Opening Day and Hat Day is Sunday, January 5th, 2020

Empire Polo Club is pleased to announce the 2020 Season schedule.   Our first day of Sunday Polo is Dec. 29th, which is our “soft opening.”  The official “Opening Day & Hat Day” at Empire Polo Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 5th, 2020.  There are two featured matches every Sunday and the first game starts at 12:00 noon.

Sunday Polo

Sunday Polo games are scheduled every week from December 29th through March 29th, 2020.  The Club will be closed on Sunday, January 19th and again on Sunday, March 8th.  Sunday Polo games are at 12 noon and 2 p.m. There is only one seating for VIP that starts at 12 noon until the final game ends.

General Admission is FREE with a $20 parking fee (cash only) for all Sunday afternoon polo games.  Tailgaters are welcome; space along the sidelines is available on a first come, first served basis.   Bleacher seating is also available in the General Admission area.  General Admission gates open at 10:00 AM.  Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages into the General Admission area.  Food and beverage service is also available for purchase.

VIP Admission is $30 per person and includes parking, VIP seating and a complimentary Champagne Divot Stomp. Cash or credit is accepted for VIP admission.  The VIP seating area is located in front of the Olympic-peaked tents on the west side of the main polo field and offers field-side covered seating.

Spectators can also watch multiple televised sporting events while enjoying polo at the VIP Sports Lounge and Bar, located adjacent to the VIP seating area.  The Sports Lounge offers viewers three flat screens featuring Sunday football games and other popular sports.

Reservations for VIP seating are highly recommended. Food and beverage service is available onsite during Sunday matches. For VIP reservations or group rates please call Tony Schieffer at 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com. No outside food or beverages are allowed in the VIP area.

The entrance for Sunday games is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. and Madison St.

Friday Night Polo

Empire Polo Club offers Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” on select dates in February and March.  Admission, tailgating and parking are free on Friday nights. Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages to this event.

If you plan to tailgate, be sure to arrive early to get a good spot. Bleacher seating is also available. There is beverage service onsite during the Friday night games.

The entrance for Friday night games is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. and Madison St.

Admission and parking are free on Friday nights.  VIP seating is not available on Fridays, so all parking and tailgating are on a first come, first served basis.

• Outside food and beverages are allowed (bring a picnic and tailgate)
• Beverage service is available on the east side of the field
• Bring chairs and blankets
• Tailgating spots are available on a first come, first served basis
• Permanent restrooms are available at the field
• Dogs are welcome on a leash

For more information about Friday night “Polo Under the Lights” dates and game times will be posted on this website in February.

General Information

What to Wear?  This is the one of the most frequently asked questions by spectators.  We suggest “hats and flats,” as heels sink in the grass and the sun is always shining here in the desert.  Polo is a casual affair at Empire Polo Club, so please wear whatever you feel comfortable in. You will see spectators wearing everything from shorts, jeans and flip-flops to sundresses, khakis and button-down shirts.  If you plan to attend a Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” game, dress warmly.

Why Watch Polo?

It’s a great way to spend your Sunday afternoon.  Imagine sitting field-side, overlooking a series of immaculate polo fields surrounded by majestic mountains in the distance, while watching one of the fastest team sports on earth.

Polo is never boring. Eight players travel at speeds up to 30 miles per hour while riding-off other players, hooking their opponent’s mallets and hitting the ball at full speed. It’s a great spectator sport and general admission is FREE. You can’t beat that!

Directions
The entrance for polo games is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St.

Polo Entrance
From Interstate 10 take the Monroe St. exit.  Head south on Monroe St.  Take a right on Ave. 50 and you will see the Empire entrance gates on the left side of the road.   Use the middle gate for tailgating access and General Admission parking.  If you are a cabana holder, have VIP reservations for a table or if you are part of a group with reservations, use the third gate to access the VIP parking area.

For Friday night games use the middle gate on Ave. 50 to access tailgating on both sides of Field 3.  There are no VIP seats for Friday night games.

Empire Polo Club is hosting “Polo Under the Lights” on Thursday, Oct. 17th at 6:30 PM.  Admission and parking are free.   This polo event is open to the public.  Spectators are welcome to bring a picnic and tailgate along the sidelines.

