04:00 AM CST on Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Texas oil legend H.L. Hunt has been dead longer than a quarter of a
century, but his Mount Vernon estate on White Rock Lake is more abuzz than
when he was alive. H.L.'s sporting interests leaned toward football and
horse racing, but the current laird of Mount Vernon, commercial real
estater John Amend, is a bowler. On Friday night, some of the biggest names in Dallas and in
professional bowling will pour through the gates of Mount Vernon, a
replica of George Washington's home on the Potomac, for the grand opening
of what may be the nicest private bowling alley in the country. A select few got private previews this week. On Tuesday afternoon,
Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks christened his new ball at the
estate, bowling an impressive 201. It's a rare breed that has a bowling alley built at their home, and
those who do are usually content with one or two lanes. But Mr. Amend
didn't want a long, skinny building resembling a flagpole factory on his
property. That's why workers have been toiling to complete his four-lane
center. In keeping with the architecture of the estate, the building has three
cupolas on its rooftop. Inside, a bank of flat-screen plasma TVs, a
karaoke machine and a concert hall sound system adorn the joint. Mr. Amend
and his wife, Teresa, plan to open the place for charity events.
It's no coincidence that work was completed just as the Professional
Bowlers Association tour arrived in Dallas for this week's PBA Days Inn
Open at Don Carter's All-Star Lanes. Not only will Mr. Amend be bowling in
Wednesday's Pro-Am (last year, his partner was Mark Cuban), but he
will also host most of the pro bowlers for the Friday night unveiling of
his lanes. Mr. Amend worked closely with bowling's Brunswick Corporation to build
the center, and Brunswick president Warren Hardy is flying in from
Chicago for the party, while Bill Chrisman, CEO of Storm Products
("The Bowler's Company") ball manufacturer, is coming from Salt Lake City.
Others expected Friday include former Mount Vernon resident Caroline
Rose Hunt, daughter of H.L., with Fort Worth oilman Charles
Simmons; Dallas Mavericks founder Don Carter (not to be
confused with the pro bowler) with his wife, Linda; first sibling
Milla Perry Jones, sister of Gov. Rick Perry; Dr. O.S.
Hawkins , president of the Southern Baptist Annuity Board, and his
wife, Susie; Crescent Real Estate Equities Co. CEO John Goff
and president Denny Alberts; financier John Tolleson and his
wife, Debbie ; Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas; U.S. Risk
Insurance CEO Randall Goss ; and Houston's Dr. John Mendelsohn,
president of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and his wife, Ann.
"I did get a regret from President Bush," says Mr. Amend.