Polo in the Hills
Hurtwood Park Polo Club sits in the Surrey Hills near Ewhurst, south of Cranleigh, on 180 acres at Horsham Lane. The club was founded in the mid-1990s by Kenney Jones – the drummer who played with Small Faces, Faces, and The Who – and offers polo through the season, typically from April to September. The five grounds are certified by the Hurlingham Polo Association to high-goal standard. Where Guards Polo Club operates on a grand, international scale, Hurtwood Park is more intimate – a country club where the emphasis is on the sport and the setting rather than corporate hospitality.
The grounds include five polo pitches maintained to a high standard, set within rolling countryside beneath the wooded ridge of Hurtwood. The Surrey Hills were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 (now a National Landscape), and the views from the club grounds are among the finest in the county. On a clear summer afternoon, with ponies thundering across the turf and the Downs visible in the distance, it is hard to think of a better sporting setting in southern England.
Charity and Corporate
Hurtwood Park hosts charity polo days through the season, with events typically supporting local and national causes. Corporate fixtures are popular – companies book a day, field a team (usually with a professional to keep things competitive), and entertain clients with lunch and afternoon tea. The atmosphere is relaxed rather than formal, which suits the club's rural character.
Learning to Play
The club also offers polo tuition, from introductory lessons for complete beginners to coaching for improvers. Pony hire is included. Kenney Jones remains chairman and a visible presence at fixtures, lending the club a rock-and-roll backstory that most polo clubs conspicuously lack. For Surrey residents who have watched polo at Guards and wondered whether they could try it themselves, Hurtwood Park is the practical answer – and it is closer to Guildford and Cranleigh than any other polo club of comparable quality.
