The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder

Santa Barbara Polo Club is no longer the apple of the Summer and has not been for a while.  It just may be on a comeback trail back to the past. Santa Barbara Polo Club is no longer a 3 field polo destination. The Polo Club is the same, but there are now so many outside fields nearby that it could be a high-goal destination.  Like UK polo in the 80’s the Santa Barbara area can become a whole new deal.

Phil Heatley is on point and he understands polo and politics.  Politics is the biggest deal of all in polo, which is sad to say,  but that is the way it is. We do not need to look in the mirror.  We need to look at what is happening around us.

England has 12 to 15 teams in 22-goal polo all summer.  It rains in England and it is cold, but it is green and socially
acceptable. Sotogrande in Spain has 12 teams.  The weird thing is that three of those teams could be here in Santa Barbara.  These teams are Mansour, Valiente and Lechuza. WHY are they not playing in Santa Barbara?  Now look in the mirror.   It is not them … it is us.  The simple thing about POLO is if you can afford to play it you can definitely afford not to.

We do have better weather than any other polo destination.  Do we have better fields? NO. A better social scene? NO, BUT what few people realize is that the polo doesn’t have to be at Santa Barbara Polo Club.  It very well could be Santa Barbara Polo there are other great fields and facilities here in the area.   There is Piocho Ranch that has fantastic fields.  The polo grounds are amazing and the atmosphere provided by Tom Barrack is spectacular. Grants Farm West is Andy Busch’s polo facility which also has full-size fields that are fast.  It is easy to get to off the Hwy. Zacara is just awesome. Their field is on the Sea.  Meekers is now owned by ERG and S. Woods. It is an amazing area and it is high-end.

There are two very nice places right next to the SB Polo Club.  Villa Sevillano is a step away and Bellavista Polo Club is 1 mile away.

We have the set-up to handle 12 to 15 teams. It is the challenge of getting the word out as no one knows what facilities we have available here in Santa Barbara.   I how they do now.
Phil’s idea is solid. It is sad, but true that we need to lower the handicap and level of play from 20- to 16-goal and build polo back-up in the region.
It happened in the 90’s and it is back.   There will be 2 full months of polo and supposedly we have 6 teams already committed and deposits soon. This should be fantastic. It will lower the cost of pros with less super stars per team.  It will also give more Americans a chance to play.  It could be such a fantastic destination with the fields we now have and the possibility of more.  There will be an awesome Summer of polo here in Santa Barbara with many places to play. The main games would be at SBPC on Sunday unless someone builds a stadium.

Call Phil as you might not get in. SANTA BARBARA POLO IS GOING TO ENTER THE FUTURE FINE!!!

Around POLO here in SB it was Leigh Brecheen and John D’s Film Finance sweeping the 12-goal and Carol Lessine stepped in and kept the record alive for one. IN the UK  Zacara has been the force.  They won  the Queen’s Cup and headed to the Quarters in the Gold Cup along with John Muse’s Luchesse, who will soon be here.

Paris & Chantilly and St. Tropez are moving with US patrons Geof Palmer and Sean Keyes. On this side of the pond NY and Greenwich are up and running.  Chicago is in full flight, so go see POLO wherever you are.  SB POLO 2015 …IT WILL BE A DEAL with THE BEST WEATHER IN THE WORLD.

SEE YA