The short answer: Virginia and Maryland have a dense cluster of polo clubs, many of them within an hour or two of Washington, D.C. For a free day of polo with wine, go to Roseland Polo at King Family Vineyards near Charlottesville. For playing, Seneca Polo Club and Congressional Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland, and Virginia Beach Polo Club were standouts on 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.
Virginia
Roseland Polo at King Family Vineyards, Crozet
The most people I've ever seen at a polo game. Polo here is free to watch, the crowd spreads out across a hillside, and the club makes its money on wine sales. It's a smart model, and a gorgeous afternoon. Bonus: an army captain fixed my car.
Virginia Beach Polo Club
Bart gave me a full tour, and the attention to detail was everywhere. He comped my stick and ball and invited me to dinner. The grooms came from Chile and El Salvador. We ended up drinking Veuve Clicquot in the barn with his daughter. One of the warmest welcomes of the whole trip.
Great Meadow, The Plains
Home of Twilight Polo, and near the prim and proper Beverly. Northern Virginia also has Virginia United Polo, which plays at Beverly, Kingland, and Foxlease. One of those fields is a family farm, and the family told me the game schedule is posted on Virginia United Polo's Instagram, which is the best place to check.
Maryland
Seneca Polo Club, Poolesville
Wayne and Kate Briere founded Seneca in 2012, and their care shows. The arena didn't have a speck of dust: they water it twice. A baseball-style fence runs around the arena, there's a place to hold your mallets, and they were so kind to me. I left with a Seneca shirt.
Congressional Polo Club, Poolesville
Amazing. In 2021 the club held practice chukkers on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6, with matches on Saturday and Sunday. I played with the kids and had so much fun. It's a wide-open, welcoming club.
Tips for polo near Washington, D.C.
Bring a friend. On the tour I dragged my new best friend, Chuck, to his first polo club. He fell off twice and still loves polo.
Stay a week. There are enough clubs within driving distance to play several times.
Follow clubs on Instagram. Schedules change often, and many live there.
Summer is the season. See the season calendar and what to wear.
More regions: what I learned trying to visit every polo club in America.
Juggling five clubs' schedules by text is exactly why I'm building PoloFlow. Polo, wherever you are. Join the waitlist.
