Black Jack's Crossing Golf Course at Lajitas

A must play...wherever you live. The course was in incredible condition. No golfers for the last 2+ months hasn't hurt. Tees, fairways, greens...very nice! My group of 4 didn't see another group for the first 13 holes which made the pace of play really nice. Then we got to the 14th hole and caught a group of 5. We waited on every shot on every hole from the 14th until we finished. Even so, we finished in about 4 hours. I'll definitely be back and recommend this course to everyone! All of the employees are friendly too...golf staff, wait staff, everyone!

My wife & I visited Lajitas for the first time. We really enjoyed how the resort is set up and the bar/restaurant has good food & staff. I intended to play Tuesday & Wednesday but had to play 36 Tuesday since a cold front blew in & Wednesday/Thursday. 1st round took 4 hours but 2nd round at 2 1/2 hours. Breathtaking mountain views & elevations especially on back 9. Severe green undulations/breaks. Course in great shape & staff very nice & accommodating. 6 hours from Lubbock & a nice drive.

The only course for miles and they are very proud, justifiably. I really enjoyed the layout and the scenery. The course is in fantastic shape, tees, greens, and fairways. I wouldn't even want to try to walk this course due to the elevation changes and distances. The staff was excellent in every way possible. The course has no snack bar or restaurant, only drinks and power/candy bars. The resort has a restaurant and bar that are close and good for after the round. The price is steep, even steeper if you're not a guest.

This is hands down the most amazing course in Texas. It take a while to get there, but once you are there, man what a treat! The elevation changes are such a change of pace for most Texas golf courses. The course is in great shape. We played on a Saturday afternoon at 11:30 and felt like we had the entire course to ourselves. One of the best golf trips ever!

If you have the opportunity, go play this course. It's a one of a kind experience. When I played, they were still in their off season, and were doing some work on a few fairways for the upcoming season, but I'm sure the entire course is in top notch shape now. The first few holes are flat and you don't necessarily feel like you're playing a desert course. Then you begin to go up in elevation and see the fantastic country that surrounds the area. The 8th hole, 660 yards from the tips with an elevated tee, is unreal. Since I had the course pretty much to myself, think I spent 15 minutes on the tee just enjoying the scenery and hitting golf balls down to the canyon fairway below. All in all, course was a great experience and well worth the drive. If I'm in the area again, am definitely playing another round.

BJC was as advertised. I booked a couple of months in advance while scheduling a family vacation to the middle of nowhere so our cell phones wouldn't work. Mission accomplished there. Don't expect your cell to work unless you have AT&T.

OK...now to the golf course. If this course were played by the pros in the middle of December, they would shoot in the high 50's. I didn't find it all that challenging. The state of the course was great, even considering they had just aerated. Wide open fairways, a lot of natural areas rather than tall rough and views you would drool over. Well, that is if you had any water to create drool. The staff provided 6 small bottles of water with our round. When combined with the 4 bottles of water and 2 bottles of Gatorade each (2 players) we were only about 10 holes short of making our fluids last. Keep in mind, we played at the end of May in the desert. We knew it would be scorching by 10am so we came prepared, or so we thought. NONE of the restroom stations had any water in the coolers. Not just no water, but no ice, no remnants of liquid of any kind. There are 3 stops on the course for water. About 75% too few considering the climate. We picked up 4 more bottles each at the turn (which is about a 10 minute cart ride from 9 green to CH) because that was all they had.................really BJC?. Our bottles, even when rationed only lasted to 14. It was 110 by 10am. We teed off at 9am. The front took about 3 hours (a lot of picture taking and nobody on the course behind us). The back took almost 5 hours in that heat with very few pictures taken. Although there was a lot of that game we all play in the heat. You know it, right. "Find a tree so you don't burst into flames". Excellent game to play...........sarcasm noted. We stuck it out because hey.......golf is golf. If it weren't for the BONE DRY water coolers on the course, this would have been a 5-star experience across the board. Considering they were bone dry, you could tell the staff hadn't added water to them in days. There were desert creatures living in the drains. It is right on the Rio Grande so maybe some illegals came over and stole all of the water at all of the stops but would they have taken the time to dry them out completely and place scorpions and such in the drains? Hmmmmmm

I think Mr. Wadkins did a spectacular job designing this course. He would be ashamed at how the staff is running it. There seemed to be ZERO attention to detail. For $130+ a round, I expect water whenever I please.

