The interviews and writing of this article took place in the weeks leading up to the CPKC Women’s Open and is being published after the conclusion of the event. The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open was heralded as a ‘Royal Success at Royal Mayfair’ with seven Canadians making the cut including three amateurs and $4.4 Million raised for the Edmonton Stollery Children Hospital.
There’s a saying in Alberta that if you don’t like the weather wait 15 minutes and it’ll change. Well, in Edmonton this summer it didn’t change much at all. In the months of June and July the city received over 500mm of rain and as a result, golf courses were flooded, including the Royal Mayfair Golf & Country Club which is to play host to the CPKC Women’s Open in August.
Surprisingly, this weather pattern is somewhat similar to what the course faced the last time they hosted this prestigious tournament in 2013, said superintendent Wade Peckham. As it did back then, this year’s problem became an all-hands-on-deck scenario. That however was easier said than done.
“First of all, we didn’t have up to two feet of rain like this year, in 2013. I remember it was wet. We had a few bunker washouts and the odd wet spot but it was, I’d say we were in a much better position in 2013,” Peckham recalled.
As for the staff spirit in facing the same-old, same-old as rain continued to fall in sheets, Peckham said, “I have certain people that are good at doing it but it gets to point, where the water table kept rising up, and we didn’t have the real hot, dry weather where it could evaporate from the top down. These people were struggling. It’s hard work. But I think what was even worse was we had seven complete bunker washouts.”
To top that off, many of Peckham’s staff are young and inexperienced for the most part in ground maintenance.
“My staff is composed of a lot of kids like university students. And maybe for some of them it’s their first job and they learn how to work. It was their introduction to some extremely hard work.”
A big part of keeping spirts up lay on the superintendent’s shoulders and he stepped above and beyond in that role.
“Feeding them. Telling them jokes. The main thing maybe was me keeping a very positive attitude. In front of staff we (management) put on a brave face. Like, ‘It’s not the end of the world here.’ All we want to do is get this place fixed for the membership and whatever comes after that is money.”
Speaking to the work Peckham and his crew put in to have this riverside layout primed for the best women golfers in the world, the Mayfair’s GM, Matt Johnson, noted that first and foremost, they had to look after the club’s members.
“To be honest, we’ve been bringing the course back for our members more than anything, so we haven’t brought in any extra resources. Our team worked probably a little harder and probably spent a little more energy than typical. They’re probably a little worn out from putting Humpty Dumpty back together. What’s really happened is their energy is focused on clean-up and restoration rather than preparing for the tournament right now,” the GM said in a phone interview during the first week of August. “What I mean by that is we had multiple trees come down like a lot of courses in the city and we’ve been focused on our members safety.
“The course shows well considering. The greens are in great shape and that’s the number one thing. A tree fell on one of the greens but the crew did an amazing job packing it up so it will be at least puttable. The LPGA has been amazing to work with. It’s not like hosting a U.S. Open where they bring in their own team. Where they have an agronomist on site the whole time. The greens are in great shape. The bunkers are the bunkers and anything that happens on the fairways, the rules officials will deal with that.”
Johnson went on to note that representatives from the LPGA had looked over the course in late July saying, “They found nothing to worry about.”
Peckham explained that a big motivator for seeing his staff upbeat as they battled with Mother Nature’s wrath was what was taking place alongside them.
“What really helped was the set-up for the CPKC that’s been going for a month. It’s huge. I tell them ‘Wait ’til they get here. Wait ’til you see what’s being set up. It’s pretty spectacular.’ They’re getting excited now. My staff has done great work.”
As to why these issues happened, the superintendent noted that an old design has everything to do with the flooded fairways issues.
“They put high bunkers on the right, mounding on the left, or vice versa, so water that falls collects. There’s no way around it.”
In his interview the GM was quick to point out that the Royal Mayfair wasn’t the only golf course to be hammered by the unusual weather in Edmonton this summer.
“Certainly we’re not playing ‘Oh, poor me!’ We understand all golf courses are affected. We understand the whole city is in the same place and just because we have a big tournament we don’t want any pity on us, that’s for sure. We’re doing all we can to show the city to the world,” which it will do given all the time and effort put in by the maintenance staff at the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour this season.
About his tenuous situation, Peckham said tournament agronomists have seen what had/was taking place saying, “They are well aware of what’s happening here. They have ways to deal with it. I’ve said this a hundred times: ‘It’s why God invented white paint! There’s the golden rule: Lift, Clean, and Place.’ There’s not a pro on the planet who doesn’t want to hear that!”
“I don’t know what the LPGA is going to do but they’re well aware … I mean they’re very happy. You know, aside from damaged fairway areas everything else is fine. It’s great actually, I think it’s actually better than 2013.”
And with that Peckham and his dedicated staff continued their ongoing work to harness what’s falling from the sky not only for the LPGA tournament but for their membership as well.