The Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026—an ironic milestone given that the event was originally established for male golfers aged 40 and over, prior to the creation of the Mid-Master Championship. Today, the Men’s Mid-Amateur is open to the province’s top male players aged 25 and older as of the first day of the national championship. Fittingly, the provincial championship will return in 2026 to the course that hosted the inaugural event in 1986: Wolf Creek.
The first championship was won by Alberta Golf Hall of Famer Ken Tamke, and over the years the event has been captured by many of the province’s standout players, including Frank Van Dornick, Floyd Kilgore, Senan Foley, David Schultz, and numerous others. In more recent editions, Edmonton Country Club’s Neil Thomas has claimed back-to-back titles and will be seeking to become the first player to win three consecutive Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships. Among the challengers is Alex Cartwright, who recently relocated to Calgary and earned a spot on Alberta’s interprovincial team in his first year in the province. A Canmore native, Cartwright previously spent five years competing on the University of Victoria golf team. Michael Valk, a member of the 2025 interprovincial team, will also be in pursuit of his first Mid-Amateur title as one of the newer competitors in the field. Meanwhile, established regulars such as Galvon, Markiw, DenBraber, Werre, Lefaivre, and Hollman will no doubt look to play spoiler to the emerging contenders.
Whoever ultimately prevails in 2026 will be tested not only by the field, but by the venue itself. Known to many Albertans as “The Wolf,” Wolf Creek presents a formidable challenge regardless of which course hosts the championship, a decision yet to be confirmed. The Old Course, the original Rod Whitman design, is described on the club’s website as “a pure inland links course winding in and out of the Wolf Creek bed.” Tour-tested and strategically demanding, it places a premium on creativity, precision, and thoughtful shot-making. Across the road, the Links Course represents an evolution of classic design principles. With wider fairways and striking natural beauty, the course is carved through expansive natural sand dunes and features rolling contours that reward both power and finesse.
Wolf Creek has long been a premier championship venue in Alberta, hosting a wide range of prestigious events. It served for many years as the home of the Alberta Open during its Canadian Tour era, has welcomed multiple Golf Canada events including NextGen tournaments, and has hosted the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Championship. Most recently, Wolf Creek earned widespread praise from competitors after hosting the Alberta Men’s Senior Championship.
Regardless of the course selection or the final field, the 2026 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will need to outduel a deep roster of talent and successfully tame the teeth of the Wolf over three demanding days, from July 21–23. In doing so, the winner will not only join the distinguished list of past champions of one of Alberta’s most popular events, but also secure a lasting place in the history of one of the province’s finest golf courses.