Newly Rebranded National Polo Center Gears Up For Inaugural Season
In June, the United States Polo Association purchased the core assets of what was formerly the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. Now deemed the National Polo Center-Wellington (NPC), the USPA-owned property will showcase national tournaments, develop American players, and sustain an environment of excellence that will retain and attract new players to the sport.
First-rate facilities including five fields, the grandstand, restaurants, the clubhouse, the social club, the swimming pool, gym and tennis courts add to the allure of NPC and positions the property as the hub of world-class competition.
The purchase also creates a permanent center for polo in America similar to that of the Argentine Polo Association-controlled Palermo fields and Argentine Polo Association-owned Pilar fields in Argentina. Investing a large amount of time, energy and effort into ensuring the longevity and success of the facility, the USPA has spent the past several months developing and improving the property, as well as preparing the fields for use.
Welcoming players, spectators and visitors, NPC ceremoniously opened its doors to the public for the XII FIP World Polo Championship beginning with the opening ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 29 and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 6. While this global event serves as the catalyst for action at NPC, the facility’s upcoming winter schedule includes many new and returning tournaments that will cement the facility as the epicenter of polo in the United States.
Returning for the fifth consecutive year, the 2023 Gauntlet of Polo will serve as the premier spectacle of the season, showcasing the highest level of the sport in America.
The three-part Gauntlet of Polo series will begin Feb. 12-26 with the C.V. Whitney Cup, continue with the USPA Gold Cup from March 1-26 and conclude with the U.S. Open Polo Championship from March 29 to April 23. Any team that wins all three tournaments will be crowned the Gauntlet Champion.
Another marquee event, the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship, will make waves at NPC, bringing together the world’s most talented female players. The tournament will run March 9-19, with the final taking place Sunday, March 19 on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. NPC will also debut high-level youth polo with the inaugural USPA Junior Open Final, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19.
A new addition to the season, the USPA, NPC and participating clubs are thrilled to be hosting the inaugural Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series. The series will be played across multiple clubs, with the championship hosted by NPC. The participating clubs include the Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee and the Sarasota Polo Club in Sarasota, as well as the Wellington Polo Tour (WPT), led by the Patagones Polo Club in Wellington, and a series of private fields falling under the WPT umbrella. The USPA tournaments that comprise the series include the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, the Ylvisaker Cup, the Iglehart Cup and the Continental Cup. Each tournament will serve as a qualifier for the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship, with each winning team moving on to the final event at the beginning of April.
A true testament to collaboration between South Florida clubs, there is a shared benefit in this new endeavor, allowing for participants to experience all the comforts of their home club, while also having the opportunity to play in front of a large crowd at NPC. The Joe Barry Memorial Cup and the Ylvisaker Cup will both be guaranteed three Sunday matches on NPC’s U.S. Polo Assn. Field One, while all championship games will be played at NPC. The innovative, medium-goal event is expected to draw more teams into competition than in previous years.
The series opens doors for a wide variety of players, including those looking to transition from low-goal to medium-goal, some who want to play at a competitive level outside of high-goal, as well as many who are eager to test the waters before taking their team to the high-goal level.
“The 16-goal level is the crossroads of medium-goal and high-goal. You’re going to have a lot of surprising winners and competitive games, and players who don’t normally compete at that level,” USPA Tournament Committee Chair Stevie Orthwein explained. “I think we are going to see some really interesting teams. The championship being at multiple clubs allows more people to be involved.”
Intended to raise the bar for medium-goal polo, the increased number of participants in these tournaments will force clubs to increase their competitive edge.
“It’s a way for clubs to measure themselves and to challenge other clubs,” USPA Executive Director of Services Carlucho Arellano said. “We’re hoping that it’s going to improve the level across the state and across the circuit.”
The National Polo Center-Wellington is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington. For more information, visit www.nationalpolocenter.com.
