Texas’ Big Easy Ranch Is a Rustic Land Where Golf and Sporting Clays Rule — How Its Influential Crowd Became Cancer Fighters

What: The Big Easy Ranch Shoot Out benefit for MD Anderson Cancer Center

Where:  Big Easy Ranch in Columbus

PC Moments: One hundred golfers joined the scramble tournament on The Covey, a par 72 course designed by well regarded golf course architect Chet Williams, while 40 shooters participated in the sporting clays tournament. One highlight? A Bentley Bentayga was up for grabs as a hole in one prize. (Sadly, no one drove it home.)

When the day’s competition was done, a total of 175 ranch members, residents and guests joined the awards dinner and live auction in the Big Easy Lodge. By night’s end, the two-tiered event had raised $500,000 for MD Anderson Department of Immunology, topping the 2023 tournament proceeds of $425,000.

“Each and every one of us has been affected by cancer in some way,” Big Easy Ranch owner Billy Brown says. “Being a cancer survivor and patient of MD Anderson, I wanted to do something to give back to the cancer community and specifically to those who are spearheading research programs that treat and cure cancer.

“Hopefully, our contributions will not only aid those diagnosed with cancer now but help obliterate the disease completely.”

Since its inception, the shootout has raised more than $1.8 million for the cancer center.

The Shootout is just one aspect of philanthropy that Brown helms each year at the Big Easy. The ranch also hosts the Turtle Wing Foundation S’wing & Shoot and Boys & Girls Clubs of Champion Valley Swing & Blast.

The luxe sporting club, little more than an hour from Houston, sells memberships as well as home sites for what Brown likes to call “ranch living at its finest.” Rick Doak with Compass’ Lifestyle Ranch & Home Group, led by Tonya Currie, originally sold the 2,000 acres of rolling countryside to Brown. He now has a lot listing on the property.

PC Seen: Houston Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, whose golf team included Brown, Terry Giles and Tim Studdert; Sandra and Jim Lemming of Partners in Building; Chad Meacham of DL Meacham; Jarrod Daniel of TDG Energy Services; Luke Johnson and Peter Johnson of Mobilease; Barrett Rouse of Pin Oak Financial; Doug Fuqua of Fuqua Financial; Dec My Room founder Susan Plank; and Olivia and Dwight Gross of Knight Services.