International Polo Club, Wellington, Florida

When: January to April

Key Events: U.S.P.A. Gold Cup, C.V. Whitney Cup, U.S. Open

The Best Seats: All boxes are reserved for members, who pay a handsome initiation fee to join the club. Casual viewers can get lawn seating on a game-by-game basis.

Vibe: Horse mania—this is one of the sport’s most prestigious venues.

Names to Know: John Goodman, former chairman of Houston-based air-conditioning and heating company Goodman Manufacturing, owns the club, which he co-founded with his wife.

Greenwich Polo Club, Greenwich, Connecticut

When: May to Mid-July, September

Key Events: East Coast Open

The Best Seats: A $550 social membership at the polo club will get you a luncheon ticket, free parking, and a good seat for all nine matches at the club.

Vibe: More than half of the spectators are families, and the club provides miniature mallets for kids to play with during halftime.

Names to Know: The club’s home team, White Birch. The team, headed by Peter Brant, one of the highest-ranked U.S. amateurs, has won every major Florida and East Coast tournament at least once.

The Cowdray Park Club and the Guards Polo Club, England

When: May to September

Key Events: Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, Cartier International Day

The Best Seats: Admission to the Veuve Clicquot sponsors tent at the Gold Cup is by invitation only. Otherwise, pay about $65 for the best seats (on the south side and high up) in the grandstand.

Vibe: The major tournaments in England draw huge crowds. More than 25,000 spectators attended the last Cartier International Day.

Names to Know: Luke and Mark Tomlinson, friends of Princes William and Harry, are well known on the U.K. scene. Argentine professionals Facundo and Gonzalo Pieres play for Ellerston, an Australian team founded by the late billionaire Kerry Packer and now owned by his son, James Packer.

The Bridgehampton Polo Club, Bridgehampton, New York

When: Mid-July to August

Key Event: Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge

The Best Seats: Buy a 10-by-10-foot private tent on either side of the big V.I.P. tent for several thousand.

Vibe: Dotted with celebrities. New York social set meets Hamptons equestrian diehards. Last year, spectators were treated to reflexology treatments for their feet in the sponsors tent.

Names to Know: Nacho Figueras, professional Argentine player for White Birch, who is also a model for Ralph Lauren.

The Palermo Polo Grounds, Buenos Aires

When: September to December

Key Event: The Argentine Open

The Best Seats: Tribune C (the center section) has the best seats, but they are almost impossible to get. Call the concierge at a luxury hotel in early summer; she may be able to find you tickets—at a premium. In May, the Polo Association of Argentina announces when tickets will go on sale.

Vibe: The World Cup of polo; very serious. A mix of foreigners and locals pack into the stands. Pick up some Fagliano riding boots, and dress like the players while you’re down there.

Names to Know: The world’s best polo player, Adolfo Cambiaso—called the Tiger Woods of Polo—and his team, La Dolfina.

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