Ocala to the Villages Polo Club
    22-mi, 37-min
Gainesville to the Villages Polo Club
    64-mi 1-hr 10-min

If you have never attended a Polo match, it is not what you expect. Don’t worry about what to wear because comfortable and casusal is the rule, sunglasses and a hat are a good idea. The Villages Polo Club has two fields (one on either side of the grandstand) and season is between March and May with matches Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Seating options are from upper stadium, general admission (lower stadium), reserved tent to general admission tailgating.
    We have found general admission the most conviently located to the bar, food and restrooms. A pro shop is also on the main level. You can purchase tickets online or at the gate and parking is plentiful and organized. Kattie Belles caters a buffet brunch starting at 11:00 am on Sundays and is popular.
    The game consists of periods called “chukkers” at 7 minutes each, plus time-outs for penalties called, and ends up about 90-minutes long. Two teams of four players score by hitting the ball between the goal posts on either end of the 300 by 160-yard field.
    The action is fast and, when the polo ponies come rumbling by, excitement rises. An announcer calls out the plays as they happen and the game is surprisingly easy to follow. After the third chukker is a brief half time and the crowd descends onto the field to tamp down the divots the ponies created in the grass. But the thing that I like best is politely turning down an invite from a friend because, well, sorry...we will be at polo that afternoon!

View the video below to catch a glimpse of a Polo match at The Villages, close to Ocala and Orlando, Florida.