Outdoor Living In Texas

By JG Walker

Big Easy Ranch is the ultimate Texas sporting club, a 2,000-acre spread in the state’s rolling hill country. The private club features on-site hunting grounds and fishing lakes, a brandnew 18-hole golf course, and now includes the possibility of owning a homestead in this luxurious outdoor-lifestyle community.

Billy Brown is a Louisiana native who found success during his career in the oil and gas industry. The Big Easy Ranch property had been his private retreat for entertaining family, friends, and business associates for many years. But, after selling his company in 2014, the energetic Brown wasn’t ready for a quiet retirement. Instead, he set in motion a long-range plan to transform his personal oasis into a private hunting and sporting club like no other.

“My dream for Big Easy Ranch was to create a utopia for people to escape the city and enjoy the ranch life,” Brown says. “The goal was to have the very best amenities with an exclusive country club feel.”

The latest enhancement at Big Easy Ranch is The Covey, an 18-hole championship golf course that officially opened earlier this year. Designed by acclaimed golf architect Chet Williams, the sprawling 7,511-yard layout is lined with mature oak trees and accented by rocky creeks that connect greenside ponds in play. With 80-foot elevation changes and several waterfalls, the fluid layout is a scenic test for all golfers and especially challenging for scratch players from the back tees. In fact, The Covey’s debut was so impressive that the course has already been booked to host two major Texas amateur championships in the coming years.

“The addition of The Covey really advances what we can offer our members,” says Brown. “It makes the Ranch immensely appealing for players who want to enjoy a first-class golf experience in a natural setting at a leisurely pace under big blue skies.

“We went to great lengths to create a park-like setting throughout the entire course,” he adds. “It blends so seamlessly with nature that it isn’t unusual to see a 250-class buck beside a fairway or quail running across a green. We’re doing things with The Covey that go above and beyond what anyone else has done with a Texas golf course.”

Williams had previously designed an exquisite ninehole par-3 course for Big Easy Ranch that remains a member favorite for early-morning and late-afternoon rounds. Located right beside the private golf clubhouse, the full-service facility also includes The Golf Academy instructional programs and extensive practice facilities.

But what really sets Big Easy Ranch apart are the on-site hunting grounds and fishing lakes that make it such a unique sporting destination. Experienced guides lead group hunts for quail, pheasant, and duck, as well trophy whitetail deer and other game species. There’s also a sporting clay course and a 700-yard target shooting range where hunters can improve their skills. In addition, several lakes are stocked with largemouth bass, redfish, rainbow trout, and other aquatic prizes that can be caught from docks and fishing kayaks. Bring your own hunting and fishing gear, or the Ranch staff can set you up with everything you need for a complete outdoor adventure.

The 12,000-square-foot Big Easy Lodge has a rustic elegance and is a gathering place with casual fine dining and an award-winning wine program. There’s also a lively lounge, an infinity-edge swimming pool, and a huge outdoor patio for unwinding beneath the stars. Lodge accommodations include spacious guest suites, while larger groups can stay at the Live Oak Cabin or in Bluebonnet Villa.

Big Easy Ranch is a private luxury sporting club offering individual and corporate memberships. Membership includes access to first-class sporting amenities, golf courses and services, lodging, dining, and a calendar of year-round hunting and social events.

The first 40 estate-size homesites of one acre or more have recently been released at Big Easy Ranch, with a preferred-builder program in place to help owners create a customized primary residence or vacation home. All of the properties are just a short golf-cart ride from both the Big Easy Lodge and The Golf Academy.

Also now available are 1/8 shared-ownership villas of up to 4,000 square feet so that members and their guests have plenty of elbow room during their time at the Ranch. These well-appointed villas are a second-home option, offering owners 42 nights a year.

Within a 30-minute drive of Big Easy Ranch are several regional airports that can accommodate private jets, while Houston and its major international hub are just 90 miles east. Austin and San Antonio are about equal distances to the west. That prime location in the heart of the Texas hill country means that Big Easy Ranch is a destination that’s not hard to get to and a one-of-a-kind sporting club that you may never want to leave.

And, that’s exactly what Billy Brown set out to achieve. “With our premier hunting grounds, sports facilities, and luxury lifestyle amenities,” he concludes, “Big Easy Ranch is already in its own private-club category and is only going to get better. It’s a perfect place for a second home or a full-time residence for folks who want to enjoy life on the Ranch in all four seasons of the year.” BigEasyRanch.com