I'm Amanda Leon, an international amateur polo player, world traveler, and lover of horses. I've trained in polo for over 10 years, from Argentina to Sarasota Polo Club, and in 2021 I set out to visit every polo club in America.
The short answer: the US polo clubs that welcome beginners best are the ones with club horses, arena programs, and a league or school built for new players. From my tour, the standouts are Poway Polo Club near San Diego, New Orleans Polo Club in Louisiana, Palm City Polo Club in Florida, St. Croix Polo Club in Wisconsin, Meadowview Farm Polo Club in Michigan, Seneca Polo Club in Maryland, and Spokane Polo Club in Washington. Prices are what I paid or was quoted on my 2021 and 2022 tour.
Beginner-friendly polo clubs I visited
Poway Polo Club, San Diego area, California. Arena polo only, with interscholastic and beginner programs. The U.S. Polo Association calls it an affordable entry program into the sport, and at $30 a chukker it was the least expensive polo I paid for anywhere on my tour.
New Orleans Polo Club, Folsom, Louisiana. A Champagne League with discounted fees, where beginners play slow chukkers with a professional mentor on each team.
Palm City Polo Club, Boynton Beach, Florida. Joey Casey's club, which he built for arena and outdoor training, mentoring new players, and affordable low- and medium-goal polo.
St. Croix Polo Club, western Wisconsin. $80 bought me 90 minutes of stick and ball instruction in 2021, one of the best values of my tour.
Meadowview Farm Polo Club, Lowell, Michigan. A polo school, grass polo in summer, and arena polo through the winter, even in January.
Seneca Polo Club, Poolesville, Maryland. A polo school about an hour from Washington, D.C., with an arena the U.S. Polo Association calls one of the best surfaces on the East Coast.
Spokane Polo Club, Airway Heights, Washington. The club says it welcomes new players whether or not they've ridden before, and the season was very affordable when I visited.
If you want to watch first
Watching a match is the easiest first step. These three are built for spectators:
Newport Polo, Rhode Island. Where I'd take friends who have never seen polo.
Roseland Polo, Crozet, Virginia. Free to watch, at King Family Vineyards.
Tinicum Park Polo Club, Erwinna, Pennsylvania. Saturday polo in a Bucks County park, good for families and first-time spectators.
What makes a club good for beginners
Club horses. You don't need to own a horse to start, and starting on club horses is how normal people afford polo.
Arena programs. Arena polo is played in a smaller, enclosed space, and arena-only Poway was the least expensive polo of my tour.
A beginner league or school. New Orleans' Champagne League puts a professional mentor on each team, and Meadowview Farm and Seneca both run polo schools.
Reach out early. Contact the club early, and more than once.
U.S. Polo Association membership. Affiliated clubs have insurance, proper lesson horses, and instructors who teach beginners weekly.
FAQ
Which US polo clubs welcome beginners?
From my tour: Poway, New Orleans, Palm City, St. Croix, Meadowview Farm, Seneca, and Spokane all have programs, schools, or leagues for new players.
Can adults learn polo with no riding experience?
Yes. You don't need to own a horse or know how to ride, and Spokane Polo Club says it welcomes new players whether or not they've ridden before. My step-by-step guide is how to start playing polo.
How much does a beginner polo lesson cost?
On my tour, I paid $30 a chukker at Poway and $80 for 90 minutes of instruction at St. Croix. La Herradura in California quoted $350 or $500 for a lesson. Full numbers are in how much does polo cost.
When is polo season?
It follows the weather: winter in Florida, the California desert, and Texas arena leagues, then summer in the North. See when is polo season.
Every club I reviewed is listed in I tried to visit every polo club in America. Polo, wherever you are. That's PoloFlow, the app I'm building to make finding an affordable game and a good horse easy. Join the waitlist.
