NEWS

Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, has announced the dates of their 2017 Polo Season. Sunday Polo kicked off on Sunday, January 1 with two featured matches at 3:00pm ET and 5:00pm ET. The official "Opening Day & Hat Day" at Empire Polo Club took place on January 8.

What’s New This Season?
This season, Empire Polo Club has added two new VIP Terraces along the main Sunday Polo field with expanded seating areas. A selection of craft beers will be available for purchase in the VIP Sports Lounge along with a new Sunday Polo menu offering a variety of tasty appetizers and lunch entrees. Tailgaters will enjoy additional shade tents, available for the public to use in the General Admission area.

The La Quinta Resort & Club has returned as the “Official Hotel” of the 2017 Polo Season. Sofia is the Official Champagne Divot Stomp sponsor. Empire Polo Club welcomes back sponsors Tito’s Handmade Vodka, BMW Performance Center West, Cambria, Lockton, Westin Mission Hills and Paul Everett’s RV. The club is also excited to present this season’s new sponsors, The Classic Club, Leaskou Partners, Trilogy at Polo and Indigo Auto Group.

Sunday Polo
Sunday Polo games are scheduled every week from January 1 through April 2, 2017. The polo club will be closed on Sunday, January 15 and again on Sunday, March 5, 2017.

General Admission is FREE with a $20 parking fee 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. 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 $25 per person and includes parking, VIP seating and a complimentary Champagne Divot Stomp. 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 Sunday football games 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 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com. No outside food or beverages are allowed into 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 the third Friday of each month. Friday night polo features one polo match that typically lasts about an hour and a half. The Friday night game time is 8:30pm ET in January and February and 9:30pm ET in March. Arrive early to get a good spot to tailgate. Bleacher seating is also available. Beverage service is available onsite during the Friday night games. Admission, tailgating and parking are free for Friday night games. Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages to this event. Enter on Monroe St. at Ave. 51 for Friday Night Polo.

2017 Friday Night Game Schedule
Friday, January 20 - 8:30pm ET
Friday, February 17 - 8:30pm ET
Friday, March 17 - 9:30pm ET

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 Sunday Polo games is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St. The entrance for Friday night “Under the Light” polo games in located on Monroe St. at Ave. 51.

Sunday 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.

Friday Night Polo Entrance

From Interstate 10 take the Monroe St. Exit. Head south on Monroe St. The main entrance to Field #3 and Friday Night Polo is on Monroe St. at Ave. 51.

About Empire Polo Club
Established in 1987, Empire Polo Club is one of the largest and most beautiful polo clubs in the country. Empire Polo Club’s facilities include 12 polo fields, stabling for more than 500 horses and an indoor arena and polo school. Empire hosts polo tournaments for all levels of play.

About Polo
Empire Polo Club is a world-class, international polo club. Players from Canada, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, England and other countries travel to the desert to play polo at Empire Polo Club. Players’ ages range from young up-and-comers in their early teens to practiced seniors in their sixties. Polo is a pro-am sport and co-ed. Men and women compete together on teams that are handicapped by the total sum of its player’s handicaps. Each player has a handicap, similar to golf. Handicaps range from -2 to 10, with 10 being the best in the world. Teams compete in tournaments that are categorized by handicap level.

Empire Polo Club Contact Information
Empire Polo Club 81 800 Ave. 51, Indio,California 92201 www.EmpirePolo.com
General Information Line: 760-393-7298
VIP & Group Reservations: 760-393-7298
MEDIA Contact: Lynn Bremner, Director of Marketing & Public Relations Cell: 760-774-2111 | lynn@polozone.com