Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club welcomed a visit from possibly the world's hottest couple when HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their first official visit to the U.S. since their fairy-tale wedding on April 29. It was Prince William's first time visiting California and Kate's first time in the U.S.

The couple flew in for a busy weekend in California after an eight-day visit in Canada. Arriving in Los Angeles on Friday, July 8, they headed directly to the Beverly Hills Hotel for a technology forum to encourage trade and investment in the U.K. Later the couple attended a reception hosted by British Consul-General Dame Barbara Hay at her residence.

On Saturday, Prince William slipped on his polo whites to compete in a six chukker round-robin charity event sponsored by Tiffany & Co. at the Santa Barbara Polo Club to raise money for American Friends of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as the club's non-profit Polo Training Center.

The Foundation was formed this year to raise funds, awareness and make donations to organizations that support charitable causes including those for at-risk youth, environmental protection, and members of the armed forces and their families that are in need. The Foundation is in the process of applying for non-profit status.

With general admission prices for the polo match at $400 each, and VIP tickets ten times as much, the crowd was lighter than one might expect. But, those in attendance were not disappointed. Despite being on strange horses, Prince William played well and scored the majority of goals for his team. Still, guests seemed more interested in catching a glimpse of Kate, much like the crowd that came out to see Lady Diana, Prince William's mother, when she accompanied Prince Charles to a polo match at Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in the early 1980s.

Prior to the match William and Kate joined VIP guests for lunch prepared by celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis, including California chopped salad and sweet corn lasagna. General admission guests enjoyed a box lunch also created by De Laurentiis.

As William and Kate made their way to the podium in the VIP tent, all eyes fell on Kate, who responded with a polite smile. Former Ambassador Glen Holden, who had extended the invitation to the couple, introduced Prince William, who delighted the crowd with his sense of humor. He joked that a return visit was dependent on the results of the match. "I'm not a good loser," he said. He then expressed his delight at receiving Holden's invitation, commented about the club being one of the most beautiful polo grounds in the world, and said his father and brother where as green as the grass when he told them he would be playing in Santa Barbara.

Prince William played on the Royal Salute team with Jeep Holden, Andy Busch and Santiago Trotz. The four took on Audi's Wesley Ru, Marc Ganzi, Juan Bollini and Scott Devon, and American Express Centurion's Melissa Ganzi, Glencito Holden, Nic Roldan and Pat Nesbitt. Each team played four of the six chukkers.

In the first round American Express Centurion sunk to Audi 7-3. Glencito Holden put the first goal on the board for American Express Centurion, but Audi's Ganzi knocked in three goals in the second chukker added to goals from Bollini and Devon for the win.

Royal Salute mounted up against American Express for the next two periods. The score was tied 2-2 after the first chukker but a flurry of goals from Trotz gave Royal Salute the advantage and the 6-4 win.

This set up a true final for Royal Salute against Audi for the most competitive chukkers of the afternoon. The score was again tied 2-2 after the first chukker. Prince William scored both goals for Royal Salute, to the delight of the crowd. Prince William, mounted on horses from Melissa Ganzi and Glen Holden, scored two more goals in the second chukker to give his team the 5-3 victory.

Kate joined the teams at the trophy presentation where she congratulated her new husband with a celebratory kiss. Soon after, the couple were then whisked away to a waiting helicopter. That night they attended a black-tie dinner organized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, joined by numerous movie stars and studio executives, at the Belasco Theatre. Prince William, as president of BAFTA, toasted the evening's honorees, up and coming British talent.

Though they were able to fit in some polo, the focus of the visit was charity. The following day the couple attended a private Hollywood brunch to raise awareness of Tusk, a charity for African Wildlife conservation; toured Los Angeles' Skid Row, one of the largest homeless populations in the U.S.; made a stop at the Inner-City Arts Center serving homeless and disadvantaged children; and visited the Service Nation: Mission Serve job fair for veterans at Sony Studios before bidding farewell and boarding a jet back to London.