INTERNATIONAL POLO CLUB Welcomes Eyes Of The Polo World With Start Of 2018 High-Goal Season

Polo enthusiasts descend upon Wellington each winter season to enjoy the sport at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, the premier polo destination in the world, hosting the largest field of high-goal teams and the most prestigious polo tournaments in the United States.

 

The 2018 season opens on Sunday, Dec. 31, and will conclude 16 weeks later with the USPA 114th U.S. Open Polo Championship final on Sunday, April 22. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating, including elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, stadium seating, field-side champagne brunch and exclusive sponsor boxes.

In the spring of 2016, Wellington Equestrian Partners, the managing entity of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, announced the acquisition of IPC, transforming and expanding the group’s massive portfolio in Wellington.

“We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made since acquiring IPC in 2016 and feel that we’re providing an expanded platform for the sport of polo, not just in Wellington during the winter season, but around the world,” said Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners. “The upgrades that we’ve made to this point are just a small piece of the ultimate footprint that we’d like to leave at IPC and for the sport of polo.”

IPC draws the attention of the polo world during the winter months, and the 2018 season is expected to be one of the largest yet, welcoming players and teams from around the country and the globe to South Florida for one of the most competitive succession of tournaments, highlighted by the 114th U.S. Open during the month of April.

IPC will once again serve as the social center of activity each Sunday, offering attendees numerous hospitality options and prime viewing opportunities for some of the best polo matches of the season.

To enjoy polo in style, the luxurious brunch in the Veuve Clicquot Pavilion is back this season featuring delicious breakfast and lunch options, a full bar, and field-side seating on the patio. Guests will also have exclusive access to a meet-and-greet with some of the world’s favorite polo players throughout the afternoon in the Pavilion. Each week, a different pair of players will be available for photos and autographs. The fun continues after the match at the Pavilion After Party. Live entertainment and cocktails will be served to celebrate the winning team.

For the ultimate VIP experience, guests can purchase tickets to the Coco Polo Lounge, presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Each ticket includes seating at a front-row table, exclusive field-side lounge seating, a lavish gourmet brunch, a complimentary specialty cocktail, a gift bag, celebrity meet-and-greets, expedited valet entry and more.

General admission is also offered for all of the Sunday afternoon games and includes access to all the favorite food and drink options. The fun-filled Kids Zone will return for children to enjoy each Sunday afternoon. Bounce houses, games, face painting and more will be available to any child attending the 3 p.m. match. Multiple shopping options are also accessible to all spectators while they are on site Sunday behind the stadium. During half time, everyone is invited onto the field for a complimentary glass of champagne and ice cream — and, of course, to stomp some divots.

IPC offers a collection of nine polo fields accumulating 248 acres of pristine land, as well as a main grandstand, croquet facility, meeting and breakout rooms, 7,000 square feet of indoor usable floor space, a private health club, a pool, tennis courts and sufficient parking options. In addition, the facility has proven to be an ideal site for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby and a variety of other sports. Just last June, IPC was selected as the Large Market Sports Venue of the Year by the Florida Sports Foundation. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has utilized the venue to host some of the largest sporting events in the nation, including the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) National Games, USA Field Hockey’s National Hockey Festival, the Florida United Lacrosse Cup Series – Palm Beach Blast and the Florida Draw Lacrosse Classic.

Several updates have been made to the facility in order to improve the game of polo and continue IPC’s tradition of distinction. Five of the playing fields, including the main Engel & Völkers Field, have undergone major renovations in recent months.

Each of the fields were sprigged with a one-of-a-kind strain of durable Bermuda grass, which will lengthen longevity and durability. These characteristics of field grass are crucial when hosting high-goal polo for a prolonged season and will benefit both the players and the venue looking ahead.

In addition to improving the grass fields, IPC has also begun developing a new field surface that will create high availability and dramatically lower relative cost of ownership per polo practice. The special mixture of sand, felt, fiber and a unique binding agent allows for a safe surface for players and horses, while reducing cupping and divots created by horses’ movement that may impede the travel of a traditional grass polo ball.

This approach has the potential to offset limited field access and the high cost of renting practice fields.

“This innovation is not intended to replace grass polo fields, but rather provide an option for a renewable, high-availability practice environment on a regulation-size field, which allows practice at game speed,” Bellissimo explained.

Guests are welcome to visit the International Polo Club throughout the week to watch qualifying matches on the backfields. These matches offer a more laid-back experience to see some of the world’s top polo teams compete before the main match on Sunday. Whether one prefers a low-key match during the week or Sunday’s impressive 3 p.m. featured stadium game, IPC has options for all levels of polo enthusiasts.

For more information about the International Polo Club Palm Beach, visit www.internationalpoloclub.com or call (561) 204-5687.