Alberta Golf Supports National Off-Course Golf Strategy to Grow the Game Year-Round
Aligned with Golf Canada’s newly launched national off-course strategy, Alberta Golf is proud to champion and connect with the expanding off-course golf community across the province.
Alberta Golf & Golf Canada endorse and support all forms of golf and are encouraging Canadians to experience the game year-round through off-course golf experiences.
These experiences include golf simulators, driving ranges, short game areas, mini golf, virtual reality golf and golf-themed video games that all provide opportunities to engage with the sport year-round. Complementing traditional green grass golf, off-course golf provides a continuity of golf experiences that can welcome new individuals into the sport in ways that best fit their lifestyle.
For Golf Canada’s Chief Marketing Officer Tim McLaughlin, the campaign is about having a presence wherever and however golf is being enjoyed.
“There has been an explosion in off-course golf options in our country, most notably golf simulators, and Golf Canada is excited to officially launch our off-course strategy. This initiative is reflective of the reality that an increasing number of Canadians are now participating in golf activity year-round in non-traditional venues like simulator facilities. Off-course golf has the potential to be transformational for our sport, combining fun and realistic golf experiences with affordable options that are accessible 12 months a year,” said McLaughlin. “This strategy acknowledges the way that Canadians are engaging with the game is evolving, and our intention is to create a greater connection between these new off-course formats and the broader golf landscape.”
As part of this strategy, Alberta Golf and Golf Canada are introducing a new Facility Membership Program designed specifically for off-course operators. Through this program off-course facilities will now be able to become official members of Golf Canada and have the ability to promote their operations to Canada’s largest and most engaged golf audience. Through this membership, facility owners gain new opportunities to boost participation, enhance engagement, and enjoy a range of valuable, year-round benefits.
It will also be easier for Canadians to find places to play off course. A comprehensive digital program promoting off-course golf will connect Canadians to Official Member Facilities of Golf Canada. Golfers will soon be able to log and track their off-course activity at simulators in the Golf Canada app beginning in early December. For more information or to download Canada’s number one golf app, click here.
The Just Swing campaign will support Golf Canada’s complete off-course strategy to have a presence wherever golf is being played. The campaign encourages Canadians to discover golf, anywhere, anytime and Just Swing, highlighting the many benefits the game can provide. This campaign is designed to re-frame perceptions of the sport by driving understanding that whether you pick up a club on a golf course or a simulator its all golf. The hope is to position the sport in a new way, particularly for new audiences who aren’t currently active golfers.
For more information on the Just Swing campaign, the benefits of off-course golf or to find a location near you, please visit golfcanada.ca/justswing.
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Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club to host 2026 CPKC Women’s Open
EDMONTON, Alta. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced today that the historic Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta. will host the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.
The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton will be held on August 17-23, 2026, the 52nd playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.
The 2026 tournament marks the return of the National Women’s Open to Royal Mayfair for the third time and first since LPGA Tour star and three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko won the 2013 event at Royal Mayfair as a 15-year-old amateur. Ko won back-to-back events as an amateur in 2012 and 2013 and would go on to win her third Canadian title in 2015. Royal Mayfair also hosted the championship in 2007, an event won by LPGA Tour legend Lorena Ochoa.
The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open will mark the eighth time that Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has been contested in the province of Alberta.
“In partnership with CPKC, we are very pleased to confirm that the CPKC Women’s Open will return to the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in 2026,” said Golf Canada Chief Operating Officer Garrett Ball. “Edmonton is a passionate golf community and Royal Mayfair is an outstanding venue to challenge the world’s best players. We extend our thanks to the membership and staff at Royal Mayfair as well as the City of Edmonton who will once again prove to be fabulous hosts for our National Women’s Open Championship.”
The CPKC Women’s Open through the CPKC Has Heart program will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. Since 2014, CPKC has raised more than C$23 million for pediatric heart health in the communities that have hosted the CPKC Women’s Open through the company’s tournament sponsorship and the CPKC Has Heart program.
“We are very excited to bring the CPKC Women’s Open back to Edmonton and once again back to our home province of Alberta,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. “For more than a decade, this tournament, through our CPKC has Heart community investment program, has helped build stronger communities across Canada by investing in the heart health of our young people. We look forward to continuing that legacy next summer in Edmonton.”
The CPKC Has Heart community partner will be announced in early 2026.
For more than a century, Royal Mayfair has been recognized as one of Western Canada’s premier golf facilities. Shaped by legends such as Stanley Thompson and Les Furber as well as a Doug Carrick renovation in recent years, the club is consistently ranked within the ScoreGolf Top 100. The club celebrated its centennial in 2022 and is one of 17 clubs to have hosted both the Women’s and Men’s National Open Championship. In 2023, Royal Mayfair completed an extensive clubhouse renovation with modern amenities for a premier member and championship experience.
“On behalf of the Board of Governors along with our membership, management and staff, we are thrilled to be named host of the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Royal Mayfair Golf Club President Daniel Kickham. “We look forward to once again welcoming the many golf enthusiasts from within our city, surrounding communities and across the province to one of Canada’s premier sporting events. We are equally excited about partnering with CPKC and Golf Canada in raising critical funds for local children’s charities.”
The Board of Royal Mayfair has also appointed longtime Edmontonians and Royal Mayfair members, Marilyn Cox and Don McGarvey as Host Club Tournament Co-Chairs.
One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events and a signature stop on the LPGA Tour, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open was named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year at the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards. The CPKC Women’s Open also earned the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year award in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023.
“Edmonton boasts a rich legacy of exceptional women’s sporting events, teams, and heroes across various sports, and we are thrilled to welcome the world’s finest women’s golfers back to Alberta’s capital city,” says Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “This event not only highlights our passion for sports but also inspires the next generation of athletes in our city while bringing our community together.”
“Explore Edmonton is thrilled to welcome the world’s top golfers to our city to compete in the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Traci Bednard, President and CEO of Explore Edmonton. “This event further showcases our commitment to supporting women’s sport in our city. We are excited to host thousands of visitors from around the globe to experience the best of Edmonton next August and work with our valued partners to help maximize the impact of this incredible event.”
The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will take place August 20-24, 2025, at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for MacMaster Children’s Hospital, has been selected as host charity for this year’s event with Trillium Health Partners serving as a community beneficiary.
For information about tickets, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality, please visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.