TENGOAL | News
Ready to play?
Anyone visiting Smith’s Lawn in recent months will have seen a bright green sweep of new grass. This is Phase One of the Club’s innovative grounds development plan, the complete reconstruction of The Princes’ Ground
ANTONY FANSHAWE, Polo Manager of Guards Polo Club and a key member of the Grounds Committee, which is overseeing this innovative project, chaired by Col Stuart Cowen, is excited about the grounds work so far. ”The redevelopment of the grounds at Smith’s Lawn is the third part of the Club’s Vision for the Future that was drawn up in 2005,” explained Antony. “The first two parts – the construction
of the new Clubhouse and the building of the two new grounds at Flemish Farm – have been completed successfully. The Castle Ground at Flemish Farm, with its iconic backdrop, is considered by polo professionals to be one of the best playing grounds around. So we are now bringing the experience gained at Flemish Farm back to Smith’s Lawn to create what we believe will be the four best grounds in the country, if not the world.” He added: “The work is pretty much on
schedule. We had some particularly wet weather around the time we seeded, but the grass is growing as well as we could possibly have hoped. Of course a project like this is like having a baby – you learn as you go!” So what are the prospects for The
Princes’ Ground next season? “When the Club opens next April I will expect to see what we are already seeing – brilliant root growth which is really important,” said Antony. “We hope that continues – there is no reason why it shouldn’t – and we also want the grass
to spread. It is pretty good now anyway but come the spring it should spread like crazy. Although I have played on fields with a lot less grass on them in my time!” Of course creating a polo field is a
patient process; it is not just about sowing seed and hoping for a mix of sun and rain. So what next to ensure this ground can become one of the best polo fields in the world? “In the spring we are looking to Verti-Drain [aerate] the ground. There has been a lot of compaction and so we need to open it up and get it going. We want the ground to become spongier, more alive. It needs worms in it and come back to life,” said Antony. “What is so amazing is how far down the roots have gone. They are
“The ground will
definitely be included in the schedule for 2020 – we will play tournament games on it next year”
about five inches (127mm) already and so I am very positive about it.” Of course the million-dollar question
is when will this ground be ready to play? “No one has shown me any good reason why you shouldn’t just play it as hard as you can as soon as you can. The ground will definitely be included in the schedule for 2020 – we will play tournament games on it next year.” With Phase 1 on track, Antony is keen to
push forward with Phase 2, which will focus on turning grounds 4 – 8 into three full-size grounds. “I am looking forward to these new, improved grounds making us more of a Club – more people coming to Smith’s Lawn as all the polo will be played here. We would save money too as we wouldn’t have to rent fields and could deliver a similar style field for every game so everyone would start playing polo in a similar way. “For me,
once you start doing
something, you want to get it done as quickly as possible so you can look back in five years’ time and think ‘Thank God we did that’. Polo today is played on flat, grass fields – those back fields are not flat. They were wonderful when the polo was first organised here in the 1950s but the game is not now played just for fun. It is played very seriously across all levels. Anyway, it is much more fun to be playing on drained fields – especially in a country that rains all the time!”
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