On most Sunday afternoons from June through September, polo returns to Greenwich in nearby backcountry. The ‘Sport of Kings” is one of the oldest team sports in the world and was introduced in the US in 1876. The Blind Brook Polo Club existed in Purchase, NY off King Street until it was closed in 1967. The game remains today in the east in only a few locations in Florida, Long Island, and on Upper North Street, north of Upper Cross Road. The Greenwich Polo Club (GPC), established in 1981 by Peter Brant is one of only three high-goal polo venues today in the US, and is home to the White Birch team, one of the most successful in winning high-goal tournaments in the last 25 years. World-class players and teams compete at the field at 1 Hurlingham Drive near the old Conyers Farm property.
The typical match at Greenwich Polo Club has around 2,000 spectators. Children of all ages and dogs on a leash are welcome. For lawn seating tickets, picnic baskets, ground cover, and lawn chairs are suggested. Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted in seated sections where drinks are sold. Sun hats and sunscreen are recommended along with binoculars as the polo field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, three times the length of a football field.
The gates open at 1:00 pm with play starting at 3:00 pm. A match usually lasts about two hours. Basic entry tickets are $50 for a car pass, which gives picnic-style seating on the grounds. There are six to seven other options for grandstand seating and facility access which are available at several levels from $60 to $900. Tickets will be emailed from orders placed on the GPC website: tickets@greenwichpoloclub.com The phone number is (203) 561-1639.
The matches also offer spectator participation at the halftime entry-mission when the spectators are encouraged to walk on the field for “divot stomping”. This is the process of replacing the loose chunks of turf torn from the ground by the horse hooves. Enjoy!
: 2023 POLO SEASON IN BACKCOUNTRY GREENWICH
