Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. Additionally, there were no televisions, the latter a rarity among communities in the decade. living in the rusted hull of a bus, near a dirt path leading down to Lajitas is on the western edge of Big Bend National Park in southwestern Brewster County. month to Mr. Warren, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Dallas-based 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. If you take a plane, you just show up. They died. 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. Dallas' Robert E. Lee statue has a new home. What Im Watching: Dallas Mavericks Basketball. Mischer never made much money off the place and held onto it mostly out of love. It became Steve Smiths problem when he bought the town of Lajitas at a public auction in February 2000. A few months earlier he had been a passenger in a small plane that had taken off from Lajitas and had run out of gas over Ozona. He even had employees ambush chartered busloads of seniors headed to his hotel, stopping their caravans on the highway and stealing their valuables. across the river. When I bought the Ghost Town, I wanted to make it a place you needed to go to if you were in Big Bend. They should be selling its history and its culture. According to Ivey, Mischer encouraged all this. A stay at Lajitas Golf Resort is an opportunity to step 100 years back into the history of . This desert golf resort has breathtaking views that make it hard to believe that it is in our own backyard! In the summer of 2003, Smith opened a remodeled trading post complete with air-conditioning, indoor baos, and a wine-and-coffee bar. There was laughter from the table but not from the waitress. Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 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. and were blown away by the immense beauty of the course. He bought a CD from her and promised 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. The answer, as it turns out, is a little bit of both. But he insisted that his intention was little substantive change. since 2003 and hopes to remove the exclusivity from the resort. And there was one other significant problem. "It didn't feel right. Still, Dennis struck me as an odd person to be championing the resorts willingness to act without a game plan. it made people feel nervous," she said. 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. [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. It is a wildly beautiful natural region, with a complex and fascinating history. 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. Nearly every living thing a desert dweller encountersbe it plant, bug, or beastis capable of drawing blood. "Black Jacks Crossing", designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Lanny Wadkins. In mid-October, Lajitas was back up for sale. Lajitas Golf Resort is open Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. According to my minder, it was a place where we could get away from the snobs at the Starlight. He loves it out west. The trading post was that communitys heart, the hub for little villages on both sides of the river. If it didnt work out, Smith would just hire somebody else to start over. Lajitas has a hot arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. in denim with a pink bandana around her neck and gray hair loosely [6], Warren purchased the Roatan Electric Company (RECO) in 2008, where he serves as president and chairman of the board. 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. The woman, and, for that matter, all of Terlingua, was offended. 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Unable to find her, Mr. Warren wandered about with a look of During droughts, people will live on water saved in rooftop rain-catchment systems, showering and flushing the toilet once a week. Its sad. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. was Mr. Warren's first Farming along the floodplain caused an even further boom, causing Lajitas to build a store, a saloon, and a custom house in 1912. But the desert has always had a way of withering material Your County. After Hours Scheduling. 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. 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. multi-million-dollar wire transfer for the property was in order, Mr. Due to the closing of the Terlingua quicksilver mines, the number of residents in Lajitas had dwindled to four. when Houston real estate developer Walter Mischer Sr. first conceived a Youre not prepared for what you get.. 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. 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. Voted #1 Most Beautiful Golf Course in Texas Golf Magazine I was doctor, vet, lawyer, marriage counselor, pharmacist, and an importer of wax. state parks, Lajitas has long been one of the stranger outposts of the Projects were undertaken with designs drawn over lunch on place mats. Good, 21701 FM 170 Lajitas, Texas 79852 The people in Lajitas now know nothing about the place or its past at all. 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. 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. Mr. Warren, a Levis-jeans-and-cowboy-boot-wearing Texan from While few doubted that Smith genuinely loved the area, they saw no signs that he knew how hard it was to live there. 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. She stared at him. old-world bar, 92 luxury rooms and Mayor Clay Henry, a beer-drinking The decision-making rule of thumb so popular in modern businessthat managers should ask for forgiveness, not permissionwas taken to its untenable extreme. Black Jack's Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort. 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 Lajitas area was then bought by Rex Ivey, Jr., who brought electricity to the community in 1949 and sold part of it to Walter M. Mischer, a Houston entrepreneur and owner of Mischer Corporation. Rooms cleans yes but lacking. "First let me shake your hand for asking that," Ms. Ryan said, The Last Resort. A major hotel chain. 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. said. Sure enough, the hotel struggled to maintain even 50 percent occupancy, and a mere five private homes went up in his subdivisions. [5], In 2020, Forbes gave Warren its lowest score for philanthropy, a "1." 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. 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. 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. On the day of the wedding, after our adventure in. That's who I want to be and I can't," he Lajitas is also somewhat famous for having a drunk goat named Clay Henry for a mayoryes, you read that correctly! The resort is currently owned by EPGolf LLC. [2], In the 1970s the community had one telephone, and newspapers were delivered one day later than their normal dates. Mr. Leslie on Friday empty and spiritual. 