To sum it up, great course, I shot low but not as low as I could have if hydrated, the views are only eclipsed by ocean courses and there was no water unless you trekked back to the CH.

I will only play again if the fees total $0. It is a 3 hour charter flight or a 10 hour drive from my location. As beautiful as this course is, it isn't worth the travel time or costs unless you are local or independently wealthy.

Texas is a big state, with a lot of golf courses, but there's nothing quite like Black Jack's Crossing, located at Lajitas Golf Resort near Big Bend National Park.

Black Jack's Crossing is a brand new course built in 2011 after the old Ambush at Lajitas washed away in 2008, the result of a "2000-year flood" to come to this part of Texas. 100 years ago, this was the site of skirmishes between Pancho Villa and General John "Black Jack" Pershing. Bullet holes from battles are still present in the clubhouse facade today.

The history of Lajitas is remarkable, while the new course is simply dazzling, with tremendous views on holes that start from elevated tee boxes, or those that trudge up into the mountains. Designed by Lanny Wadkins, the course is all the golf you could ask for from the back two sets of tees, while the two forward sets cater to the amateur player. Fairways are generous, though always encircled by native desert.

There are highlights on both nines, but the holes on the back nine that overlook the Rio Grande are especially a treat. No. 14 showcases the river, Lajitas peak in the distance and the border of the national park to the left. It's a most surreal moment on course that serves up many of them.

The course uses paspalum turf and the results were surprisingly good. This is a place where the elements can be harsh, from wind to drought to flood, and it's nice to see the turf looking really good in April, particularly after a cold winter.

We played the course twice in two days, once on a breezy afternoon and a second time on a picture-perfect morning. I couldn't get enough, and hope to be back again soon. The par 5s are all so exciting. The par 3s are all different. Some par 4s are drivable, others are brutes. Wadkins' hole variety is exceptional (and it darn well better be, when you consider the property he had to work with).

The course and resort seem to be geared towards attracting group business from Dallas and Houston, and a private airport is five minutes away. Service and F&B here, from golf to hotel, is fabulous.

Located next to one of America's great national parks, any golfer making the trip to this remote part of the Texas-Mexico border to see attractions like Terilingua, Marfa and Big Bend should most definitely be sure to set aside some time for a round or two at Lajitas.

The course has been quickly climbing the ranks of Texas' top public courses since it's reopened and grown in. If it ever makes it to No. 1, I sure won't dispute it.

This has to be the best course in Texas. Layout is great, views are awesome, and the condition was superb. Did not see one weed. The fairways are lush and the greens roll smooth. Staff was very friendly. A must play. A long way from anywhere. Take lots of golf balls, play the proper tees, and enjoy this beauty. It is challenging but also fair. Most fairways are ample.

This course was unbelievable. Very challenging with the change in elevation, canyons, and doglegs. Greens and fairways were greener than any city course. No dirt patches or hardpan to have to hit off of. Will play here again. Scenery is great also.

Even a lot of Texans have no idea how spectacular the setting is for the Black Jack Crossing's Course at Lajitas Resort in Big Bend. This is the old west, and the new course at Lajitas, designed by Lanny Wadkins, doesn't disappoint. There is one elevated tee after another, overlooking the Rio Grande and views as far as the eye can see over this rugged landscape. And it's away from it all, a true escape. As for the course, plenty of challenges await, including some pretty special par 3s, and it's in great shape. Out of the way, but worth the trip.