The Last Resort - Texas Monthly "I'd be surprised if there are more than 10 people here," Mr. I think he was just writing checks.. Grass that was seeded on the golf course couldnt survive on the brackish well water. With the border now closed, the trading post will never return to its Ivey-era glory. "It didn't feel right. Weve had the best year weve ever had, said Beasley. [13], In 2007, he co-founded an independent record label, Music Road Records, with Jimmy LaFave and Fred Remmert. lavished $100 million to turn the property into an exclusive refuge for [8], He lives in Preston Hollow, Dallas[5] on an 8+ acre estate on Park Lane valued at more than $30 million. 50% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Lajitas Golf Resort as positive. and were blown away by the immense beauty of the course. The settlement is named after the Boquillas flagstone found in the area. He started his career working for the Lone Star Gas Company. [12] Before that, Lajitas had a school with 50 students in 1912. It became Steve Smiths problem when he bought the town of Lajitas at a public auction in February 2000. Save. [5] 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. Im standing here on the putting green looking at it right now, Beasley said Friday morning. The elevation of the course is 3500 feet. On Friday, Mr. Warren sealed a $13.5 million deal to buy the 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. "This thing is so beautiful, and there's nobody here.". It was part of the borderland experience, and everyone got along fine. Copyright 2016 (c) | VisitBigBend.com | All Rights Reserved | Brought to you by the Brewster County Tourism Council |. Thats a huge mistake. The Lajitas Museum, which contained artifacts from the Big Bend area, was located just east of Lajitas. That party is over. Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. (Id have liked to watch the baseball playoffs, but I blame TBS for that.) But the place could be friendlier to residents on this side of the river. When I met him for a quick lunch in Alpine in October, his memories of the old store grew the conversation to two hours. It is named for his son. He has one son, Klyde Warren. Lajitas, Texas: A Big Bend Country Ghost Town (Turned Resort) Of all the wrongheaded moves made at the new Lajitas, it was the sanitization of the trading post that broke the most hearts. The Last Resort. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. Andbig bonus for ussome rooms are pet friendly. Black Jack's Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort may be Texas' most Be aware that cell phones may inadvertently change to Mountain Time and cause you to be an hour behind schedule. Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. contact@lajitasgolfresort.com, 2014 Lajitas Golf Resort 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. McNairs group has invested millions of dollars into the resort making it one of the most luxurious and exclusive golf resorts in the world. There was no plan at all, no directions from above. [7] Warren went to White Oak High School. About Lajitas Golf Resort. 1,059 reviews. In mid-October, Lajitas was back up for sale. multi-million-dollar wire transfer for the property was in order, Mr. See 1,059 traveler reviews, 860 candid photos, and great deals for Lajitas Golf Resort, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Lajitas and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. When I visited the Starlight in October, that waitress was still there. He gave generously to local fire and EMS departments. Dallas' Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jack's Crossing Near When the mines in nearby Terlingua closed in the 1940s, though, Lajitas also became a ghost town, with an estimated population of 4. CANDELILLA CAFE, Lajitas - Restaurant Reviews, Photos - Tripadvisor [11], In 2022, he ranked No. For more flight A short time later, he returned on his jet and to Dallas. Lajitas Golf Resort. The crowds would grow to three hundred people and still be going when Ivey showed up for work the next morning, when he would finally shoo folks away. Some links throughout this site are affiliate links. 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. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. View all View all photos (863) But he couldnt play a full eighteen holes because much of the back nine was underneath the overflowing river. with a $4.2 million bid. And when I tried to pull open my window, the knob should not have come off in my hand. 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! 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. [2][6] He served as executive vice-president Cornerstone Natural Gas from 1989 to 1990, and as president and CEO from 1993 to 1996. Theres a simple story of manners that gets retold on the porch when Lajitas is discussed. Employment Opportunities information click here party. "In fact, I'd be shocked if there In The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Pete and a coyote sit overlooking the Rio Grande near Lajitas. 