ANGELINA COUNTY — The Country Club sits in an unincorporated area between Lufkin and Huntington on U.S. Highway 69. The nondescript white building is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.
Inside, neon BudLight signs flash in the dark building. Lights hang over competition-grade pool tables. Spotlights brighten the stage. The smell of cigarettes permeates the air. Rows of liquor bottles behind the bar twinkle.
A small group of barflies gathered at The Country Club on a cold Tuesday afternoon. They were contractors and construction workers who could only do so much work after heavy rainfall made the ground muddy. So they warmed up with beers and a few shots.
