When you want to play elephant polo, you surely think of having a well-prepared field. But just six weeks before this year's King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, the field needed a lot of work. Minachai Srichanya, the golf course superintendent at nearby Banyan Golf Club, coordinated a volunteer maintenance program to turn the field from this ...

... into this.

What work was done to get such an improvement on this field, situated at an army camp just south of Hua Hin? First, the edge of the field was marked, the grasses (primarily Zoysia matrella) and weeds were mown, and clippings were removed. This work was done by the golf course maintenance staff from Banyan Golf Club, with support from Jebsen & Jessen and The Toro Co.

Then, fertilizer was spread to stimulate grass growth, and sand topdressing was applied where necessary to smooth the surface.

Then it was just a matter of more mowing, and time, to produce the results for this hotly contested international polo tournament. No word yet on how much soil compaction is caused by polo elephants. More than from ponies, one presumes. 

Photos provided thanks to Banyan Golf Club and the Kings Cup Elephant Polo Tournament.