About 90 miles northeast of Dallas as the waterfowl fly, on the outskirts of the sleepy town of Sulphur Bluff, Texas, you’ll find the Hageman Reserve—a 14,000-acre private sporting club that is the first of its kind, and will likely set the precedent for a new standard in sporting clubs. Arriving at the stately entryway of the Reserve, you follow a winding road offering mere glimpses of the property’s diversity. Traversing ranchlands dotted with small lakes and pristine upland habitat, you crest the final hill and begin to see it—like some medieval apparition, appearing out of the East Texas plain is what looks to be a 400-year-old French chateau. A marvel of classic architecture, this 65,000-square-foot lodge is the cornerstone of the Hageman Reserve, and the place in which countless relationships, memories, and traditions will be forged.

The realization of this property largely has to do with the forethought and tenacity of a man who is equal parts visionary and humble Indiana farmer—Steve Hageman. A third-generation farmer, Steve has spent his life grounded in agriculture and, poetically, has seen his life’s work grow from a 40-acre plot in rural Indiana to founding partner of a company that produces 20 percent of the nation’s seed corn. But in truth, this is not a story of achievement, farms, ranches, or lodges—it is a story about family. It’s about wisdom and virtue passed down from generation to generation, and working hard to ensure that your family will be provided for in the years to come.