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. Accommodations run the range from convenient and comfortable to resort luxury. And there was one other significant problem. Shes quieter than Tinsley but on the same page. #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas. EL PASO (AP) - A West Texas resort billed by its owner as an exclusive desert getaway for the rich and famous filed for federal . His dad, Rex, a Brewster County commissioner, owned Lajitas for nearly thirty years before selling it to Mischer in 1977. Please see our, 15 Beautiful Hikes in Big Bend National Park, 7 Best Things to Do in Marathon, TX (+ Tips! [2][3] He serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. people," Mr. Warren said from town, joined on the trip by business Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. You cannot mess with that country. He even had employees ambush chartered busloads of seniors headed to his hotel, stopping their caravans on the highway and stealing their valuables. All rights reserved. [5] Lajitas Golf Resort is perfectly situated between the Big Bend National Park and the Big Bend State Park: it is the ultimate resort destination. Smiths money was the safety net, the answer to every problem, be it the overall concept or everyday moves that didnt work out. [2], In the 1970s the community had one telephone, and newspapers were delivered one day later than their normal dates. I formerly head the sports department at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. 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. contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based "I still think it could be something special," the 52-year-old February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? are more than six.". ), 11 Great RV Parks Near Big Bend National Park, 9 Otherworldly Things to Do in West Texas. Still, Dennis struck me as an odd person to be championing the resorts willingness to act without a game plan. "Black Jacks Crossing", designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Lanny Wadkins. Voted #1 Course You Can Play in Texas The Dallas Morning News 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. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. 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. According to Beasley, the monument is a gift. But its not the reason anyones coming out here, and thats why Im proud of it. When I visited it in August and October, the trading post was dead. Ms. Ryan said the area is like a space station, big and There are similar hotels available. 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. But it wasnt. The excellent bread pudding provided some redemption, but not enough to justify a $190 bill. He also donated $103,000 to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. Fly Direct to Lajitas from Dallas or Houston. If you fall off a cliff, you will die. 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. It has been called America's weirdest golf resort, a spiritual 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. Now, we all know people who wouldnt blink at a $33 breakfast. The decision-making rule of thumb so popular in modern businessthat managers should ask for forgiveness, not permissionwas taken to its untenable extreme. 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. At the same time a number of cattle ranches and mining enterprises appeared in northern Chihuahua and Coahuila. It had to be replaced. STD Testing Centers Lajitas, TX " 800-221-4291 Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. She said the exclusivity of the resort was like Theres a light in peoples eyes in far West Texas, a joy that comes with living exactly where and how a person wants. braided. Lajitas Golf Resort, Terlingua - Updated 2023 Prices - Booking.com Its minimum purchase price was $450,000. The soul stays young, and that youth glows in the eyes, as lined as they may be. That's who I want to be and I can't," he Anglo-Americans first arrived around the time of the Mexican war. , we came back to resort and spent time lounging in the pool. The Big Bend is named for the vast curve of the Rio Grande in remote southwest Texas. A skeet range was put in that had shooters firing over the bike trail. LAJITAS GOLF RESORT - 236 Photos & 94 Reviews - Yelp Smith and a group of hastily scraped-together investors. He bought a CD from her and promised 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. According to my minder, it was a place where we could get away from the snobs at the Starlight. 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. And he did sell plenty of beer, the most of any business in Brewster County, he estimates. Lajitas Golf Resort 1,061 reviews #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas Review Save Share 21701 FM 170, Lajitas, Big Bend National Park, TX 79852-5015 1 (877) 525-4827 Visit hotel website E-mail hotel Check In / / Check Out / / Guests Contact accommodation for availability. A stay in a historic hotel, a swanky villa, or even the resorts Maverick RV Park are all options at Lajitas Golf Resort. 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. 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. "First let me shake your hand for asking that," Ms. Ryan said, 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. Lajitas Golf Resort | Big Bend National Park | Lajitas Texas My first thought was, Id spend a million to spruce it up a little bit, he told the San Antonio Express-News shortly thereafter. View more hotels in Lajitas Now the owner has put a huge statue of Robert E Lee right on the golf course. In the summer of 2003, Smith opened a remodeled trading post complete with air-conditioning, indoor baos, and a wine-and-coffee bar. [6], Warren purchased the Roatan Electric Company (RECO) in 2008, where he serves as president and chairman of the board. Unincorporated community in Texas, United States, "Old Cemetery In Lajitas, Texas, A Tiny Town That Abuts Big Bend National Park In Southwestern Brewster County, On A Bluff Overlooking The Rio Grande River In The Northern Part Of The Chihuahuan Desert", "Mayor Clay Henry III: A Word About the Mayor", "Clay Henry - Famous Beer-Drinking Dead Goat", "LAJITAS, TEXAS (414950), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary", "Lajitas Resort: Why you better go now - El Paso Inc.: Publishers Column", "Death: Frank Q. Dobbs, producer, director and writer for television and movies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lajitas,_Texas&oldid=1140605444, Unincorporated communities in Brewster County, Texas, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 21:47. The auction itself was off-limits to the press, as lawyers for Lajitas worried that the presence of reporters would chill the bidding. Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about Lajitas Golf Resort. Good, 21701 FM 170 Lajitas, Texas 79852 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. Boardwalk Bakery and Pizzeria. She and her husband have since purchased the place. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? He has "She certainly has the coolest house," he said. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? 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. As he walked off I noticed that he was stooped and relying on a cane. The community boomed when quicksilver was discovered 11 miles from the community at the end of the decade. 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]. ambition. The high bid at days end was $13.5 million, but the bidder, who wished to remain anonymous, hadnt offered enough money to pay all the creditors, and no deal was reached. property, Mr. Warren plans a largely hands-off approach. And the beauty of that, as it related to Steve Smith, was the free rein Dennis had been given to create whatever he wanted. Best Resorts and Rentals in Lajitas EXCLUSIVERent By Owner Kelcy Warren - Wikipedia McNairs group has continued to invest in the resort adding a new clubhouse and expanding the spa. Her answer: No dice. At the end of the meal, he tipped her $50. What Im Watching: Dallas Mavericks Basketball. Yes the resort offers weddings and other special events. 5 Texas-Sized Golf Trips Worth Dreaming Over | Houstonia Magazine Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. ", "It produced a feeling that no matter how nice the adornment, Double check when in the area for the correct local time when visiting. Your News. Lajitas, he hopes, may have another life yet. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. At some point in 2006 Smith decided to stop pouring his own fortune into Lajitas. The population remained at 50 in 1990 and grew to 75 from 2000 to 2010. Voted #4 Course You Can Play in Texas Golfweek Magazine. Voted #1 Most Beautiful Golf Course in Texas Golf Magazine And he managed to build and landscape some beautiful facilities. Nine of the 92 rooms were full, not including Mr. Warren's However given [], 2023All Sports FAQAll rights reserved, Powered byWPDesigned with the Customizr theme. [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. See pricing and listing details of Lajitas real estate for sale. There was a reason Big Bend hadnt already been overrun by the wealthy: the Chihuahuan Desert. Rooms were scattered all over the grounds, along the boardwalk, on the golf course, and across Ranch Road 170, driving up operating costs. It was closed temporarily in 1910, reopened in 1916, and closed permanently in 1939. Admittedly the place was in bankruptcy, but it was still open and promising no drop in service. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. At 1:48 p.m., the wire transfer went through for the property. But the desert has always had a way of withering material 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. "I'm telling you. 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.). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Opponents saw it as an attempt to rewrite history. 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. models. would have millionaires mixing with landscape workers and artists and Lajitas, Texas - Wikipedia If you talk to the people who live in South County. bankruptcy. Bring on the Shiplap. [5], In 2020, Forbes gave Warren its lowest score for philanthropy, a "1." The first is the effect of the arid Big Bend environs, of the baking sun, beating winds, and unrelenting dust. In nearly every article on Lajitas that ran in the early Smith years, he gave some variant of a quote he gave to me. Our 27,000 acre Texas resort is famous for its solitude, natural beauty and rugged desert environment. Mountains to a 7,500-foot landing strip surrounded by scrub brush and On Friday morning, after eating breakfast and making sure the White Oak who also has a record label, has owned a home in Lajitas Some other rich guy desiring a private playground. Aug 2018 - Present4 years 8 months. Asian money. Warren's gift was the largest, giving him naming rights. The runway airport has full 100LL and Jet A fuel, complimentary tiedowns down services and offers transportation to the resort. Mischer never made much money off the place and held onto it mostly out of love. Here, youll find everything from the award-winning golf course to the unassuming general store, from several restaurants to heaps of excursions, that make up many of the best things to do in Lajitas, Texas. 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. 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. to come back with his 5-year-old son. The resort is currently owned by a group of investors led by Bob McNair. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. It is a nonprofit event to raise money for children's charities and local public service organizations. [15][16], In 2012, Warren donated $10 million to help build Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. Lajitas, TX Real Estate - Lajitas Homes for Sale | realtor.com been a thorn in the side of the community," Mr. Leslie said. Farming along the floodplain caused an even further boom, causing Lajitas to build a store, a saloon, and a custom house in 1912. Megan Wutzke - Owner - Megan's Dog Adventures | LinkedIn Whether you want to go horseback riding, golfing, hiking, or rafting on the Rio Grande, Lajitas Resort can put something together for you. 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.