About Palm Beach Polo & Country Club
Palm Beach Polo & Country Club sits on the south side of Forest Hill Blvd, west of SR-7/441 and east of South Shore Blvd, on roughly 2,200 acres. It is the community that put Wellington on the map. In the late 1970s Bill Ylvisaker, chairman of Gould Inc., bought Wellington farmland and built homes, polo fields, golf holes and tennis courts around a private club. Prince Charles played polo here, and Ylvisaker persuaded Gene Mische to bring the Florida winter horse-show circuit to Wellington — the beginning of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
The club later went through bankruptcy, and in 1993 Glenn Straub bought it at auction for $27 million. High-goal polo eventually moved down South Shore Blvd to the International Polo Club, now the USPA's National Polo Center, but the name stayed. Today Palm Beach Polo is a guard-gated residential community with multiple manned entrances, lakes, mature landscaping and the 92-acre Big Blue cypress preserve.
The Palm Beach Polo Property Owners Association (POA) is the master association for roads, guard gates and common landscaping; homeowners won control of it from the developer in December 2012 after litigation. Beneath it sit roughly 19 or more village sub-associations and condo associations. The club amenities — golf, clubhouse and tennis — are privately owned and not part of the POA.
Homes & Villages
Palm Beach Polo is really about 45 neighborhoods behind one set of gates, which is why prices and dues vary so much. MLS names include Hunters Chase, Eagles Landing, Golf Brook, First Fairway, Meadow Brook, Cowdray Park, Hurlingham, Maidstone, Windsor Way, Polo Island, Mallet Hill and Bent Cypress. A 2012 count put the community at about 1,200 developed homes; infill construction has continued since.
- Home types: condominiums, villas, townhomes, single-family homes and large estates on golf and lake lots.
- Sizes: from roughly 725 sq ft condos to estates of 15,000 sq ft and more.
- Years built: the community was established in 1978–79; homes date from 1979 through the 2020s, with new construction on infill lots.
HOA Fees & What They Cover
Every owner pays the POA master assessment plus their own village's dues. Recent listings show approximately $800 to $1,700+ per month all-in: single-family villages such as Eagles Landing around $800 (billed quarterly), condos such as Polo Island around $1,100, and estate villages such as Windsor Way around $1,650 or more. These figures are approximate, vary by village and change each fiscal year — confirm with the POA and the village association.
- POA (master): guard gates and security, private roads, common-area landscaping, reserves.
- Village dues: typically lawn care and pest control; condos and villas usually add trash and exterior/building insurance.
- Club dues: separate and optional; memberships are sold by the privately owned club, not the POA.
- No CDD: Wellington does not use community development districts. Instead, every Wellington property pays the Acme Improvement District non-ad valorem assessment on the annual tax bill for drainage, water management and roads.
One due-diligence item: the POA signed a 99-year lease on the Big Blue Preserve in July 2023, and a Straub entity then sued the POA over who pays for the preserve's restoration and maintenance — reported as pending litigation in 2024. Ask the POA about any special assessment before you close.
Amenities
The residential side offers guard-gated entries, lakes, walking trails, a dog park and pools in select villages. The club side historically included the Cypress Course (Pete Dye and P.B. Dye, 1989) and the Dunes Course (1984), a clubhouse with dining, tennis, pickleball and fitness; club membership is optional for residents.
Golf status, honestly: only one course has been operating in recent years. The Dunes closed in 2018, and in April 2023 the operating 126-acre, 18-hole course was sold to a Mark Bellissimo affiliate for $35 million with an easement keeping it as golf for club members. If golf or club dining matters to you, verify current club offerings and membership pricing directly with the club before you buy.
Schools
Zoning is split by section. Windsor Way listings show Elbridge Gale Elementary; Eagles Landing and Polo Island show New Horizons Elementary. The community is typically zoned for Polo Park Middle and Wellington High. Confirm by address with the School District of Palm Beach County locator.
Location & Drive Times
- Wellington International (3400 Equestrian Club Dr): about 3.5 road miles, roughly 7–9 minutes via South Shore Blvd — the closest of the five major gated communities we cover.
- The Mall at Wellington Green (10300 W Forest Hill Blvd): about 1.7 road miles, roughly 4–6 minutes.
Drive times are estimates; season weekends run slower.
Prices Right Now
Asking prices of active Beaches MLS listings as of October 29, 2026. MLS matches for Palm Beach Polo include several sub-neighborhoods and condo buildings (including the Polo Club and St. Andrews condos), so the range is wide.
| Segment | Active listings | Typical asking range (p25–p75) | Median asking |
|---|---|---|---|
| For sale | 28 | $420,000 – $2,500,000 | $1,350,000 |
| For rent (per month) | 20 | $2,200 (min) – $29,000 (max) | $5,700 |
Source: active Beaches MLS listings (Wellington) as of October 29, 2026, via the Cabana West IDX. Asking prices, not closed sales. Full for-sale range $295,000 to $17,750,000.
Rental & Pet Rules
Rules are set village by village, not by the POA. Listings report pets allowed with number and size limits in some villages; no community-wide minimum lease term is published. For a specific home we pull the village's governing documents before you sign. Seasonal equestrian tenants should see our seasonal equestrian rentals page.
Buying, Selling or Renting in Palm Beach Polo
Cabana West Real Estate is led by Andy B. Cooper, a bilingual licensed Florida broker based in Wellington. We track every Palm Beach Polo village on the live Beaches MLS, help buyers weigh dues and club options, give sellers a free valuation from real comparable sales, and handle leasing with full tenant screening. See the Wellington market report or send us a note.
Common Questions
What is Palm Beach Polo & Country Club like as a community?
A guard-gated club community of roughly 2,200 acres on the south side of Forest Hill Blvd in Wellington, with about 45 villages of condos, villas, townhomes, single-family homes and estates. A master association (POA) runs the gates, roads and common landscaping; each village has its own sub-association.
How much are the HOA fees in Palm Beach Polo?
They vary widely by village and home type. Listings show roughly $800 to $1,700+ per month including the POA master assessment plus village dues. Club dues are separate and optional. Confirm current figures with the POA and the village association before you make an offer.
Is there a CDD in Palm Beach Polo?
No. Wellington does not use community development districts. Every Wellington property instead pays the Acme Improvement District non-ad valorem assessment on the annual tax bill.
Is golf still operating at Palm Beach Polo?
Only one course has been operating in recent years; the Dunes closed in 2018, and the operating 18-hole course was sold in 2023 to a Mark Bellissimo affiliate with an easement keeping it as golf for club members. Club amenities are privately owned and separate from the POA, so verify current membership offerings directly with the club.
How close is Palm Beach Polo to the Wellington International showgrounds?
It is the closest of the major Wellington gated communities: roughly 3.5 road miles, about 7 to 9 minutes via South Shore Blvd.
Can you help me compare Palm Beach Polo with other Wellington communities?
Yes. We tour Palm Beach Polo alongside Olympia, Isles at Wellington, Binks Forest and Versailles so you can compare homes, dues, amenities and value, and we handle sales and leasing in all of them.
Also explore: Olympia · Isles at Wellington · Binks Forest · Versailles · all Wellington homes for sale · Wellington rentals
Sources: Palm Beach Post and The Real Deal reporting on Palm Beach Polo's history, POA control, the 2023 golf course sale and the Big Blue Preserve litigation; Acme Improvement District and the Village of Wellington; School District of Palm Beach County; MLS listings for HOA ranges; Beaches MLS for prices. HOA figures are approximate; confirm with the association.