The Oak Brook Polo Club returns this summer for its 101st season which includes nine dates of matches on the Cecil Smith Polo Field, 700 Oak Brook Road.
“Polo has come a long way in the 12 years that I have served as Village President,” outgoing Oak Brook Village President Gopal Lalmalani said. “I am very glad that our community has embraced this sport and that Oak Brook has been given the opportunity to showcase polo to the world. It puts Oak Brook on the map as the finest place in the Midwest to enjoy this sport.”
This season, the Oak Brook Polo Club will also celebrate the life and legacy of Michael Butler, son of Oak Brook Polo founder, Paul Butler. A loyal supporter of polo and the producer of the Broadway musical “Hair,” Michael Butler died in November 2022 at age 95.
Specific information about matches, tournaments and event themes will be announced at a later date, but the following dates, all of which are on a Sunday, have been set for matches: June 25, July 16, July 23, July 30, Aug. 13, Aug. 20, Aug. 27, Sept. 10, Sept. 17 and Sept. 24.
In 2022, the Oak Brook Polo Club capped off its centennial season with a victory over Great Britain. Probably the Club’s most famous match took place in 1986 against a British team captained by now King Charles III.
“Oak Brook Polo is undeniably the best secret of Chicago’s western suburbs and the ‘Churchill Downs’ of polo,” said Jim Drury, captain of the Oak Brook Polo Team and president of the Oak Brook Polo Club. “Last summer, we celebrated a monumental milestone and are thrilled to continue this celebration and the Oak Brook Polo tradition.”
Drury said the Club looks forward to providing its guests with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, while watching a thrilling sport with friends and family.
“We are excited to continue to offer spectators a safe and fun activity,” he said. “It is our mission to make our matches accessible, affordable, and memorable for everyone who attends, and to sustain Oak Brook Polo Club as Chicago’s home for the sport of polo.”
The Oak Brook Polo Club was privatized in 2016 and is led and supported by Drury. With many iterations over the years, the first season dates back to 1922 when Paul Butler established the Club. He expanded his polo operation to fourteen fields and built the necessary horse stables to accommodate visiting teams and approximately 200 horses.
Oak Brook Polo Club tickets will go on sale Saturday, April 1 and will include a variety of ticket options including lawn/general admission seating, tailgating, VIP Saddle Club and reserved field-side tables for 4 to 6 people. For groups of 20 or more, the Club offers small and large private field-side tented areas for large families, corporate outings, birthday parties and other special events.
Information about reservations for private party spaces and sponsorship opportunities is available online at www.oakbrookpoloclub.com or by calling 847-653-6242.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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