Spectator Sports in Palm Beach
The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros do their Spring Training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, 5444 N. Haverhill Rd. (tel. 561/500-4487). Tickets range from $20 to $65.
The Palm Beach Polo and Country Club (11809 Polo Club Rd.; 561/793-1440) and the International Polo Club (3667 120th Ave.; 561/204-5687) are two of the world’s premier polo grounds and host some of the sport’s top-rated players. These fields are on the mainland in a rural area called Wellington, the “Equestrian Winter Capital of the World”, they say. Most of the spectators, and many of the players, are pure Palm Beach. After all, a day at the pony grounds is one of the only good reasons to leave Palm Beach proper. But you need not be a Vanderbilt or a Kennedy to attend—matches are open to the public and are surprisingly affordable.
Even if you haven’t a clue how the game is played, you can spend your time people-watching. In recent years, stargazers have spotted King Charles, Prince Harry, Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, among others.
Dress is casual; a navy or tweed blazer over jeans or khakis is the standard for men, while neat-looking jeans or a pantsuit is the norm for women. On warmer days, shorts and, of course, polo shirts are fine, too.
General admission is $10 to $45; box seats cost $150 and up but are usually for members only. Special polo brunches are often available, too, at $85 per person. Matches are held throughout the week. Schedules vary, but the big names usually compete on Sunday at 3:30pm from January to April.
The fields are located at 11809 Polo Club Rd. and 3667 120th Ave., South Wellington, 10 miles west of the Forest Hill Boulevard exit off I-95. Visit internationalpoloclub.com for tickets and a detailed schedule of events.
The Palm Beach Polo and Country Club (11809 Polo Club Rd.; 561/793-1440) and the International Polo Club (3667 120th Ave.; 561/204-5687) are two of the world’s premier polo grounds and host some of the sport’s top-rated players. These fields are on the mainland in a rural area called Wellington, the “Equestrian Winter Capital of the World”, they say. Most of the spectators, and many of the players, are pure Palm Beach. After all, a day at the pony grounds is one of the only good reasons to leave Palm Beach proper. But you need not be a Vanderbilt or a Kennedy to attend—matches are open to the public and are surprisingly affordable.
Even if you haven’t a clue how the game is played, you can spend your time people-watching. In recent years, stargazers have spotted King Charles, Prince Harry, Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, among others.
Dress is casual; a navy or tweed blazer over jeans or khakis is the standard for men, while neat-looking jeans or a pantsuit is the norm for women. On warmer days, shorts and, of course, polo shirts are fine, too.
General admission is $10 to $45; box seats cost $150 and up but are usually for members only. Special polo brunches are often available, too, at $85 per person. Matches are held throughout the week. Schedules vary, but the big names usually compete on Sunday at 3:30pm from January to April.
The fields are located at 11809 Polo Club Rd. and 3667 120th Ave., South Wellington, 10 miles west of the Forest Hill Boulevard exit off I-95. Visit internationalpoloclub.com for tickets and a detailed schedule of events.
