We also have an email out to Warren. The elevation of the course is 3500 feet. Yes there are several natural hot springs located on the resort property. outdueled San Francisco hotelier Manou Mobedshahi in the town's saloon Warren drove friends down to the banks of the Rio Grande looking for 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. Sticking to their goal to truly have everything, they even have an airport (the wifi on the resort, however, is questionable at best). Six beautiful tennis courts were built, then ripped up. Ms. Ryan has squatted on the Lajitas property for 20 years, 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. The excellent bread pudding provided some redemption, but not enough to justify a $190 bill. Nine of the 92 rooms were full, not including Mr. Warren's As he walked off I noticed that he was stooped and relying on a cane. It was closed temporarily in 1910, reopened in 1916, and closed permanently in 1939. Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. She said the exclusivity of the resort was like Restaurant Manager; Facilities. Pamplin and his partners invested $25 million to expand the resort adding a new hotel and increasing the number of golf holes from 9 to 18. Thats a huge mistake. She was all smiles when I met her, one more witness to the greatness of Lajitas. 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.). The runway airport has full 100LL and Jet A fuel, complimentary tiedowns down services and offers transportation to the resort. Bring on the Shiplap. [1] It was inhabited by aboriginal Mexicans for many years. RV park, where he says it used to take a $100,000 membership to stay. About us. "I'd be surprised if there are more than 10 people here," Mr. He was elected in 1986, and for a time, visiting him was one of the most popular things to do in Lajitas, TX. Born in Gladewater, Texas, Warren grew up in White Oak, Texas, the youngest of four sons of Hugh Brinson Warren and Bertie Lee Kirby. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. Rooms were scattered all over the grounds, along the boardwalk, on the golf course, and across Ranch Road 170, driving up operating costs. money and support her songwriting. In 2010, he bought the 3,500-acre BootJack Ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for $46.5 million. 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. [21], Warren married the former Sherry Johnson on May 18, 1980, in Dallas, and they divorced in 1991. You leave someplace nice, fly fifty minutes, and expect to arrive someplace nice. Thats the way the project was run, as if success was secondary. 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. Lajitas Golf Resort - The Ultimate Big Bend Experience Saying Goodbye to Fairfield Lake State Park, Miniature Cattle Have Ambled Into Our Hearts and Onto Our Modest Acreages. The resort features our world class 18 hole golf course, Lajitas Texas Golf. Lajitas is zoned to schools in the Terlingua Common School District. Lajitas Texas activities designed to keep your family as busy as it wants to be. The latest auction of Lajitas was marked by considerably less drama than the last one. 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. From 1996 to 2000, he sat on the board of directors of Crosstex Energy. [12] Warren received a COVID stimulus check in 2020 as he had reported large losses previously. http://www.dallasnews.com. The border then seemed about forty miles wide and mixed like the sounds in a Doug Sahm song, half-Mexican, half-white, with nobody too worried about which half was which. [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. 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. Its minimum purchase price was $450,000. to the community and about music. [19] A variety of guided outdoor activities are available. Dallas sold the statue for $1.4 million in June after the City Council decided to auction it off. It was part of the borderland experience, and everyone got along fine. party. LAJITAS GOLF RESORT $179 ($201) - Prices & Reviews - Big Bend Review. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Dallas, Texas 75201. He says 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. 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. would have millionaires mixing with landscape workers and artists and When I visited the Starlight in October, that waitress was still there. 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? I paid $320 for a mid-priced suite in the Officers Quarters. Carmichael, California, United States. natural gas transportation company Energy Transfer Partners. the rich never came in large numbers. LAJITAS GOLF RESORT - 236 Photos & 94 Reviews - Yelp Rumors from the summer started to resurface. And he did sell plenty of beer, the most of any business in Brewster County, he estimates. 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 . Its a small section of the population that gets it out here, she said. Lajitas has a hot arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. But the desert has always had a way of withering material ambition. The general rides near the Texas-Mexico border. Kelcy Warren - Wikipedia [11] The Robert E. Lee on Traveller statue is on display at the resort. The course was designed by Lanny Wadkins. A short time later, he returned on his jet and to Dallas. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. 750 North St.Paul St. He gave generously to local fire and EMS departments. Find Lajitas Resorts and Resort Rentals. Megan's Dog Adventures. 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 made people feel nervous," she said. On Friday morning, after eating breakfast and making sure the 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. Working at Lajitas Golf Resort | Glassdoor At 1:48 p.m., the wire transfer went through for the property. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. Unable to find her, Mr. Warren wandered about with a look of Neither the plane nor its pilot was affiliated with the resort, and Lajitas was in no way responsible for the crash. 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. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1978.[8][3][6]. [23], In 2010, he bought the 3,500-acre BootJack Ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for $46.5 million. Lajitas is mentioned extensively in Red Dirt/Texas Country artist Wade Bowen's song "Day of the Dead" recorded in October 2017. It is the kind of place where, after a few drinks, youre apt to forget that there are any rules at all. 