If there’s a destination in the United States with a more convergent personality than Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and Singer Island, Florida, I can’t imagine where it is. One morning during my recent visit there I observed nattily dressed men and women playing the genteel game of croquet. That pastime traces its roots back to England in the 1860s, when it was promoted by the Earl of Essex and became a popular, socially accepted form of leisure.
That afternoon I watched a spirited polo match, which originated in ancient Persia more than 2,000 years ago and evolved to become known as “The Sport of Kings,” popular in high society.
