BootJack Ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for $46.5 million. ), 11 Great RV Parks Near Big Bend National Park, 9 Otherworldly Things to Do in West Texas. Nine of the 92 rooms were full, not including Mr. Warren's At the same time a number of cattle ranches and mining enterprises appeared in northern Chihuahua and Coahuila. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Our automated scheduling system is available 24/7. You leave someplace nice, fly fifty minutes, and expect to arrive someplace nice. Aug 2018 - Present4 years 8 months. In 1916 the interruption of commerce by civil unrest in Mexico, and isolated bandit raids into the US brought Gen. John J. Pershings troops to Lajitas, where they established a small cavalry post to monitor this critical river crossing. These activities increased commerce across the Rio Grande into Texas; consequently, by 1900 Lajitas was designated a substation port of entry. 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. Guests can cancel their reservations up to 72 hours prior to arrival for a full refund. At 1:48 p.m., the wire transfer went through for the property. . Your News. bankruptcy. Voted #1 Most Beautiful Golf Course in Texas Golf Magazine Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. The contraband would be returned at a reception when they arrived. Grass that was seeded on the golf course couldnt survive on the brackish well water. I had been down in South County reporting for that story on the new Lajitas (and in my defense, Id not participated in the pool). lighting up as if nobody had approached her like that in a long while. 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. If you talk to the people who live in South County. "Black Jacks Crossing", designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Lanny Wadkins. [2] He is a former co-chairman of Le Gp, OEC Compression. empty and spiritual. McNairs group has continued to invest in the resort adding a new clubhouse and expanding the spa. Beasley doesnt seem concerned about any controversy. Commerce was interrupted by Pancho Villa and his bandits, bringing John J. Pershing and his troops to establish a cavalry post there in 1916. [20] He gave $1 million to Greg Abbott after the 2021 legislative session. Before they were priced out of the RV park, snowbirds were staying for three- and four-month stretches to play $10-a-day golf, and they got to know all the resorts workers. It's a place where many have long come to get away from material excess 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. Due to the closing of the Terlingua quicksilver mines, the number of residents in Lajitas had dwindled to four. 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. money and support her songwriting. Copyright (c) 2007, The Dallas Morning News. The vision on the porch was of rooms priced at $150 a night and an RV park that is open to snowbirds, that will tolerate the occasional rattletrap trailer. Communities offer services, amenities, and entertainment. He was also involved in a dispute with the IRS over $140 million in tax shelters. Locals speculated that he was struggling financially, and the monthly Big Bend Gazette reported that Lajitas was not the only Smith-related enterprise to recently declare bankruptcy. associates and friends who include former Dallas Cowboys Charlie Waters The resort is currently owned by a group of investors led by Bob McNair. The woman, and, for that matter, all of Terlingua, was offended. When I asked him what would happen if his dream didnt work, he said, Well, at least me and my friends will have a really nice golf course to play. (Smith declined to be interviewed for this article, and Texas Monthly happens to be one of his unsecured creditors, owed $35,000 for unpaid advertising.). "misery ground into the walls. 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 . Warren is chief executive officer and chairman of Energy Transfer Partners. 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. in the spare beauty of borderlands. Smith and a group of hastily scraped-together investors. Whether you want to go horseback riding, golfing, hiking, or rafting on the Rio Grande, Lajitas Resort can put something together for you. He sat me down at a table with a guy in his late-thirties named Dennis, who was a carpenter on the crew redoing the lobby of the Badlands Hotel. A There was laughter from the table but not from the waitress. state parks, Lajitas has long been one of the stranger outposts of the Additionally, there were no televisions, the latter a rarity among communities in the decade. [11] The Robert E. Lee on Traveller statue is on display at the resort. [9] At first, we only knew the buyer by his online auction nameLawDude. "Now I've got to go back to a different world," he said. And the recollection of that night is one of the reasons there will be no pour-out on the porch for the death of Smiths vision. From 1996 to 2000, Warren served as a director of Crosstex Energy, Inc. and from 1993 to 1996, he served as president, chief operating officer and a director of Cornerstone Natural Gas, Inc. Warren has more than 25 years of business experience in the energy industry. signed. He was elected in 1986, and for a time, visiting him was one of the most popular things to do in Lajitas, TX. 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. Your County. 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. The crossing was described as a smooth, rock bottom, and was best between Del Rio and El Paso. 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. 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. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Nobody really likes practicing their golf game. She paints mandalas on old hubcaps to make a little Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. 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. After Hours Scheduling. And on the other side of the highway and a tall adobe wall, the Cavalry Post and La Questa rooms opened up onto a swimming pool lined with ristra-strung arbors and a view of Lajitas Mesa. 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. When I bought the Ghost Town, I wanted to make it a place you needed to go to if you were in Big Bend. 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 . since 2003 and hopes to remove the exclusivity from the resort. 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. That determination will be made by the desert. 