Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with all things polo. Naturally, my fave event of the year is the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. Therefore, during our recent trip to Palm Beach, we spent an afternoon at Palm Beach Polo. Wow, friends – it lived up to the hype (and ticket prices). My only regret is not spending more time at the experience (we arrived about 45 minutes after the start, and I wish we had gotten there sooner).
Polo is a complex and unique sport, and I authentically love learning more about the players, rules, and overall etiquette. After all, polo is as much about the actual game as it is about the experience. From fascinators to champagne (Veuve Clicquot, of course), and the phenomenal people watching, polo transports you back to a bygone era. Love that!
Years ago, I had been invited to experience Palm Beach Polo, and regretfully couldn’t attend due to my full-time job. It was nice to make up for lost time, as I’ve always regretted passing on the opportunity.
What is Palm Beach Polo?
Palm Beach Polo takes place at the The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida (a 30-minute drive from The Colony Palm Beach). It also happens to be the largest polo club in the world. Moreover, they are the official home for polo in the United States.
Based on research, the National Polo Center (NPC) fully supports all aspects of the United States Polo Association through all elements of the sport. First, they host countless tournaments, including “The Gauntlet of Polo,” a series of three competitions with the top polo players. These consist of the C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup, and U.S. Open Polo Championships.
Additionally, I love one of their missions is to train and support the development of U.S. polo players. It’s no secret that countless international destinations are very well known for polo. Therefore, it’s great to see NPC work diligently to support best-in-class talent from the U.S.
Sunday Brunch at The Pavilion
Beyond the Gauntlet of Polo, there are other ways to enjoy Palm Beach Polo. Specifically, the Sunday brunch at The Pavilion at the National Polo Center is not to be missed. It’s truly an exceptional experience! I could go on and on about how much fun we had (and tbh, I was still recovering from food poisoning from a separate work trip at the time of our visit – a story for another day, lol).
Thankfully, the brunch was so robust that it gave countless culinary options no matter the dietary restrictions. Brunch is the best meal of the day, don’t you agree? From what our host was saying, the brunch has an ever-changing menu of items at stations.
Bob enjoyed prime rib, sushi, charcuterie, a Thai noodle dish, sandwiches, baked goods and tarts – the list goes on and on. I was still keeping things light for the day (I could only muster drinking or eating crackers, much less a piece of cheese). However, I was incredibly thankful for tummy-easy items as much as the robust options. 🙂
When Does Palm Beach Polo Happen?
The full Palm Beach Polo tournament schedule can be found via their website. Tournaments take place every Sunday from February through the end of April. Brunch takes place from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and I strongly advise to arrive on the early side. Bob and I arrived at 2:45 PM and it was already packed with people. Thankfully, we had prearranged seating, but I would have loved to had arrived earlier (as stated above).
There is no such thing as fashionably late in polo, I guess? 🙂
Moreover, Palm Beach’s weather is truly lovely, so we had sunshine and warm temps. The weather was in the low 70’s, which was seasonally cool for the area. Therefore, I’d recommend bringing a layer or two if you get cold – more info on what to bring below). Weather can be unpredictable!
Where Does Palm Beach Polo Take Place?
The Palm Beach Polo Sunday Brunch takes place at the International Polo Club, which is located at 3667 120th Avenue S, Wellington, FL 33414-8745. We found it very helpful to drive, but keep in mind there are Ubers and Lyfts.
Plus, there are plenty of parking spots – and the location of your parking area depends on which ticket type you purchased. Thankfully, there’s signage (and workers) to help point you in the right direction.
VIP tickets came with valet parking, which was fantastic. The only catch is to remember to bring cash! I never have cash on me, so it’s helpful to have some change to tip the valet staff.
How Much Are Tickets?
Tickets can be found on the website at different price points.
To be transparent, the ticket prices aren’t for the faint of heart (especially if you opt for VIP tickets like we did). Plus, tickets are non-refundable (not exceptions!) and the tickets are not transferable due to the weather conditions.