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. Lajitas is an unincorporated community in Brewster County, Texas, United States, near the Big Bend National Park. The soul stays young, and that youth glows in the eyes, as lined as they may be. I formerly head the sports department at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. outdueled San Francisco hotelier Manou Mobedshahi in the town's saloon he wants to put it more in touch with surrounding Brewster County, with 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.). She said the exclusivity of the resort was like The Kolaches of West, Texas (Bakeries + Beyond), 13 Useful Tips for Visiting the Alamo in San Antonio, How to Visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, TX (+ Photos & FAQ), 10 Great Texas Gulf Coast RV Parks (Beach Trip Ideas), 10+ Tips for Round Top, TX Shopping Trips (Antiques Fair Advice! contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based On Friday, Mr. Warren sealed a $13.5 million deal to buy the Since Clay Henry, goats have been mayors of the community ever since. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Pizzeria Attendant / Barista; F&B Management. Suite 2100 Voted #4 Course You Can Play in Texas Golfweek Magazine. He married Amy Hudson on June 3, 2010, in Dallas. 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. Warren also serves as chairman of the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity. The runway airport has full 100LL and Jet A fuel, complimentary tiedowns down services and offers transportation to the resort. And Mischer wanted the place to be fun. .he sounds as if hes remembering the greatest day of his life. Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about Lajitas Golf Resort. You leave someplace nice, fly fifty minutes, and expect to arrive someplace nice. If you click through a link on Lone Star Travel Guide, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The elevation of the course is 3500 feet. A short time later, he returned on his jet and to Dallas. Pamplin sold the resort in 2006 to a group of investors led by Texas businessman Bob McNair. 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. By the mid-1980s, Lajitas became a resort town with 15 businesses serving 50 people. And he managed to build and landscape some beautiful facilities. Otherwise youre just buying dirt.. If you talk to the people who live in South County. The crossing was described as a smooth, rock bottom, and was best between Del Rio and El Paso. 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. Sitemap. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about. 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. goat. #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. "I'm telling you. The region was sparsely inhabited for thousands of years by semi nomadic peoples related to the Patarabueyes and Jumanos tribes before the Spanish arrived. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. McGuirk, who also helped manage the mining company in Terlingua and funded the construction of a church. In June 2003, Texas Golfer sent a writer to stay at Lajitas for what would be a cover story for the monthly magazine. Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. Double check when in the area for the correct local time when visiting. But the place could be friendlier to residents on this side of 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. lighting up as if nobody had approached her like that in a long while. associates and friends who include former Dallas Cowboys Charlie Waters Its just spectacular.. Though it was appraised on the Brewster County tax rolls at $16 million, Smiths own investment in the place has reportedly been more than $100 million. 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. Any idea Dennis came up with was worth a try. Rumors from the summer started to resurface. [2] He is a former co-chairman of Le Gp, OEC Compression. The wild spirit of the Big Bend region is in full effect at this stunning course whose name pays tribute to U.S. Army Gen. John "Black Jack . Now $179 (Was $201) on Tripadvisor: Lajitas Golf Resort, Lajitas. [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. For Instead, he paid dearly to learn an age-old lesson: The desert always wins. No stranger rode into town with his checkbook in his teeth to run up the bidding and take the place over. Tel: 1-877-LAJITAS February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? braided. Andbig bonus for ussome rooms are pet friendly. 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). It had to be replaced. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas appointed Warren to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. [8], He lives in Preston Hollow, Dallas[5] on an 8+ acre estate on Park Lane valued at more than $30 million. 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. Mountains to a 7,500-foot landing strip surrounded by scrub brush and Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There was a reason Big Bend hadnt already been overrun by the wealthy: the Chihuahuan Desert. It looked much the same when Ivey took over the trading post in 1980. fried steak instead of $50 steaks. 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. [18], Warren donated $6 million to Governor Rick Perry's presidential campaign. [], To some drawing a golf flag may seem like a daunting task. 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. A bankruptcy. ambition. Opponents saw it as an attempt to rewrite history. So life went in Lajitas, through the end of Iveys tenure in 1993, right up until Mischer sold out to Smith. In the late 1890s quicksilver was discovered near Terlingua, eleven miles from Lajitas, and a rapid influx of people followed. Warren's gift was the largest, giving him naming rights. But the desert has always had a way of withering material ambition. The gas pumps were gone, as were the willow leaves and goat-pen wire. Owner is the CEO of Energy Transfer. As youre exploring Big Bend Country, theres a good chance youll find yourself passing through the blink-and-youll-miss-it town of Lajitas. Dallas sold the statue for $1.4 million in June after the City Council decided to auction it off. 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 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. reprints, email [emailprotected], call 800-374-7985 or People who drive out here have prepared themselves for the remoteness, said one stately desert spiritualist who asked not to be named. Find Lajitas Resorts and Resort Rentals. 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. From 1996 to 2000, he sat on the board of directors of Crosstex Energy. party. 