Sevier County golfer to be honored

Harry A. “Cotton” Berrier has been chosen to be the 23rd inductee into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame. The hall, located in Franklin, also includes memorabilia from its inductees. Berrier worked at the Gatlinburg Golf Course. He retired in 1999 after more than four decades (44 years) as the course’s head professional. He is the owner of Cotton’s Golf Shop in Pigeon Forge though he says he plans to sell the business. “I’m going to retire and do some consulting work,” Berrier said. Spending 44 years at one business certainly must hold some good memories. For Berrier, the high point of the work was this, “I helped development a golf course in the community and taking it from a pretty rough beginning to an outstanding golf course. It grows with the community and the course has done well.” The induction by the Tennessee Golf Foundation (TGF) will be held on Monday, Sept. 20 in Nashville during the golf foundation dinner, “The Celebration of Golf,” in which Memphis touring professional Loren Roberts will be the featured speaker. Founded in 1991, the TGF gives young people the opportunity to play golf in structured junior golf programs which the association says makes them 50 percent more likely to become an adult golfer. Berrier has had a long career in golf. He was named Golf Professional of the Year in 1971 and 1985 and served on the TGF Board of Directors. So what other plans does Berrier have for his retirement? “I’ll still plan on playing at the Gatlinburg course.”