Location | 3667 120th Avenue South Wellington, Florida United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 26°37′41″N 80°14′23″W / 26.62806°N 80.23972°WCoordinates: 26°37′41″N 80°14′23″W / 26.62806°N 80.23972°W |
Capacity | Main Stadium - 1,640 The Pavilion - 500 Tailgating - 40 spots (480 people) |
Field size | 300 yards long by 160 yards wide |
Acreage | 300 |
Surface | Natural Grass |
Opened | 2002 |
Website | |
www |
The International Polo Club Palm Beach, located in Wellington, Florida, is one of the largest polo clubs in the world. The club includes several natural grass polo fields, two of which are part of stadiums.
Once home to humble agricultural lands, Wellington, Florida, has been developed into a world-famous equestrian community. The sport of polo has been a major contributor to the city's development. In 1978, William T. Ylvisaker created polo fields and introduced the mallet and ball game to the city. In the late 1990s, private polo fields owned by Summerfield Johnston, Jr., Mickey Tarnapol, and John B. Goodman were combined to create a platform for high-goal competition. In 2002, John B. Goodman, patron of the Isla Carroll Polo team, took stewardship of these fields and founded the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). The club then gained the guardianship of the 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup polo tournament. In 2004, IPC set forth on its inaugural season while construction of the clubhouse and stadium were underway. In the following years, more polo fields were added, along with grandstands, private boxes, and other amenities. In 2013, IPC celebrated its 10th anniversary season.
The main stadium holds approximately 1,640 spectators, making it the largest structure for viewing polo in the United States. Championship Field is used for Sunday matches during the winter season, and also for USPA junior polo tournaments, summer sports, equestrian-themed weddings, and corporate events.
The club has nine polo fields, an Olympic-size pool, a spa and fitness center, and a tournament-approved croquet lawn and club. It also has two tennis courts and a tennis pavilion, a wine room, and the largest collection of polo books on earth.
The restaurant seats 120 and is named The Mallet Grille after its famous mallet sculpture centerpiece designed by M. Maison, the club’s designer. The centerpiece contains 120 mallets metaphorically representing the capacity of the restaurant. Lance is the Maitre' D/ assistant manager of the restaurant and a great asset to the club. The club bar is called the 7th Chukker.
The Pavilion is located across from Championship Field and is used for special functions, including Sunday Brunch and Polo, which is a mainstay during the 16-week winter season. The Pavilion seats 500 and has a large commercial kitchen, its own culinary staff separate from the club, and a covered veranda with views of the polo field.