Guards Polo Club, the most prestigious in the world

Polo is a highlight of the summer season, and the most enviable club membership in polo is Guards. Members of the Royal Family attend regularly and Guards Clubhouse was designed by HM The King when he was Prince of Wales.

We are delighted to have arranged for our Members to enjoy sport and social events at Guards, including The Cartier Queen’s Cup Final and the Coronation Cup, as well as the Finals of such prestigious tournaments as The Archie David. Our Members are invited to join Guards members in the private Guards Clubhouse, and  reserved places in the Grandstand.

The setting at Guards is serene and glorious. The broad, tree-fringed expanse of Smith’s Lawn lies at the heart of Windsor Great Park and has been Guards’ home since its founding in 1955. This historic location, where the Anglo-Saxon King Edward the Confessor hunted boar nearly 1,000 years ago, and which was laid out to what we largely see today on the orders of King Charles II in the 17th century, is an hour from the centre of London and within easy reach of the M3, M4 and M25.

Joining our sporting and social occasions at Guards is an excellent opportunity to experience Guards first-hand. The polo itself is as fabulous as the social scene. Guards fixture list is the best in the world, drawing the world’s great players to the top matches and thrilling tournaments. The food and drink is first class—the celebrated Richard Corrigan chefs serve excellent luncheons and afternoon teas in Guards Clubhouse.

The season starts in April and ends in mid-September, and includes more than 500 matches. Premier tournaments include the Queen’s Cup (high goal) and the Royal Windsor Cup (medium goal), both in June. In addition to these, we at CountryClubuk have special affection for the Duke of Wellington Trophy, held annually in August. The late Duke was a prominent Member of CountryClubuk, as well as a founding member of Guards Polo Club, and the Wellesley Family continue to present the trophy in his honour.

Dress code is fairly informal; the men wear collared shirt and jacket, and the girls avoid wearing large hats (which block others’ view from the stands). Flat-heeled shoes are necessary if you wish to join the traditional spectator sport of ‘treading in the divots’.

Fixtures for the season are announced on our website and on eNews letters. They include tickets for the Cartier Queen’s Cup and Coronation Cup, as well as Finals days when we enjoy fabulous sport and social occasions as well as delicious Sunday lunches in Guards Clubhouse, seats in the Grandstand, afternoon tea—and of course, Champagne and Pimm’s.

Location:
Smith’s Lawn
Windsor Great Park
Egham
Surrey TW20 0HP
If using Satalite Navigation Systems, use postcode SL5 0PT which will direct you to Guards entrance at Blacknest Gate.

By Helicopter
Coworth Park
Prior permission required, 1.5 miles from Guards Polo Club

By Rail
Egham (from Waterloo) on the Reading line)
Taxi approximately 10 minutes

By Road
Leave the M25 at junction 13. Take the A30 towards Basingstoke and Camberley. Opposite Wentworth Golf Club, turn right onto the A329. After 1 mile turn right into Blacknest Gate Road. Blacknest Gate is 100 yards on the right. Pass through the gates and follow the road through Windsor Great Park for 1 mile, where Guards Polo Club will be found on the right.

For details of forthcoming events at Guards Polo Club, and for playing memberships and social memberships of Guards, please call Member Services on 020 7399 2960.