Cecil Smith Field

North America, Polo News

Oak Brook Polo Club Announces 2022 Summer Schedule, New Field Location, and Centennial Season

23. May 2022

OAK BROOK, IL (May 16, 2022) – It’s a year of celebration for the Oak Brook Polo Club (OBPC) who is proud to announce its 2022 summer schedule, a new field location, the launch of ticket sales on June 1^st and the club’s 100^th Anniversary! The Cecil Smith Field will mark Oak Brook’s centennial season of polo in addition to being one of the nation’s oldest polo clubs in operation today and the fourth oldest sports property in Chicago. On select Sundays, from June 26^th –September 25^th, fans can expect to experience adrenaline-fueled matches between some of the sport’s top players from local neighboring teams as well as from abroad.

Located at Butler National Golf Club’s practice golf range (at 700 Oak Brook Road), the Cecil Smith Field is widely known in the sport of polo as an historic and beautiful space located just 17 miles from downtown Chicago. It was referred to as a “masterpiece” by Oak Brook Polo founder and visionary Paul Butler in a 1962 Sports Illustrated article and embodies the Village of Oak Brook’s long and storied advocacy for sport and outdoor recreation, while being one of the nation’s best residential, commercial and entertainment destinations.

“Oak Brook Polo is undeniably the best secret of Chicago’s western suburbs and the Churchill Downs of polo,” explains Jim Drury, President of the Oak Brook Polo Club. “Oak Brook Polo gives people 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. It is our mission to make our matches accessible, affordable, and memorable for everyone who attends, and to reestablish Oak Brook as Chicago’s home for the sport of polo.”

Oak Brook Polo was privatized from the Village of Oak Brook in 2016 and is led and supported by Drury whose passion and ongoing commitment to polo is what’s kept the sport alive in Chicagoland for so long. With many iterations over the years, the first season dates back to 1922 when Butler first established the Oak Brook Polo Club. He expanded his polo operation to fourteen fields, plus built the necessary horse stables to serve visiting teams. Eventually, Oak Brook became one of the “polo capitals” of the world with Butler’s son – famed producer Michael Butler, and daughter -philanthropist Jorie Butler Kent, acting as the club’s stewards throughout the years. The summer polo seasons were not only the stomping ground for celebrities and notables alike for decades but also the destination for American Polo players and enthusiasts. Oak Brook was often referred to as “the town that polo built.”

Oak Brook’s team, led by Drury (position #4, handicap A) includes Tommy Colingwoode (position #3, handicap-5), Horacio Onetto (position #2, handicap-4), and Herdon Radcliff(position #1, handicap-3).

Oak Brook Polo’s 2022 summer schedule includes the following dates:

Sunday, June 26^th – Centennial Challenge (Season Opener)
Sunday, July 17^th – Chicago Polo Invitational (Intra Circuit Cup)
Sunday, July 24^th – General George S. Patton Jr. Cup
Sunday, July 31^st – General George S. Patton Jr. Cup Championship
Sunday, August 14^th – Midwest $50,000 Midwest Cup
Sunday, August 21^st – Oak Brook Polo Open*
Sunday, August 28^th – Oak Brook Polo Open*
Sunday, September 11^th – Butler Challenge/Coronation Cup
Sunday, September 18^th – Butler International Cup
Sunday, September 25^th – Butler International Cup Championship

*matches and tournament names are subject to change

New and returning sponsors include U.S. Polo Assn., Heineken, Beyond Shades, NeverAsh, Continental AutoSports, Northern Trust, One Oak Brook Commons, Hilton Chicago | Oak Brook Hills Resort, Tapville Social, Boodles Gin, and 1800 Tequila. Matches will include team “meet and greets,” team parade with introduction, National Anthem singer, and contests for both “best tailgate” and “best hat.” In addition, Oak Brook Polo Club will host a Centennial Celebration Gala on Friday, September 23, 2022, at Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort.

“Jim Drury (Pineoak Partners) have done a tremendous job preserving the legacy of polo in Oak Brook,” explains Gopal Lalmalani, Village of Oak Brook President. “Polo is such significant part of our history, and we are very excited to be celebrating 100 years of this illustrious sport in our Village. I would like to personally invite everyone to experience the grandeur and excitement of Polo in Oak Brook during this commemorative season!”

Oak Brook Polo Club ticket sales will begin on Wednesday, June 1^st and will include a variety of ticket options starting at $15/pp and include lawn seating; tailgating, VIP Saddle Club (elevated), 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 ideal for large families, corporate outings, birthday parties and other special events. For more information, including sponsorships, please visit www.oakbrookpoloclub.com or call 847.653. 6242 for details and availability. Ticket prices for special events may differ from traditional pricing. Subscribe to the e-bulletin for season updates and announcements or follow at Facebook -@oakbrookpoloclub or Instagram – @oakbrookpolo.