For a patio table for two, tickets start at $280 and go upwards of $1,500 for a front row table for six people. We opted for a VIP table for two ($450), and got lucky with front row seating. It was honestly so lovely to get a perfect view of the rush of the horses and players going by you. Furthermore, the cost includes gratuity, which was helpful to know so we didn’t need to carry too much extra cash on us.
Additionally, we decided to pre-order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot (our fave). You can order drinks a la carte, which is always a great option. We didn’t finish our whole bottle since Palm Beach Polo welcomes you with Chandon Spritz, and champagne during the divot stomping. Regardless, sipping Veuve Clicquot while taking in one of my favorite sports was truly heavenly.
Dress Code
While I don’t believe there is a formal dress code, men were mostly dressed in slacks and button-down shirts (blazers optional). Women mostly wore midi or mini dresses and/or nice tops and skirts. Frankly, I didn’t see many people wearing fascinators (okay, so literally no one except me, lol). However, several people were wearing hats for the sun.
My gut says the Gauntlet of Polo sees much more glamorous looks. Regardless, I’m a big believer in overdressing for any occasion – no matter what anyone else looks like. Out of respect for the polo experience, why not go big?
What I Wore to Palm Beach Polo
Over the years, I’ve loved wearing countless outfits to polo – from the VCPC Los Angeles (and this emerald green Carolina Herrera), to VCPC New York.
Additionally, many readers have asked what my favorite look on the blog has been. It’s a nearly impossible answer, but this ksny look from the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic still ranks close to the top.
Tory Burch Colorblock Tulle Dress
For this event, I really wanted to find a fascinator and gorgeous dress that embodied the glamour and elegance of all things polo. Thankfully, Tory Burch unveiled the most gorgeous colorblock tulle dress just in time for the day. Wow, just wow. I adore this stunning black and ivory tulle dress that’s inspired by Tory’s own 2022 Met Gala look.
The brand has a few sizes available in this Tory Burch dress. It’s nice to be in good company with this woman wearing it too!
AmyJo Original Hats
After I found the gorgeous tulle dress, everything turned to finding the best fascinator. For years, I’ve loved wearing and styling fascinators with different looks – whether it was the Royal Ascot, Kentucky Derby, or VCPC.
Thankfully, I was introduced to AmyJo of AmyJo Original Hats – and everything changed. Funny enough, I had saved one of her fascinators on Instagram years ago when dreaming up inspiration for upcoming events. Thankfully, that dream was brought to life with the opportunity to work with her to dream up this design.
Friends, I’ve worked with a LOT of brands since blogging in 2008. AmyJo is one of the kindest, most responsive, most communicative brands that I’ve been fortunate to be in touch with. Honestly, I don’t even know how to properly communicate how wonderful the experience was with AmyJo.
The creations take 4-5 weeks to create, so be sure to get in front of her quickly so she has proper time to dream up a design. Since we were on a bit of a time crunch, I trusted Amy to come up with the design with three words – black, ivory, stripes. I also sent a few inspiration images to give more guidance.
From there, Amy got to work and WOW. Just wow. She nailed it. I will forever give her my best recommendation, and I strongly urge you to work with her for upcoming polo and equestrian-related events coming up. She’s the best!
Palm Beach Polo Packing List
As an expert polo attendee, I wanted to share some must-have items to pack no matter what (or when) you are attending. Trust!
Always bring/wear sunscreen (this version is my current fave), shoes that can be worn on grass and to help with divot stomping (I wore these gold heels), at least one layer (I brought this scalloped Five Mile River shawl), sunglasses (it gets SUNNY), a hat (the sun can truly get in your eyes), and cash (to my note above for tipping valet). Otherwise, you’ll be completely set!
Looks like the women in the background of one of your photos are dressed much more casually (short dresses and jean jackets?). Would you recommend doing the gown/fascinator choice?