For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is open to the general public for polo matches every weekend.
“It is a pleasure to have the support of the community in our return to having spectators in our outdoor grandstand seating,” Director of Polo Melanja Jones said. “It has been heartwarming to get so many calls from people who are excited to come back and watch polo and be part of the 110th anniversary of the club.”
It is currently the High-Goal season for the club, which is the most competitive season of the year, highlighted by the prestigious Pacific Coast Open. The tournament kicks off Sunday, Aug. 15 and runs through Aug. 29.
The Pacific Coast Open is one of the most competitive in the nation, according to Jones.
There are six teams entered: Antelope, Farmers and Merchant Bank, Klentner Ranch, BenSoleimani.com, Santa Clara and Lucchese. Each of the six teams will play three bracket games and the top four teams advance to the semifinals.
The final two teams will compete for the title on Sunday, Aug. 29.
BenSoleimani won the recent USA Polo Association America Cup in Santa Barbara beating Santa Clara, 14-11.
Sunday’s PCO games have Santa Clara facing Antelope at 10 a.m.; Klentner Ranch taking on Lucchese at 12 p.m. and FMB playing BenSoleimani.com at 4 p.m.
Jones is excited to see the up-and-coming talent compete in the Pacific Coast Open.
“I look forward to seeing the development of some of our young players who have come up through our programs to reach the higher levels of polo,” Jones said. “Many of these players who play now in the Pacific Coast Open and the Rincon League (the ProAm league that plays on Thursdays and Saturdays) grew up at the club and honed their polo skills in our developmental programs and youth tournaments.”
Among the players Jones highlighted include Jake and Luke Klentner (Klentner Ranch), Grant Palmer (Antelope), Luqitas Criado (Farmers and Merchant Bank), Jesse Bray (Klentner Ranch), Paquito de Narvaez and the Escobars (Santa Clara).
“They all have been making big jumps in their polo skills and it is fun to see how they have grown up from the days of cruising around at kids polo,” said Jones.
The SB Polo & Racquet Club has also opened up many of its facilities to make the experience more enjoyable for both spectators and competitors.
The Fieldside Grill is open for dining throughout the week, with a happy hour on Fridays at 4 p.m., and there are now cabanas open to groups who want to attend a match.
“Having the Fieldside Grill is amazing because we now have a full-service restaurant here open to the public, which our players also enjoy,” Jones said.
She added that the players are thrilled to have the fans back in the grandstand.
“These players are exciting for the spectators,” Jones said. “(The players) are energetic, quick and like living on the edge, which makes for some thrilling polo matches.”
Tickets to the Pacific Coast Open can be purchased at sbpolo.com.