The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
The rest of the story starts right here. Everybody knows about the Gold Coast of San Diego and Santa Barbara and a lot more know about the Desert as many more players go there in the winter than the Coast in the Summer. However, since about 2005 or 2006 when times got really good the thought process was not about growing polo, it was about growing old and cashing out. Most of the owners of Eldorado had reached their 6th decade and were not really competitive anymore. Land prices had gone from 50 grand an acre to supposedly 500 grand plus per acre. Eldorado Polo Club (EPC) was sitting on around 200 acres or a little less, but split over 22 shares. If you do the math 200 x 500 divided by 22 adds a lot of zeros. And yes, polo was a memory, but the deal is just a deal until it is done. It was under contract to sell in 2008, but the deal fell through. The year 2008 was not a very nice time for anyone and NO DEAL happened. Nobody wanted the land, but guess what? It could still survive as a parking lot for the concerts (Coachella and Stagecoach) and it did as a parking, camping more or less green area the concerts, which paid the major part of the EPC’s bills and kept it on survival mode for another 3 years, but deteriorating very fast.
Sunday Polo on Field #1 at Empire Polo Club.
Polo was shrinking by big %’s and their attitude was … just make it work without money to fix anything, and no new owners came onboard. It cost too much to run the Club and then “it ” HAPPENED! Much like 2002 when Palm Beach Polo Club was falling apart in FL. In stepped a POLO ANGEL named JOHN GOODMAN and International Polo Club was born and for the last decade there has been no place like it.
Well in 2010 Eldorado Polo Club made a move, to try to do … I don’t know what, but in doing so they created a LION who soon will be the biggest and already the “most beautiful polo club” on this planet. EMPIRE POLO CLUB is the LION and the man behind it is just like John Goodman. His name is ALEX HAGGAN III. Haagen had sat quietly for a decade while Eldorado Polo Club was used for parking and some polo, but now Eldorado has forced his hand and the Lion Den was opened and out he came in a loud roar that will be the biggest thing to happen to polo since IPC and it is happening so fast.
The Champion’s Cup at Empire Polo Club.
Big Al has added fields and stables at a rate unheard of in bad economic times. Empire’s facilities are showing well like a shining lion … big, bold and beautiful. I do not think there is any doubt that Empire Polo Club will be the biggest and likely the best venue for Winter Polo including Palm Beach and it is not that far away from becoming a reality.
The way I see it is Eldorado is being sold, but the deal is not done yet. It is nearly Sept. and they have the man to fix it Graham Bray, Polo Manager of Eldorado. It does, however, take money to buy and to make happen and his hands are tied because no matter how much dirt and water you have, money is the glue to make it grow.
At Empire the polo prices are fantastic, the menu of polo services is complete and the magnificent setting is unrivaled. Do not take my word for it. Go see it with your own eyes … you will not need glasses.
Barrossa won the 2012 Champion’s Cup Finals at Empire Polo Club. The team took home $25,000 cash in prize money. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams also won part of a a $60,000 purse.
If we put these two clubs together and turn it over to Al Haagen, III, who would fix it up , I doubt people would even stray to the East. With the fields and facilities in the desert, we could offer 20-goal polo right here and if need be we could go higher because the desert has so many more things to offer players than FL. The desert is less than 2 hours away from the beach (this gives an edge to FL), it has skiing 1 hour away in the nearby mountains (this give CA an edge). These time estimates are by car. If you travel by air maybe 20 minutes (this give an edge to CA). While the night life in Miami is ok, in California we have Los Angeles and Hollywood. It is just as close and many times bigger. This gives an edge to CA. The weather it is warmer in FL but is also colder more often and it rains. In CA no rain, the temperature at night is cooler which is better for horses with very little humidity and very warm every day (this gives an edge to CA). In the desert the golf is amazing. There are about triple the number of courses in 100 mile circle (this gives an edge to CA).
This is just my opinion, but here it is. I have no problem with history. Eldorado Polo Club was very good for many years, but it has no reason to grow now. The current owners want out. There is no John Goodman to step up, but a Corporation has. Do you think they are going to lose money for very long to satisfy polo players? I doubt it.
John Goodman and Al Haagen, III have other ideas. They love the sport of polo and they know in the future, like Ben Benjamin told me once, polo fields are his retirement fund. Move out to the cheap land and let the City grow because 10 acres can be a lot of homes sometime and that is just 1 little field. These men are the Mr. Uhilien, Mr. Oxley, Mr. Holden, Mr. Walker and Mr. Ylvisaker of the present day.
see ya @ EMPIRE