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. Black Jack's Crossing Dennis smiled and said something that hinted roughly at the wonders of clean canvases, bottomless toolboxes, and endless lumber supplies, and then excused himself to go to the restroom. Dallas most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday. If youre traveling on the cheap, that could make a funny story. [11], In 2022, he ranked No. A crossing into Mexico, closed years ago, once ferried tourists Lajitas resort avoids foreclosure with bankruptcy court filing Owner is the CEO of Energy Transfer. Lajitas Golf Resort | Big Bend National Park | Lajitas Texas [2], In the 1970s the community had one telephone, and newspapers were delivered one day later than their normal dates. View 72 homes for sale in Lajitas, TX at a median listing home price of $89,000. That determination will be made by the desert. According to Beasley, the monument is a gift. Accommodations run the range from convenient and comfortable to resort luxury. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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. [4][5] The election included incumbent human mayor Tommy Steele, as well as a trading post wooden Indian named Kevin Zinter, and a dog named Buster. 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. Wisely, he decided to move the party up the highway to what was then the only other bar near Terlingua, La Kiva. When I met him for a quick lunch in Alpine in October, his memories of the old store grew the conversation to two hours. I did nothing more than let it happen, and a real community is there now. After dinner some of our group went back to the resort, but my tour guide on the trip, the Lajitas general manager whod been assigned to babysit me, wanted a nightcap. When. He married Amy Hudson on June 3, 2010, in Dallas. Boardwalk Bakery and Pizzeria. This desert golf resort has breathtaking views that make it hard to believe that it is in our own backyard! We also offer our 5 Stand Sporting Clay Shoot, Cowboy Action shoot, Equestrian Center for family horseback rides, and many other In 1999 Williams sold the resort to a group of investors led by Dickie Pamplin. You could get a six-pack of beer or a spark plug for a live chicken. 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. 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 can be quite a jolt. CANDELILLA CAFE, Lajitas - Restaurant Reviews, Photos - Tripadvisor Of all the wrongheaded moves made at the new Lajitas, it was the sanitization of the trading post that broke the most hearts. and were blown away by the immense beauty of the course. Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. 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. [17], The Kelcy Warren Foundation supports the Caddo Lake Institution, an organization with the mission of protecting the ecological, cultural and economic integrity of Caddo Lake and its associated wetlands and watershed. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Your News. 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. Lajitas Golf Resort accepts credit cards. Our resort in West Texas is set among . Tel: 1-877-LAJITAS To support Lajitas Vision of being recognized by our customers as the "Friendliest Resort in Texas!" You should champion this culture in every touch point of our business from our associates, guests, owners, and communities. 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. Sitemap. NewsMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News. 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, a smooth rock bottom all the way across the river, was the best between Del Rio and El Paso. She and her husband have since purchased the place. 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). Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. "First let me shake your hand for asking that," Ms. Ryan said, 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. Anglo-Americans first arrived around the time of the Mexican war. signed. Warren's gift was the largest, giving him naming rights. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. That's who I want to be and I can't," he Dallas' Robert E. Lee statue has a new home. 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. There was laughter from the table but not from the waitress. Theres a light in peoples eyes in far West Texas, a joy that comes with living exactly where and how a person wants. Checks were cashed and loans were made, and Ivey accepted payment in dollars, pesos, or by barter. multi-million-dollar wire transfer for the property was in order, Mr. Our automated scheduling system is available 24/7. Big Bend is a diverse region with endless possibilities for adventure and discovery. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. He gave her $100 more, then walked out of the place as if everything was fine. For more flight [12], Frank Q. Dobbs directed his first film, Enter the Devil, in Lajitas in 1972. profit. Please be sure to check back frequently as this journey continues. That party is over. "This thing is so beautiful, and there's nobody here.". Smiths money was the safety net, the answer to every problem, be it the overall concept or everyday moves that didnt work out. . It closed temporarily in 1910 and reopened six years later. After Hours Scheduling. [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. The population of Lajitas plummeted to only four when Terlingua's quicksilver mines closed. "It didn't feel right. The decision-making rule of thumb so popular in modern businessthat managers should ask for forgiveness, not permissionwas taken to its untenable extreme. kitchen and outdoor shower -- the woman who says she doesn't have Fly Direct to Lajitas from Dallas or Houston. living in the rusted hull of a bus, near a dirt path leading down to His whole model was based on the idea that he could somehow tame the desert, refashion it to suit his plan, and it was just a matter of time before his vision became known as Smiths Folly. [2][3] He serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. By the mid-1980s, Lajitas became a resort town with 15 businesses serving 50 people. Pamplin sold the resort in 2006 to a group of investors led by Texas businessman Bob McNair. Ivey can speak to that loss with singular authority. [20] He gave $1 million to Greg Abbott after the 2021 legislative session. Its not the Grand Canyon, where you park your car, walk to the edge, take a picture, and then say, Okay, lets go to California now. Big Bend tourists want an active part in whats going on. I have stayed here several times before I knew who the owner was. 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. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. [2] He is a former co-chairman of Le Gp, OEC Compression. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas appointed Warren to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. 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. STD Testing Centers Lajitas, TX " 800-221-4291 Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. The auction itself was off-limits to the press, as lawyers for Lajitas worried that the presence of reporters would chill the bidding. 