Your Guide to Winter Polo in the Desert

Join South Bay Polo at Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California — the ultimate winter polo destination.  Join our friends, your pros and your horses at the Disneyland for Polo!

South Bay Polo players and pros will be at Eldorado for the winter season. This an amazing opportunity to improve your game and learn from Jared and Santos all winter season!

Contact Fran to plan your Winter Season at Eldorado!!

About Eldorado Polo Club

Nestled at the eastern end of the Coachella Valley, Eldorado Polo Club has been welcoming players from around the globe since 1957. With 20 fields and perfect winter weather, Indio is a polo paradise — often called “adult summer camp” for horse lovers. From January through March, world-class polo, breathtaking views, and a vibrant social scene make it an experience you won’t want to miss.

Eldorado Polo Club

Play With South Bay Polo

Whether you’re joining for a weekend or the full season, Jared and Santos will help you find the right level of play. USPA Membership is required to play at Eldorado.

Competitive Leagues

Stagecoach, Coachella, 2-8 Goal, Women’s, Juniors, Arena Polo, and more.  Talk to Fran and Jared about available options that will work for you!

Corky Linfoot Clinic South Bay Players

Lessons and Clinics

Improve your skills at the annual Corky Linfoot Clinic in December or book lessons direcly with Jared and Santos throughout the season.

Club Chukkers / Stick & Ball

Enjoy daily opportunities to ride, practice and learn and spend time with your South Bay Polo family!

The Details:

South Bay Polo provides full-service care and training for your horses at Eldorado.

  • Seasonal stabling (book directly with Eldorado — request stalls near South Bay)
  • Daily care: feeding, cleaning, grooming, exercising, transport, game support
  • Monthly invoicing for services
  • Shared tack room & stick and ball membership
  • Tipping for grooms and pilots encouraged

Need to rent or lease horses? Jared and Fran can help you source rentals from trusted providers.

You will need the following items, labeled with your name:

  • Polo Saddle(s) with girth, overgirth, breastplate and stirrups/irons
  • Polo bridle with bit, guards, reins, and draw reins
  • Saddle pads
  • Polo Wraps
  • Splint boots
  • Blanket
  • Day Sheet
  • Standing bandages and wraps
  • Halter and lead rope
  • Fly mask

You will need the following items:

  • Polo helmet – USPA Approved with visible SEI/NOCSAE certification mark
  • Safety glasses/goggles
  • Mallets of various sizes
  • Knee guards
  • Elbow guards (optional, but highly recommended!)
  • Polo boots
  • White polo pants (Whites are mandatory for games)
  • Polo gloves
  • Polo whip
  • Jerseys (If playing with a South Bay team, blue and white jerseys are required. Order your South Bay Jerseys here)
  • Chairs, cooler, pop up tent (optional)

Costs to anticipate:

  • Stabling with South Bay Polo at Eldorado 
  • Monthly care and training to South Bay Polo
  • A relative portion of the pilot/trainer stick and ball membership and shared tack rooms. This amount is typically divided by the number of horses present in the desert, and should be somewhere around $250 a horse for the entire season.
  • You will have an account opened at the local tack and feed store, Jackson Hole, who will bill you monthly for grain and for any emergency items (ie: medicines, replacement fly mask, replacement halter) needed for your ponies as determined by South Bay. 
  • Tips to grooms and pilots
  • League, Stick and Ball, and/or Club Membership fees with Eldorado. 
  • Pro fees if playing with Jared or Santos 
  • Lesson fees with Jared or Santos if not part of a league/team 

League Descriptions:

Stagecoach League

This league is appropriate for people who have not played at Eldorado before. It is very similar to polo at Menlo in that there is one pro, with 3 amateurs. This league begins in early January and continues nonstop until the end of the season at Eldorado, which is late March. The South Bay Polo pro will be there for you at every practice and game. The games are tournament style over the weekend, with a practice game on Thursdays. All games are 4 chukkers, and have USPA umpires. Eldorado will communicate the time and location of each practice and game to the players. Sign up for this league can be by season, month, or week. 

Coachella League

For a more advanced player – each team consists of 2 sponsors and 2 professionals. Entries for the league will require an experienced sponsor and his/her professional with a minimum handicap of 3 goals or a combined minimum handicap of 3 goals. The club will match pairs for each tournament and then change the pairings after each tournament. This league is intended to inspire open style polo inclusive of all 8 players. Pros are required to pass the ball and keep the game moving. One USPA professional umpire will be provided for each game. Talk to Fran or Jared if you think you are ready for this level of play. 

Are You Ready to Play?

Email Fran to reserve stalls, book lessons, or plan your winter or weekend visit.  Reach out to Jared for detailed information on participating in the Stagecoach or Coachella Leagues.