82R12664 JBA-D
By: Gallego H.R. No. 1010
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In the 1950s, the golf team of San Felipe High School
in Del Rio battled adversity and defied expectations to become the
best in Texas, and Lupe Felan was an important member of that
storied squad; and
WHEREAS, The team got its start after J. B. Pena became the
superintendent of the San Felipe Independent School District in the
mid-1950s, and he and a friend introduced golf as a school sport at
San Felipe High; they were surprised and pleased to discover that
there were some very talented golfers among the students in the
then-segregated school, including Mr. Felan and the other players
that joined the Mustangs golf team; and
WHEREAS, These students had learned much about the game while
working as caddies at the exclusive San Felipe Country Club, a
course that they were initially prohibited from playing; determined
to take part in the sport, several of these aspiring athletes
decided in 1954 to build their own course, which they dubbed the El
Llanito Country Club; it was, by necessity, a rather crude design:
one hole surrounded by multiple tees with a "green" that was
actually made of caliche instead of grass; nonetheless, the boys
used the hardscrabble course to hone their skills through long
hours of practice, often playing until after dark; and
WHEREAS, After the harsh conditions of El Llanito, the team
members found that competing on regulation courses as part of
school matches was relatively easy, and they quickly established
themselves as winners, even as they had to ignore verbal abuse and
other forms of discrimination; the San Felipe Mustangs were
regional champs in 1956 and finished second to Ranger High in the
state championships; in 1957, the team qualified once more for the
finals and traveled to the Austin Country Club to battle for the
title, where they were the only minority players in the tournament;
there, the team turned in an outstanding performance, shooting a
combined 643; this bested runner-up Shamrock High by 35 strokes and
earned San Felipe the state title; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Felan's background was quite different from that
experienced by most state champion golfers of his era; the oldest of
eight children, he was called on to help out the family financially,
so he began caddying at the San Felipe Country Club during his early
teens; he played in the 1956 state tournament, when the team
finished second, and was an alternate on the 1957 championship
squad; after graduating from San Felipe High, he enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps and served his country for more than 30
years before retiring in 1990; during his years as a marine, he
often participated in military golf competitions; he is now retired
from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, where he
established a second career, and he continues to play golf as an
active member of the Southern California Golf Association, the
Southern California Mexican American Golf Association, and the
Marine Combat Center Golf Association, maintaining a single-digit
handicap; he lives in Yucca Valley, California; and
WHEREAS, Through talent, determination, and ingenuity, Lupe
Felan and the other members of the Mustangs golf team overcame
difficult circumstances to become state champions, and their
achievement is a continuing source of pride for the residents of Del
Rio and an inspiration for all who have heard their story; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby honor Lupe Felan for his contributions to the
San Felipe High School golf teams of 1956 and 1957 and extend to him
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Felan as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.