A sign-up sheet with a waiting list was a positive sign for a two-man best-ball golf tournament in Albert Lea.

Maximum capacity was achieved for the fifth annual Wedgewood Cove Invitational with 96 individuals on 48 teams in eight flights Friday and Saturday at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club.

“It’s not our top grossing event, but it’s definitely our most popular,” said Wedgewood Cove Golf Club Director of Golf Donnie Teeter. “We have 50 carts, and 48 of them are in use.”

After a practice round on Thursday, Friday featured three nine-hole rounds and Saturday had two nine-hole rounds followed by a shootout with winners from each of the eight flights.

Click HERE to view photos and see winners from Day 2 of the event.

Players from multiple states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, South Dakota and Iowa participated.

Kelly Wadding of Austin competed for the second consecutive year with his brother, Kasey Wadding, of Waverly, Iowa.

“I like the format,” Kelly Wadding said. “It’s competitive and challenging, and Donnie’s got the course in great shape.”

The brothers are graduates of Albert Lea High School, and Kelly Wadding said he enjoys catching up with friends at the invite.

“It’s nice to win, but that’s not the most important thing,” he said. “It’s about getting together and having a good time with good friends.”

In the invite’s first year, 36 teams in six flights competed. It grew to 42 teams and was capped at 48.

“The format we’re in limits the size of the field,” Teeter said. “We could bring in rental carts if we wanted to make it bigger, but it would only slow it down, especially if we had bad weather.”

The positive atmosphere surrounding the tournament is what makes the tournament stand out, Teeter said.

“My favorite part is the compliments,” he said. “I hear so many people say, ‘This is my favorite weekend of the year.’”

Steve Anderson paired with Dennis Bergstrom and said he liked the camaraderie with his teammate.

“It’s just a lot of good guys and lot of fun,” he said.

Interest in the event made planning easier for Teeter than other events that allow golfers to sign up late.

“I get to plan this event three weeks in advance because it’s full,” he said. “The luxury of being able to put that time and energy in ahead of time makes it go seamlessly.”

New for this year, the invite will feature a chip-off in the case of a tie during the shootout, Teeter said.

“It’s a subtle change,” he said. “It might mean a lot this year, and then again it might not even come into play. We don’t know yet.”