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 old trading post also remained operational. Though the Lajitas Resort dominates much of Lajitas today, you can still find many remnants of the original town of Lajitas aroundoften restored by the resort. My first thought was, Id spend a million to spruce it up a little bit, he told the San Antonio Express-News shortly thereafter. Instead, a San Antonio law firm opened one of its large conference rooms to groups representing six would-be buyers, the interested and the curious. Mr. Warren, a Levis-jeans-and-cowboy-boot-wearing Texan from The decision-making rule of thumb so popular in modern businessthat managers should ask for forgiveness, not permissionwas taken to its untenable extreme. "I'm telling you. That population boom influenced a boom in another town, just 13 miles away: Lajitas. But there was insight to be gleaned in the law firms lobby. During droughts, people will live on water saved in rooftop rain-catchment systems, showering and flushing the toilet once a week. Some links throughout this site are affiliate links. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Its previous owner, Austin multimillionaire Steve Smith, The answer, as it turns out, is a little bit of both. But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. It is the kind of place where, after a few drinks, youre apt to forget that there are any rules at all. He even had employees ambush chartered busloads of seniors headed to his hotel, stopping their caravans on the highway and stealing their valuables. If you click through a link on Lone Star Travel Guide, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. With the border now closed, the trading post will never return to its Ivey-era glory. said. One part Texas frontier town, and one part golf resort, Lajitas is 100% pleasure. (Id have liked to watch the baseball playoffs, but I blame TBS for that.) Lajitas Golf Resort has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Jan 27, 2014 Most popular amenities Outdoor swimming pool Free WiFi Free parking Non-smoking rooms Candelilla Facilities for disabled guests Fitness center Spa Family rooms Bar Property Highlights Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (8.7) Free Parking Available On Site He restored the community in 1976 with his corporation's subsidiary, Arrow Development Company. He said his condition was a recent development. It had to be replaced. .he sounds as if hes remembering the greatest day of his life. In 2000, when the property went up for auction, Mr. Smith [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. it made people feel nervous," she said. http://www.dallasnews.com. Im standing here on the putting green looking at it right now, Beasley said Friday morning. 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. The population remained at 50 in 1990 and grew to 75 from 2000 to 2010. Tucked away in Texas' historic Big Bend between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park lies Lajitas Resort, the perfect setting information click here Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. Since Clay Henry, goats have been mayors of the community ever since. Others wondered if Smiths bean counters had prevailed upon him to fund his dream with other peoples money. Accommodations run the range from convenient and comfortable to resort luxury. See pricing and listing details of Lajitas real estate for sale. It looked much the same when Ivey took over the trading post in 1980. The Big Bend is not the kind of place you want to drive through and look out your window at, Ivey continued. Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. 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 Its previous owner, Austin multimillionaire Steve Smith, lavished $100 million to turn the property into an exclusive refuge for the rich, with an 18-hole bentgrass golf course, upscale restaurants, old-world bar, 92 luxury rooms and Mayor Clay Henry, a beer-drinking goat. Rooms were scattered all over the grounds, along the boardwalk, on the golf course, and across Ranch Road 170, driving up operating costs. retreat, an offense to the desert and a leading hotel of the world. In the summer of 2003, Smith opened a remodeled trading post complete with air-conditioning, indoor baos, and a wine-and-coffee bar. In the late 1890s quicksilver was discovered near Terlingua, eleven miles from Lajitas, and a rapid influx of people followed. Tucked away in Southwest Texas between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park lies the exquisite 27,000 acre Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa. [6], Lajitas is located on the eastern end of the Big Bend Ranch State Park. [2][3] He serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. If youre on a mountain out there and a cold front comes in, you could freeze and die, he said. ", "It produced a feeling that no matter how nice the adornment, Business is apparently booming at its new home, a course that has been perennially named among the top five or so in the state. All rights reserved. Every facet of life in that trading post was filled with spirit, Ivey said. 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. 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. One of the biggest selling points of Lajitas Golf Resort for many, though, is its location right next door to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Yes there are several natural hot springs located on the resort property. If you take a plane, you just show up. You cannot mess with that country. 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. Facilities Maintenance Technician; HVAC I Technician/Electrician "It's the exclusivity. 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. It is at an altitude of 2,200 feet on a bluff overlooking the Rio Grande at the San Carlos ford of the old Comanche Trail, in the northern part of the Chihuahuan Desert and at the southern extreme of the Rocky Mountains. A variety of guided outdoor activities are available. [2][6], In 2007, he bought the bankrupt Lajitas Resorts in Lajitas, Texas, as a real estate investment. They should be selling its history and its culture. enough time to make money and the businessman who can't seem to stop 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. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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. the Rio Grande. The store itself was stacked deep with every conceivable necessity, from bulk beans and flour to appliances, auto parts, clothes, and ranch supplies. [19] Lajitas is mentioned extensively in Red Dirt/Texas Country artist Wade Bowen's song "Day of the Dead" recorded in October 2017. Lajitas Golf Resort now offers regular charter jet flight services out of Dallas, Austin and Houston. He collects music memorabilia, and has a collection that includes autographs of Jackson Browne and drumsticks signed by the Eagles. Lajitas Golf Resort is open Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. View 72 homes for sale in Lajitas, TX at a median listing home price of $89,000. But instead of a big Spanish villa, he built a modest, 1,800-square-foot cottage with an outdoor fireplace. 