The Polo Report by Steve Crowder. Why is it that in Southern California we cannot get more polo teams? It is like we want to have an NFL team, but not a chance. WHY? If you look at Florida they have rain, EHV-1 and they get a maximum of 6 games a month, but you have to win. There are 7 teams for the first tournament which is exactly 17 days long. So maybe you get 3 games and it costs roughly $10,000 per goal. It is 22-goal polo, so you do the math. In California we are looking for (begging) 4 teams in the 12-goal. WHY? Here it is like a robbery at $3500 per goal for 8 games over a period of 4 weeks + unlimited practices and stick and ball.
I am sure the East Coast is much richer than the West Coast, but it cannot be that much of a difference. After all we still have nice homes in the West and nice cars. We even have country clubs. So what is the problem? Maybe we do everthing so cheap at the So. Calif. Clubs that everyone wants to be cheap to fit in? In Santa Barbara the Club spends more on maintenance than anything and they get very few teams as well. This is just a thought . . . maybe if things were first class like at Palm Beach International. We could go to a private polo club format and we had Alex Hagen running the operation. With his style we could be something more upscale. I am not sure, but this is crazy. El Dorado Polo Club is the biggest club in North America. It is also the cheapest and offers the most polo for your dollar. We have 80% 4-goal, 4 chukker polo. That is why we are the biggest club. It is not because we are cheap. With decent fields, great weather and a fairly decent location it should be pulling in more teams. In So. California you can snow ski, suntan on the beach, play golf and tennis every minute all within 2 hours of El Dorado, San Diego and Santa Barbara Polo Clubs. Most of these activities are within 10 minutes of any of these clubs. There has to be something that is causing our polo slow down, lack of teams and growth here in California? The trophy’s are much better, the polo more fun, the commeraderie better, but we have very little growth and fewer teams each year. Why do we not sell El Dorado to Empire, let them clean it up? I am sure in 2 years Alex Hagan will outdo IPC at Palm Beach and he will hire someone to make good polo fields. The only bad thing about Empire Polo Club Facilities is the fields. Lets do something or swicth to 4 chukker amateur polo.
Hey its XMas time and the New Year is here. Lets do it! Play polo for polo because you want to play polo. Polo is meant to be played. Hey in Mongolia in 1301 thay played 6 chukkers and they used human skulls for balls!
See ya at the field.