Fun aplenty awaits guests, golfers at Flying L Ranch Resort & Golf Course

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A trip to the Flying L Ranch Resort & Golf Course in Bandera is both a journey into the past and nod to the future — and that’s a good thing.

There are plenty of Western-themed creature comforts scattered across the expansive resort property and a complete refreshening of the ranch’s lodging options and its amenities and a total renovation of the golf course have made the Flying L Ranch a “must-visit” destination deep in the Texas Hill Country.

We’ve visited the Flying L Ranch on several occasions in the past, and I’m happy to report that everything that was great about the resort is still great. The improvements and enhancements, under-taken over the past six years by new owners Doug and Cindy Stevens and their family, have carried the destination into the present while embracing the property’s proud history, which dates back to 1947 when it was founded and developed by Colonel John H. “Jack” Lapham.

Over the years, Flying L Ranch has welcomed numerous notable guests, including Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus, John Wayne, Slim Pickens, Willie Nelson, Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Ray Price, Buck Owens, Chill Wills, Jack Kramer, and Robert Fuller. The television show “The Cisco Kid” even filmed an episode at the ranch, adding to its legacy.

The Stevens have taken a battered and once neglected jewel and polished all its facets. The family bought the Flying L Ranch off the auction block in February 2018 and had just a month to figure out a strategy to bring the resort back to life before taking charge. They had no previous experience in the hospitality industry, so the learning curve was a steep one.

“It was like jumping on a fast moving train,” Doug Stevens said. “We had only driven through the property on a few occasions and had no idea what would be needed to bring the shine back to Flying L Ranch. We just leaned heavily on the tenants and ideals that we’ve always used in business — put the customer first and pay attention to every detail we can.”

The renovation was a daunting one as the Stevens and crew soldiered on through the COVID pandemic, which affected sup-ply chains and ballooned expenses. One of the areas in most need of attention was the Flying L Ranch’s golf course, which had grown scruffy and unappealing after years of poor maintenance practices. Doug Stevens and his passionate crew, including sons Jason Stevens and Jonathan Tate, daughter Kristen Tomscha, superintendent Chuck Tondre, and pro shop manager Ken Hunt, dug into a renovation of the course from the irrigation level up. 

Their three-year effort, unveiled at the track’s reopening this fall, have produced a thrill-a-minute course that is both fair and challenging — and huge step up from the previous course that originally opened in 1972.

A little bit of everything

 The new course at Flying L Ranch plays at 6,646 yards from the back tees and to a par of 72. While it won’t over-whelm you with length, the course asks you to use every club in the bag and has a nice mix of holes that move either to the left or right to make the golfer work the ball. Flying L Ranch’s course is enhanced by its bright-white crushed marble bunkers and its lush fairways that roll through stands of trees, over hills and around thoughtfully placed mounds that actually can help keep way-ward shots in play.

One of the greatest things about the course is its flawless Bent Grass putting surfaces — a rarity for public golf courses with green fees under $100. 

The routing at Flying L Ranch is an interesting one, with distinctive nines and a cool par 3 19th hole to settle wagers. The front side is more core golf — there are some areas three-holes wide without a house in site.

The round begins with a reachable par 5, continues to a par 3 with a huge bunk in front that’s actually only in play on a poorly struck shot and then rolls downhill and to the left to the course’s signature hole — a 403-yard par 4 that ends on a completely round island green.

The par 4 fifth is Flying L Ranch’s top handicap hole; it plays right to left across a stand of trees to a landing areas surround-ed by mounds and bunkers. The approach is to a long but narrow putting surface that abuts the resort’s entrance.

No. 7 is a dynamite 170-yard par 3 that played slightly downhill to a green that cantered from right to left and from back to front. Take one more club than normal to be sure you carry the pond at the front.

The 544-yard eighth is the longest hole at Flying L Ranch and is a true three-shot par 5 as it moves uphill and slightly to the left. The front side ends with demanding, uphill 435-yard par 4 that is narrowed at the approach by trees on the left near the green and bunkers both at the front and the rear.

The back side differs from the front as its routing is through the property’s neighborhood, with the holes lined by homes. The corridors are still plenty wide, just not as wide as on the front side.

After two par 4s of more than 400 yards, the routing moves to the 170-yard par 3 12th that’s surrounded by four bunkers and features a putting surface that slopes severely from back to front. The 13th is a reachable par 5 but beware a tight out of bounds on the left as the hole bends that direction near the landing area — there’s also a short stone wall that crosses the fairway about 120 yards from the green that should not come into play. The final par 5 at Flying L Ranch is the 15th, which is carded at 529 yards and moves to the left twice, first at the prime landing area and then at the preferred layup location.The hole tightens as it gets closer to the putting surface and requires shot execution and course management from tee to green. No. 17 is likely the most difficult par 3 on the course, playing at 185 yards from the back tees and into the wind to a green protected at the front by bunkers on both the left and right. That sets the stage for the closing hole, a 405-yard par 4 that turns hard right at about 240 yards off the tees before continuing slightly uphill to a wide but shallow putting surface. The aforementioned 19th hole is a nifty par 3 of 135 yards that finishes with a tiny, perfectly round green that’s surrounded by a horseshoe bunker.

Attention to conditioning and detail is evident throughout the routing. Golfers who’ve played the course at Flying L Ranch before the renovation will remember some the holes here but have never seen the course looking, and playing, this great.

It’s a perfect Texas Hill Country golf course, with hundreds of white tailed, axis deer and black buck antelopes to be spotted during your round. It’s fun from first tee shot to final putt.

“There is no part of the course that we didn’t touch with this renovation,” Hunt said. “We really thought about how golfers would approach the challenge here and took that into consideration throughout. I love the course because I think it provides scoring chances for low-handicap players and there’s plenty of places to miss and still not be overly punished, especially on the front side. It’s a true ‘resort’ course.”

Flying L Ranch also offers a driving range and two practice greens to hone your skills and get ready for the round.

Stay all night, stay a little longer

Bandera is known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World” with population of 895 and located approximately 40 miles northwest of San Antonio. Flying L Ranch Resort & Golf Course is about two miles outside the center of the city and is a perfect place to stay and play while taking the time to relax and take a load off. 

The resort offers a handful of different accommodations to fit its guests individual needs, from cabins to villas to suites to spacious lodges. Each option provides a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere with a western motif. No party is too big or too small for a stay at Flying L Ranch Resort, which is actually perfect for large family gatherings, reunions, conferences and weddings.

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