IPC Renovates Polo fields

IPC Renovates Polo Fields

By Alex Webbe

It’s been months since the last goal was scored on the polo fields of the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, but there’ve been no idle hands during the “off season”.  IPC’s Director of Facilities Ray Mooney has taken on the Herculean task of resurfacing three of the club’s world-class fields.

“The International Polo Club has a reputation in the polo community for having top-rated fields, and it is my responsibility to maintain and enhance that reputation by taking proactive actions regarding the fields,” said Mooney.

The International Polo Club hosts the most prestigious polo tournaments in the country, and is home to the games top players every winter.  Boasting eight fields and the highest-rated polo in the world, next to Argentina, it is important that the condition of the fields allow the players to play at their very best.

Beginning with 20-goal play in January and culminating with the United States Open Championship kin April, the International Polo Club showcased every active 10-goal player in the world.

With over 130 games being played on the IPC fields during the 2011 season, Mooney’s forced to stay on the alert when it comes to addressing the conditions of each and every field at the club.

Mooney regularly consults with USGA Regional Director John Foy on turf issues and contracted Rob Farina of Country Club Services to complete the field renovation.

“From the first season we’ve set the bar high regarding the maintenance and care of the fields.” Said Mooney, “and the club has spared no expense to assure their position at the top of the international list.”

Fields #2 and #3 are being shifted to the west of their current location, positioning the stick-and-ball field alongside of the club’s croquet and tennis courts.  New upgraded drainage and irrigation will be installed with the sprigging of Bermuda 419.

Resurfacing polo fields is no small task, we are reminded.  The first step is killing the grass followed by a tilling of the surface.  The top three inches of the fields, containing the dead grass and roots are then removed followed by the excavation of five inches of topsoil.

The sub-grade is then established and a new irrigation and drainage system is installed.  The five inches of topsoil is then replaced and the final surface is then laser graded.  A ring of sod is positioned to stabilize the remaining surface’s sprigging, and then the fields are sprigged with Bermuda 419, the grass of choice in south Florida for world class polo fields.

“The first 7-10 days are the most important,” said Mooney.  “The fields have to be kept soaked,” he said, “we’ll water them as many as a dozen times a day, five minutes at a time to accomplish that.”

“The fields will be in great shape for the start of the season,” said Mooney as he look across the vast expanse of over 40 acres of freshly tilled dirt.

“The teams and players who compete at the International Polo club expect the best,” said club president John Wash, “and we make every effort to keep our fields on the cutting edge.

The club currently maintains eight fields on site, with resurfacing taking place on three of them.  As soon as we finish with fields 2 and 3 we’ll finish up on the ICF West Field (Formerly Outback Field), said Mooney, “and we will continue to review and enhance the fields.

“I think it’s a good idea to re-grass the fields every few years,” Mooney offered, citing the incursion of common Bermuda grass as the main culprit.

Common Bermuda grass has broader blades, is not as dense, it generates seeds and spreads throughout the grounds.   The resulting surface then gives an uneven roll to the ball, something Mooney will not accept.

And Mooney’s biggest challenge?  “Getting through the first two months of the season,” he responds.  “There is very little growth in January and February, until we get into March when the grass begins to grow again.”

The fields at the International Polo Club have drawn raves from around the world, and with the maintenance and care put in place, appear to be on track to keep polo on solid footing for years to come.

“We present the game’s top rated players in the most important polo matches on the continent, anything less than world-class fields would be unacceptable,” said Wash.

The 2012 polo season is scheduled to get underway in January with a series of four 20-goal tournaments followed by three 26-goal tournaments in the C. V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Piaget Gold Cup and the United States Open Championship.