The following article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of ERA Real Estate Distinctive Properties Magazine.
The regal sport of polo is enjoying broader acceptance throughout America, but still thrives on its exclusivity.
Photo courtesy United States Polo Association
By Roger Grody
Distinct from any other sport, the mere mention of the word “polo” evokes images of fashionable parties, luxury automobiles and gilded estates. Only exalted events like The Masters in golf, Wimbledon in tennis and yachting’s America’s Cup rival the prestige of the “Sport of Kings” on any given Sunday.
The game of polo appears to date back to 600 B.C. in Persia, but the modern era began at clubs established by British officers in 19th century colonial India. The game was introduced to the New York City area in 1876, and the exclusive community of Newport, Rhode Island, quickly became a hotbed for the emerging sport in America. Polo earned a following in equestrian communities throughout the nation, but since the 1980s ritzy Palm Beach, Florida, has been most prominently associated with the sport.
The International Polo Club Palm Beach, located in…