6 IMPORTANT TIPS FOR VISITING THE BIG BEND. nine-hole golf course, in addition to the thousands of acres of The excellent bread pudding provided some redemption, but not enough to justify a $190 bill. But the other reason for the difficulty in determining someones age out there cuts the other way. Mr. Smith called it the Ultimate Hideout, but UT Dallas is paying students to get vaccinated. Nearly every living thing a desert dweller encountersbe it plant, bug, or beastis capable of drawing blood. Im a sports expert and lover. Leave them blank to get signed up. The 11th Bomb Squadron operated from Marfa Field along the Rio Grande to El Paso.[14]. It was part of the borderland experience, and everyone got along fine. He has one son, Klyde Warren. So when you meet someone who lives in Terlingua or Study Butte or Lajitasthat area known in local shorthand as South Countyyou might not be able to tell if hes thirty or sixty. City documents identified Holmes, but he hadnt hinted at what hed do with his new hunk of Alexander Phimister Proctor-made metal. 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. Mr. Leslie on Friday Lajitas is on the western edge of Big Bend National Park in southwestern Brewster County. 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. goat. just about 9,000 residents and a per capita income of about $15,000. Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. He married Amy Hudson on June 3, 2010, in Dallas. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. models. On Monday, the sculpture completed a 600-mile journey to Black Jacks Crossing near the border, about a dozen miles from Terlingua. H.W. "It didn't feel right. Save. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Big Bend is home to a few remarkable communities: Marathon, Study Butte, Terlingua Ghost Town, Lajitas, and Big Bend National Park. It became Steve Smiths problem when he bought the town of Lajitas at a public auction in February 2000. 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. A major hotel chain. 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. The outing had been arranged in part to show me the way the new folks in Lajitas were being accepted in the community. 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.. Lajitas Texas activities designed to keep your family as busy as it wants to be. and were blown away by the immense beauty of the course. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based [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. Yes the resort offers weddings and other special events. We cater to a wide range of guests from celebrities to families and international . [13], The TV miniseries, Streets of Laredo was also filmed in Lajitas. Review. If you talk to the people who live in South County, youll quickly sense the difference between them and the kinds of people Smith meant to attract, and it is not one of money but philosophy. 1,059 reviews. Megan's Dog Adventures. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? Andbig bonus for ussome rooms are pet friendly. profit. View all View all photos (863) The town hadnt changed a whit when he got out of college and took a job with new owner Mischer in 1977, except for the recent introduction of electricity and a regular telephone line. They talked about reopening the border crossing, reaching out No spam, ever. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 75 in 2010. I was doctor, vet, lawyer, marriage counselor, pharmacist, and an importer of wax. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. 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. Carmichael, California, United States. We also offer our 5 Stand Sporting Clay Shoot, Cowboy Action shoot, Equestrian Center for family horseback rides, and many other It brings a satisfaction, not of beating the desert but of surviving it. [26][27], "Kelcy" redirects here. 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. William H. Emory also visited Lajitas in 1852. When I met him nearly two years later, he was thinking differently. On the one hand, hes wealthy and owns his own plane. What Im Watching: Dallas Mavericks Basketball. Kelcy Lee Warren (born November 9, 1955)[1] is an American billionaire and the chairman and chief executive officer of Energy Transfer Partners.[2][3][4][5][6]. the rich, with an 18-hole bentgrass golf course, upscale restaurants, 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. Good, 21701 FM 170 Lajitas, Texas 79852 question. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In June 2003, Texas Golfer sent a writer to stay at Lajitas for what would be a cover story for the monthly magazine. I hope you have found some useful content on my site today. [2][3][4][6] He has been the co-chairman and co-CEO of Energy Transfer Partners since 2007. On his first day there he got an audience with Smith and a tour of the resort, the scale of which left him impressed. 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. 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. [5], In 2020, Forbes gave Warren its lowest score for philanthropy, a "1." Now, we all know people who wouldnt blink at a $33 breakfast. Its a small section of the population that gets it out here, she said. Now $179 (Was $201) on Tripadvisor: Lajitas Golf Resort, Lajitas. It was closed temporarily in 1910, reopened in 1916, and closed permanently in 1939. White Oak who also has a record label, has owned a home in Lajitas Pershing once pursued Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 ), 5 Cool Towns Near Big Bend National Park (+ Where to Stay! For ", "There's a certain kind of people who need this place.". Big Bend is a diverse region with endless possibilities for adventure and discovery. lodge. 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. Rooms cleans yes but lacking. Black Jack's Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort. "She certainly has the coolest house," he said. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 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. Order your test online and receive your donor/registration pass by email. Its just spectacular.. 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. The resorts 250 workers made Lajitas the largest employer in South County, and it paid nearly 30 percent of the taxes for the schools in Terlingua.