About Oak Brook Polo Club

Founded in 1922 by legendary businessman, Paul Butler, the Oak Brook Polo Club is an American Polo treasure and one of the oldest polo clubs in the United States. It was once the sport’s epicenter for elite professional polo in the United States and served as home to the U.S. Open Polo Championship for twenty-four straight seasons and other prestigious international and national polo tournaments. For decades, the Club has been a popular Sunday tradition and social scene known for entertaining Hollywood celebrities, dignitaries, royalty, and Chicago’s distinguished. Today, Oak Brook Polo Club hosts several Sunday matches and continues to attract thousands of fascinated spectators who marvel at the athleticism and majesty of this timeless sport.

OAK BROOK, IL (May 16, 2022) – It’s a year of celebration for the Oak Brook Polo Club (OBPC) who is proud to announce its 2022 summer schedule, a new field…

North America, Polo News

Oak Brook Polo Club Signs Long-Term Agreement with Village of Oak Brook and Moves Back To Cecil Smith Field at Butler International Golf Club

26. October 2021

OAK BROOK, IL – Oak Brook Polo Club announces today that it has entered into a long-term agreement with the Village of Oak Brook to move and host polo operations and competition on the Cecil Smith Field (Field #2) beginning summer 2022 and marking its 100^th season.

Located on Butler National Golf Club’s practice golf range, the field is widely known in the sport of polo as a historic and beautiful space. Village of Oak Brook and Polo Club founder, Paul Butler, called the field a “masterpiece” in a 1962 Sports Illustrated article. Some of the sport’s most legendary and best players have competed on this storied pitch. Tucked away on The Village of Oak Brook’s Sports Core property, just east of the Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club and north of the Sports Core Soccer Fields. The field is the highest point in Oak Brook lined with large oak trees older than the field itself.

“The Cecil Smith Field is what Augusta is to golf,” adds Danny O’Leary, Manging Director of Oak Brook Polo Club. “The field is as beautiful as is legendary, with historic matches won and lost, memorable plays and dramatic defeats. This is a proud moment for polo as Oak Brook’s team returns to its home field.”

The Cecil Smith Field embodies the Village of Oak Brook’s long and storied advocacy for sport and outdoor recreation. It contributes to the Village’s vison of being one of the nation’s best residential, commercial and entertainment destinations.

During the height of the recession in 2009, Oak Brook Polo Club struggled to find an organizer and as a result, the Village agreed to allow target golf greens being installed on the Cecil Smith Field. This forced polo to be played on the Prince Wales of field (Field #1), which also operates as the Oak Brook Golf Club’s practice range. Even when an organizer returned in 2010, nothing changed.

In the early 1990s, the polo community demoted Field #1 to a practice field due to flooding and costly repairs as a result. The conditions would greatly affect polo for the next 12 years from an unsafe and unrepairable field to numerous canceled matches and seasons.

“The future of polo in Oak Brook greatly depended on the Club’s move to Cecil Smith,” explains Jim Drury, President of Oak Brook Polo Club. “Polo now has a brighter future on and off the field as we continue to work on returning our club to its original glory while ushering in a new generation of fans, players and new ideas. And what greater time for this to occur than on the eve of Oak Brook Polo Club’s 100^thAnniversary. Village founder, Paul Butler, would be thrilled and overjoyed to see polo return to its ‘masterpiece field’ and original home for Sunday polo festivities.”

Negotiations for polo’s return to Field #2 began in Fall of 2020 with the Village of Oak Brook and Butler National Golf Club and continued for nearly a year until now. On September 14^th, the agreement would be unanimously approved during a Board of Trustees Meeting.

“Polo exemplifies the tradition of what we call ‘restrained good taste’ in Oak Brook,” explains Edward Tiesenga, Oak Brook Village Trustee. “From a distance it can look effortless, but it’s only due to the great power and grace of the horses combined with the skill and experience of the players. We look forward to hosting polo teams and spectators from all over the world on the reclaimed historic Cecil Smith field.”

With many iterations over the years, the first season dates back to 1922 when Polo visionary Paul Butler first established the Oak Brook Polo Club. He expanded his polo operation to fourteen fields, plus built the necessary horse stables to serve the visiting teams. Eventually, Oak Brook became one of the “polo capitals” of the world with Butler’s son, famed producer Michael Butler, and daughter, philanthropist Jorie Butler Kent, acting as the club’s stewards through the years. The summer Polo seasons were not only the stomping ground for celebrities and notables alike for decades but also the destination for American Polo players and enthusiasts. Oak Brook was often referred to as “The Town That Polo Built.”

Butler National Golf Club is an exclusive private, members only golf club, located in the western suburb of Oak Brook, Ill. The club has a traditional 18-hole golf course, previously hosting the Western Open tournament from 1974-1990. Membership is by invitation only.

The 2022 season and 100^th Anniversary kicks off on Sunday, June 26^,2021 on the Cecil Smith Field. Multiple events & activities are planned to commemorate the centennial, including the return of the prestigious “polo ball”, which is scheduled to take placed at the end of the season.

For general information, event scheduling, and parking directions, please call 630.368.5095.

About Oak Brook Polo Club