The USPA Gold Cup is the second 22-goal tournament of the Florida high-goal season and the second leg in the Gauntlet of Polo. Established in 1974, the USPA Gold Cup has been hosted at seven venues in five different states and has included many of theworld's elite players and teams vying for the prestigious title. First played for at Oak Brook Polo Club in Oak Brook, Illinois, four teams battled for the trophy with inaugural winners Milwaukee (Tom Hughes, Tommy Wayman, Joe Barry, Robert Uihlein III) besting Houston 9-8, in a thrilling overtime victory, with Wayman scoring the golden goal three minutes into the sudden death chukker.

The following year, the USPA Gold Cup was moved to Milwaukee Polo Club (Hartland, Wisconsin) where it was played from 1975 to 1978. In 1979, the USPA Gold Cup relocated to South Florida and quickly became the crown jewel of the winter season. In its height at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club during the 80s and early 90s, the USPA Gold Cup was the tournament to win, attracting anywhere from 11 to 20 teams. A 16-year old Adolfo Cambiaso made his USPA Gold Cup debut in 1991 with Cellular One (Matthew Gonzalez, Ernesto Trotz, Adam Lindemann) and would claim his first of 15 titles, an impressive record he still holds.

After a successful 17-year stretch at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, the tournament was hosted by several clubs over the years including Royal Palm Polo Club (now defunct), Greenwich Polo Club (Greenwich, Connecticut) and New Bridge Polo & Country Club (Aiken, South Carolina), before landing a permanent home at the National Polo Center.