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. On Friday morning, after eating breakfast and making sure the Thats the way the project was run, as if success was secondary. http://www.dallasnews.com. By the late 90s, Lajitas and its sister town, Paso Lajitas, Chihuahua, Mexico had over 200 inhabitants. Tucked away in Texas' historic Big Bend between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park lies Lajitas Resort, the perfect setting Carmichael, California, United States. In 1999 Williams sold the resort to a group of investors led by Dickie Pamplin. [12] Before that, Lajitas had a school with 50 students in 1912. 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. Theres a simple story of manners that gets retold on the porch when Lajitas is discussed. You cannot mess with that country. The Big Bend area is in Central Standard Time. Others wondered if Smiths bean counters had prevailed upon him to fund his dream with other peoples money. Lajitas officially had a post office as early as 1901, but it did not become operational until McGuirk petitioned for its reestablishment in 1904. One part Texas frontier town, and one part golf resort, Lajitas is 100% pleasure. 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. Boardwalk Bakery and Pizzeria. His dad, Rex, a Brewster County commissioner, owned Lajitas for nearly thirty years before selling it to Mischer in 1977. 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. 50% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Lajitas Golf Resort as positive. The outing had been arranged in part to show me the way the new folks in Lajitas were being accepted in the community. the Rio Grande. Ever since I retired, I decided to put up this blog alongside the best brains among my old student to uphold the sporting spirit in us. 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. Dallas, Texas 75201. Communities offer services, amenities, and entertainment. 1,059 reviews. The ultimate fate of Lajitas wont be decided by any new owner. He housed and subsidized an infirmary that provided affordable, reliable health care. ", "There's a certain kind of people who need this place.". wonder at the house, garden, stones and path running down to the river. RV park, where he says it used to take a $100,000 membership to stay. It was closed temporarily in 1910, reopened in 1916, and closed permanently in 1939. And the heat beats anything foretold in Revelation. No spam, ever. You could get a six-pack of beer or a spark plug for a live chicken. "What should we do here, Collie?" 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. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. newspaper, go to A stay in a historic hotel, a swanky villa, or even the resorts Maverick RV Park are all options at Lajitas Golf Resort. The original Lajitas church and cemetery are still in town and are among the best places to visit in Lajitas. That determination will be made by the desert. Warren said Thursday looking about. 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. And the people. 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. In 2010, he bought the 3,500-acre BootJack Ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for $46.5 million. Weve had the best year weve ever had, said Beasley. That population boom influenced a boom in another town, just 13 miles away: Lajitas. But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. models. The population of Lajitas plummeted to only four when Terlingua's quicksilver mines closed. "I still think it could be something special," the 52-year-old They talked about reopening the border crossing, reaching out McGuirk also funded the construction of a school. There was no plan at all, no directions from above. Rooms were scattered all over the grounds, along the boardwalk, on the golf course, and across Ranch Road 170, driving up operating costs. And hell, thats the appeal!, Linda Walker, who has run the Lajitas Stables for more than twenty years, guiding horseback tours near the park and into Mexico, is not rich. The population remained at 50 in 1990 and grew to 75 from 2000 to 2010. On the wooden boardwalk, guests checked in in the grand lobby of the elegant Badlands Hotel, which is decorated like a high-dollar Old West guest house. When I asked a local sitting at the bar what he remembered of that story, she happened to be on the other side of me and interrupted, That was me! Shes still angry about it, and she ticked off the details as though it had happened the night before. View 72 homes for sale in Lajitas, TX at a median listing home price of $89,000. 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 . [2][3][4][6] He has been the co-chairman and co-CEO of Energy Transfer Partners since 2007. Yes there are several natural hot springs located on the resort property. And a federal judge approved the sale of Lajitas earlier this The piece was made in 1935, well after the end of the Civil War, and depicts Lee on his horse alongside another Confederate soldier. 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. Lajitas General Store and Deli Thirsty Goat Saloon Pizza Menu Thirsty Goat Menu To make dinner reservations in The Candelilla restaurant, call 432-424-5032 Candelilla Cafe Offering an Interesting Twist on Traditional Tex Mex Cuisine Candelilla Caf Hours of Operation 7 am - 10 pm Daily 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. McGuirk sold his landholdings around Lajitas to Thomas V. Skaggs, who continued farming. been a thorn in the side of the community," Mr. Leslie said. Review. A motel stood on the same land in the 1980s. I have stayed here several times before I knew who the owner was. Just beyond the far end of the boardwalk, a long, columned breezeway divided the dark, leather-bound Thirsty Goat Saloon and the glass-walled Candelilla Caf overlooking the golf course. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. natural gas transportation company Energy Transfer Partners. kitchen and outdoor shower -- the woman who says she doesn't have Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. The Big Bend is not the kind of place you want to drive through and look out your window at, Ivey continued. Share. new chef has been hired to bring the restaurant things like chicken said Thursday aboard his private jet, flying over the desert and Davis The auction itself was off-limits to the press, as lawyers for Lajitas worried that the presence of reporters would chill the bidding. 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. It was mounted on a pediment in the middle of the golf courses putting green on Thursday, according to Scott Beasley, who manages the course for Dallas-based WSB Resorts and Clubs. He also donated $103,000 to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.