About the tournament
In 2008, a group of members sat in the locker room after a weekend round, kicking around an idea for a team competition. What started as a casual conversation would become something far bigger: one of Beacon Hill Country Club’s signature traditions, where team loyalties run deep, rivalries build all season, and an entire year of bragging rights hangs in the balance.
Each fall, three teams come together with one goal: bring home the Highland Cup. This Ryder Cup-style competition features 28 players per team, including one Captain, one Assistant Captain, 24 Qualifiers, and two Captain’s Picks. Ahead of them lie 72 holes of match play, four different formats, and three days where a comfortable lead can become anything but.
It all begins Thursday evening, when the teams gather for the traditional dinner and announcement of the weekend’s pairings. The room fills with camaraderie, friendly banter, and predictions. By Friday morning, it is time to back them up.
The competition opens with Alternate Shot and Pinehurst, followed Saturday by Better Ball of Partners , where trust in your partner becomes just as important as confidence in your own game. Sunday brings Singles Matches. With no partner to lean on, each player faces the opportunity, and the pressure, to deliver for his team. Adding to the tension is the Highland Cup’s distinctive three-team format. Each side faces both opposing teams simultaneously, with team matches played in groups of six and singles in groups of three. Three separate head-to-head matches unfold within every group, awarding one point for a win, a half-point for a tie, and none for a loss. A match against one opponent may be decided while the battle against the other is still very much alive.
As Sunday’s results come in, every point takes on new meaning. A late comeback, a hard-earned half-point, or one final putt could make the difference. When the matches are settled, the team with the most points is crowned Highland Cup Champion.
For the winners, a year to enjoy it. For everyone else, a year to think about what might have been.
