The 15th Annual Berlett Cup Kicks Off Men's League Play At the Peterborough Golf & Country Club

To kick off the men’s golf season, the prestigious 15th-annual Berlett Cup began for the Peterborough Golf & Country Club (PGCC) on Tuesday afternoon.

Connor Blair (left) and Taylor Blair (right) were co-captains of the defending-champion team, ‘Team Birdie Juice’ and plan to win the title for a second-straight year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Cup is a summer league that runs from May to September. It is comprised of eight teams of 20. This year, 173 golfers including several new members participated in this year’s Cup.

Ian Armstrong, PGCC director, says the league highlights the spirit of golf and is a great way to kick off the season.

“It speaks to the culture of friendship, camaraderie, healthy competition, having fun and trying to shoot the best golf scores you can,” he explained. “The numbers demonstrate how much people love this day; it's the highlight of their week and it's the highlight of the summer golf schedule at the club.”

The tournament is named after the late Dan Berlett, who was a well-respected longtime member and former president of the PGCC.

“Dan was all about camaraderie, competitiveness, fairness and most importantly, getting men together and socializing after a round,” said Kurtis Sweeting, PGCC sport director.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The draft occurred a few weeks before the event. Last year’s defending champions were ‘Team Birdie Juice.’ Connor Blair, a member of the winning team, says the league brings out the golfers' competitiveness but in a fun and sportsmanlike way.

“It's quite competitive,” he explained. “Obviously we're out here to have fun but when strokes matter and you're playing against teams each and every week, I would say it can get heated at times and it's not out of the normal to see a two-footer be a gimmie late in the playoffs because you want to make sure everyone makes everything.”

The league marks the beginning of the golf season for everyone at PGCC. The golfers' eagerness to hit the links for the Berlett Cup is obvious according to PGCC members and staff.

“It (The Berlett Cup) speaks to number one, to the culture here at Peterborough,” said Blair. “We always get such a good showing and it's a very inclusive club. Whether you're brand new to the game or if you've played for 20 years, it's not uncommon to have a beer and meet someone for the first time or play with your buddies that you've played with for 10-plus years.”

“This event speaks to the culture and values of the club that we come together on a weekly basis to celebrate our friendship and our membership,” said Armstrong.

“This was a lot of members' home opener,” explained Sweeting. “We didn't get to open the men's officially due to weather but this is basically our official opening and the guys are excited.”

The PGCC hosted its Ladies Open tournament on Tuesday.

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