This is an exhibition polo match.  It is being held as one of the activities for USPA Members who are in town for the USPA meetings.  We have opened it up to the public, so come on out and enjoy a fun evening of polo.  The players have not yet been announced for this game.

This is the only night game we have scheduled for the public until 2020.

The 2020 Empire Polo Season Schedule is now available online.  You can download our Membership Brochure, which includesSunday Polo dates, Tournament Schedule, playing fees and stabling fees.  Or you can view this information on our website using these links…

2020 Sunday Polo Schedule
2020 Tournament Schedule
2020 Playing Fees
2020 Stabling Fees

Click here to download the 2020 Empire Polo Club Season Schedule.

If you are planning to play polo at Empire this winter, please contact Vicky Owens and reserve your stalls.

Polo Office & Playing Memberships
Vicky Owens, Polo Manager
Tel: 760-342-7755
Email: vickyowens@empirepolo.com

If you are interested in buying a VIP Table for the season, please contact Tony Schieffer.  There are only a limited number of VIP Tables available. VIP Tables are guaranteed front row seating and seat 8 people.  Each table is personalized with your name on it.  VIP Table cost is $3000 for the season.

All of the VIP Cabanas are already sold out for the 202o season.

Sales, Social Memberships &  Sunday Polo Reservations
Tony Schieffer
Director of Sales
Tel: 760-393-7298
Email: tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com

8-Goal USPA Champions Cup & 4-Goal USPA Lions Cup Finals
Empire Polo Club | March 31st, 2019

Two awesome, grand-finale matches wowed a huge crowd at the Empire polo grounds as teams battled for a chunk of the whopping $92,000 in prize money!

The four-goal match kicked-off an incredible day of polo with Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi -1, Joe Coors 0, Ignacio Saracco 2, Luis Saracco 3) facing Empire (Rob Scapa 0, Riley Jordan 0, Kyle Fargey 3, Jessica Bailey 0). Joe Coors initiated the scoring with a penalty two conversion. Ignacio followed with a goal, putting Hanalei Bay in the lead at the end of the intense first time-period, 2 to 0. Kyle Fargey fought back in the second chukker with two goals. Joe Coors answered with two points and the first half ended with a 4 to 2 score. Empire came back with Fargey scoring a safety penalty shot. Joe Coors ran one in for a goal and Luis added a penalty two shot, ending the third chukker with Hanalei Bay in the lead 6 to 3. Empire continued to be a fierce competitor in the final chukker. Riley Jordan carried the ball through the Saracco brothers for a goal for Empire. Joe Coors made a penalty two shot for his fifth goal of the day.

Hanalei Bay won the bronzes and $12,750 with a final score of 7 to 4. The runner-up Empire team was rewarded for a valiant effort with a $4,250 check. The best playing pony was Maggie, owned and played by Joe Coors. The MVP award went to Luis Saracco.

Spindrift (Omar Mangalji 0, John Bickford 1, Leandro Floccari 2, Juan Curbelo 5), took on Ridgway Hemp (Beau Staley -1, Quinn Evans 0, Carlos Hernandez 4, Memo Gracida 5). Both teams were out to win the 8-goal prize-money, and met at the line-up with intense determination.

John Bickford put the first score on the board for Spindrift. Memo answered with his first of seven goals and Carlos followed with two goals, putting Ridgway Hemp in the lead at the end of the first chukker, 3 to 1. Hernandez scored one in the second time period, but Juan Curbelo was on fire and racked up four goals, which ended chukker two with Spindrift stealing the lead, 5 to 4. The third chukker was Ridgway hemp’s turn to retake the lead, and the teams went to half time with a close score of 7 to 6. Ridgway Hemp managed to put three more points on the board to Spindrift’s one in the fourth chukker, increasing Ridgway Hemps’ lead to 10 to 7.  The trend continued in the fifth chukker which wound up 12 to 8. The final chukker was full of wide-open runs, furious plays, and spectacular polo.

After scoring three un-answered goals, Ridgway Hemp was the team of Champions, winning the $56,250 and the bronzes with a 15 to 8 final score. Best playing pony went to Stripes, owned and played by Memo Gracida. The MVP was Carlos Hernandez.