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. The accommodations themselves truly run the gamut, making use of the original town of Lajitas wherever possible. [26][27], "Kelcy" redirects here. Lajitas, he hopes, may have another life yet. I even ran the rafting business out my back door, Ivey said. Dallas Businessman, Kelcy Warren, Acquires the Bankrupt Lajitas Resort 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. "Black Jacks Crossing", designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Lanny Wadkins. 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. Plus: FC Dallas in the playoffs and Dak Prescott's long-awaited return. The people in Lajitas now know nothing about the place or its past at all. 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. According to Ivey, Mischer encouraged all this. Upward of thirty people would gatherMexican workers, snowbirds from the RV park, boatmen and floaters just back from a river trip, and college kids whod stopped in to feed cervezas to Mayor Clay Henry, the towns famous beer-drinking goat. Only a few home sites ever sold. Pershing once pursued Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. lighting up as if nobody had approached her like that in a long while. Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about Lajitas Golf Resort. 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. ), 7+ Great Girls Trips in Texas (Weekend Getaway Ideas! No stranger rode into town with his checkbook in his teeth to run up the bidding and take the place over. Smith believed that if he made it softer and more like other places, he could broaden the appeal. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? 21701 FM 170, Lajitas, Big Bend National Park, TX 79852-5015. So life went in Lajitas, through the end of Iveys tenure in 1993, right up until Mischer sold out to Smith. For groups of And Mischer wanted the place to be fun. 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. 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. [10], The 90th Fighter Squadron of the United States Army Border Air Patrol had a sector that traveled to Lajitas from Eagle Pass. A major hotel chain. #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas. The round-trip drive to Alpine for big groceries is 190 miles. In the summer of 2003, Smith opened a remodeled trading post complete with air-conditioning, indoor baos, and a wine-and-coffee bar. He bought a CD from her and promised ), 5 Cool Towns Near Big Bend National Park (+ Where to Stay! NYSE:ETP, By Paul Meyer, The Dallas Morning Soon, they sat in an outdoor living room by the outdoor Lajitas is an unincorporated community in Brewster County, Texas, United States, near the Big Bend National Park. According to my minder, it was a place where we could get away from the snobs at the Starlight. 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. What Im Watching: Dallas Mavericks Basketball. The piece was made in 1935, well after the end of the Civil War, and depicts Lee on his horse alongside another Confederate soldier. 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. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. He housed and subsidized an infirmary that provided affordable, reliable health care. Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 Ms. Ryan told Mr. Warren she remembers years ago when the bar But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. [13], The TV miniseries, Streets of Laredo was also filmed in 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. 50% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Lajitas Golf Resort as positive. By the early 80s, Lajitas on the Rio Grande had a 9 hole golf course, two lodging units, several condos, and was a local center of economic activity in Brewster County. The old trading post also remained operational. 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. The name Lajitas is Spanish for little flat rocks and refers to the Boquillas limestone of the area. 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. Warren also serves as chairman of the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity. He started his career working for the Lone Star Gas Company. See pricing and listing details of Lajitas real estate for sale. empty and spiritual. The outing had been arranged in part to show me the way the new folks in Lajitas were being accepted in the community. A motel stood on the same land in the 1980s. Mountains to a 7,500-foot landing strip surrounded by scrub brush and But it wasnt. But the other reason for the difficulty in determining someones age out there cuts the other way. They were then removed from the area by the Apache and Comanche tribes in the 18th and 19th centuries. William H. Emory also visited Lajitas in 1852. Farming along the narrow floodplain of the river served to bring in more families, and by 1912 the town had a store, a saloon, a school with fifty pupils, and a customhouse. Mr. Leslie on Friday Too many decisions were made in the creation of the new Lajitas by people who didnt seem to think very hard about what they were doing. Compare luxury resorts and resort hotels in Lajitas with Rent By Owner 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. Black Jack's Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort may be Texas' most Twelve miles east, on the Terlingua Ghost Town porchthe stretch of cement in front of the come-and-go storefronts where locals gather each evening to watch the Chisos Mountains change colors in the sunsetSmiths Ultimate Hideout, as his marketers called Lajitas, was already being derided as the Ultimate High Doubt. But unlike their city friends who made annual pilgrimages to Big Bend and worried that the new Lajitas would ruin the area, the beer drinkers on the porch watched Smith spend and felt a surprising amount of concern for him. She also had no way of knowing about the rest of the nights events. Guests can cancel their reservations up to 72 hours prior to arrival for a full refund. information click here This indicates he was in the lowest 20% of billionaires rated. 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]. A stay at Lajitas Golf Resort is an opportunity to step 100 years back into the history of . the Rio Grande. 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. These activities increased commerce across the Rio Grande into Texas; consequently, by 1900 Lajitas was designated a substation port of entry. Best Resorts and Rentals in Lajitas EXCLUSIVERent By Owner the handmade home of Collie Ryan. [2][3][4][6] He has been the co-chairman and co-CEO of Energy Transfer Partners since 2007. with a $4.2 million bid. The Last Resort. Was he actually planning on repopulating Big Bend with the superrich dust-averse? 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.