The short answer: Texas has polo almost all year. Houston-area clubs play in spring and fall with arena leagues through the winter, Dallas and Austin have active clubs, and West Texas plays until the end of October. Nearby, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona add arena polo and summer mountain polo. Houston is home for me, and I took lessons here before my tour of every polo club in America.
These notes come from my 2021 and 2022 tour, when I tried to visit every polo club in America as a playing USPA member. Seasons, contacts, and prices change, so check each club's Instagram or the U.S. Polo Association before you go.
Houston
Houston Polo Club
I took two lessons here before the tour. In winter, Houston players keep going in arena leagues here and at Brookshire.
Brookshire Polo Club
I watched a kids' arena game here with talented young players from El Paso. All the girls showed up with a banner and champagne for the players.
Pecan Acres
Pecan Acres, in Simonton, told me its seasons run from mid-March to mid-June and from mid-September to December 1. In winter, its players take their horses to California for a league with El Dorado Polo Club from January until late March. Pecan Acres works closely with the Houston Polo Club.
Traveller's Rest, Sealy
West of Houston in Sealy, this club plays from the end of April to the beginning of November on a real grass field and hosts a few tournaments. When I called, they told me it's easy to lease horses from them, and to come out and play six chukkers or stick and ball. Very friendly on the phone.
College Station: Texas A&M and River Bend Polo Club
Near Texas A&M, River Bend has a cement-and-composite arena. When I visited, there were around 18 horses and about 17 students in the program. Mike, who runs it, told me he had been coaching for 52 years, and that women are really coming into the sport.
Dallas
Willow Bend Polo Club: I had a good stick and ball session here with my coach, Scott Lancaster.
Dallas Polo Club: I met players here who were incredibly kind and interesting.
Prestonwood Polo and Country Club: I saw it from the outside. The horses were in Houston for a youth tournament.
Austin
ATX Polo: Thursday practice chukkers, and I played here at night. The horses reared up on me, I stayed on, and the chukkers were good. The manager offered me free chukkers.
Two Wishes Polo: I watched a game and was welcomed warmly.
Midland: Midland Polo Club
A field surrounded by a few private homes, far out in West Texas. The season ends on October 31, when most players leave town for their next destination.
Oklahoma: Tulsa
I took a 40-minute lesson for $100 at the Tulsa Polo Club and rode a good horse named Dakota. One main field and a small stick and ball area.
New Mexico: Rancho Naranjo, Santa Teresa
Very charming. A set of championship-level kids, training for a youth championship, and a slightly dusty arena with lights for playing at night. I rode a horse named Macho for two chukkers: hard to stop, but smooth and very fast. In summer, mountain clubs in New Mexico play arena polo until the monsoon arrives in mid-August, and players trailer up from Texas and Arizona to escape the heat.
Arizona
I took a lesson at the Arizona Polo Club outside Phoenix. Arizona's mountain clubs close in winter when it gets too cold.
Tips for polo in Texas
Spring and fall are prime time. Many Texas clubs take the hottest part of summer off.
Arena polo keeps winter alive. Ask about arena leagues.
Ask about leasing. Traveller's Rest told me leasing horses there is easy.
See the full season calendar and what polo costs.
More regions: what I learned trying to visit every polo club in America.
Texas polo runs on group chats. PoloFlow is the app I'm building to make organizing games and horses easy. Polo, wherever you are. Join the waitlist.
