Polo Ground Construction and Advisory Services

Ground consultants to the Hurlingham Polo Association, Agrostis offer a full range of services to cover all aspects of polo ground development & management including:

• Polo ground and equestrian facility construction
  
• Playing quality improvement advice
  
• HPA ground quality assessment
  
• Grounds maintenance advisory service
  

 
Through our work with the HPA and with the Guards Polo Club we are familiar with many polo grounds in the UK and several overseas.  Work has been undertaken on polo developments in China, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
 
Polo Ground and Equestrian Facility Construction
If you are interested in building a polo ground we will develop and manage the whole project for you, from initial site investigation to your first chukkas.  As experienced sports surface designers and project managers, we bring all the elements together to realise your ideas, whatever the scale.  Agrostis will initiate and monitor the project from beginning to end.
 
We are not construction contractors.  Rather, we design facilities as you would like them and procure the best price for their installation by reputable and established construction companies that we know and trust.  We will then supervise the successful contractor on your behalf.  Click here for more on facility development and here for a wonderful polo facility (Case Study 5) Agrostis have put in place recently.
 
Advisory Service for Polo Grounds
Our advisory service is intended to improve your facility in terms of the effectiveness of management, the appearance and the playing quality of your surfaces.  An advisory report follows a detailed site investigation and a discussion with you to establish your overall aims.  The report will cover all aspects of the maintenance and possible development needs of the grounds.  A detailed maintenance programme often proves helpful. 
 
Areas that are usually addressed include:

• ‘Going’ and grip
  
• Levels
  
• Ground cover improvement
  
• Divot repair
  
• Drainage
  
• Fertiliser use
  
• Top dressing
  
• Grass seed selection
  
• Aeration procedures
  
• Mowing
  
• Irrigation
  
• Pest and disease control
  
• Etc
  

 
Being an independent consultancy, we won’t try to sell you anything but we’ll happily point you in the direction of particular products or machinery if we feel they are what would be of greatest benefit to you.
 
Where reconstruction or more significant development work is called for this will also be pointed out and discussed.
 
Quality Assessment
Some years ago, Agrostis worked with the HPA to establish performance quality standards for polo grounds.  These include measures of sward quality, hardness, water infiltration, surface evenness, slope and ground cover etc.  We continue to refine and improve our understanding of polo ground quality through all of our work with the HPA.
  
Agrostis are equipped to measure all these features of a ground so you can see if your facility meets HPA standards.  In reporting to you, and the HPA if appropriate, of course we’ll advise you on what to do if for any reason your grounds fall short on one or more of the measures.
 
As a registered Expert Witness in matters concerning sports turf, our reports, prepared on the basis of an objective evaluation of the facility, may subsequently be used in court if, for any unfortunate reason, this is required.

Princes at play, Cartier International, Guards Polo Club

Preparation of Grounds 1 & 2, Guards Polo Club

Track/stick and ball ground construction

Arena/track nearing completion

Dr Tim Lodge inspecting the Bermuda grass of the Sotogrande polo grounds, southern Spain

The formidable Beaufort staircase, Badminton

A polo winter storage reservoir