This year we're doing things a little differently. The Xmas Symposium Golf Day has always been a chance to get out on the course, catch up with friends from across the industry, and find out whose short game survived another busy season. The 2026 event comes with a bigger purpose: every dollar raised on the day goes to one of our own, Cam Mitchell.

This year’s event will be an Ambrose format, which means golfers of all levels can join in and help raise as much money for Cam as we can. You can register as an individual player and we will put teams together or if your business would like to register as a team of four, that is no problem at all – the more the merrier. Grab a team, bring your competitive streak, and dig a little deeper this year. Every dollar gets Cam one step closer.

Ambrose is a laid-back team game where everyone tees off, you pick the best shot, and the whole team plays from there until the ball drops. It's great because nobody's bad shots really count, so beginners and can play alongside ‘experienced golfers’ without any pressure at all. Rounds move quickly, and everyone gets to have a good laugh.

There'll be plenty up for grabs on the day, with prizes on the course and raffles running throughout, and every ticket sold goes straight to Cam's rehab fund.

We'd love the industry to get behind this one. If your business would like to sponsor a hole or donate a prize, whether it's a night's accommodation, an experience, a bottle of something good or a round of golf, we'd be hugely grateful. It's a great way to get your brand in front of the TECNZ community while helping one of our own get back on his feet.

Keen to get involved? We’d love to hear from you – [email protected]

Many of you will know Cam as Mountain Sales Manager for Cardrona and Treble Cone, the guy who shows up at trade events with endless energy, a huge smile, and a genuine love of sharing New Zealand's mountains with the world. In February, Cam came off his motorbike on the way to work and broke his back, leaving him paralysed. After four months at Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch, Cam has been accepted into Making Strides on the Gold Coast, one of the few specialist spinal cord injury rehabilitation clinics in Australasia. His goal is an intensive six months or more of rehab to give himself the best possible shot at recovery. None of it is covered by ACC. The clinic fees, travel and accommodation all have to be self-funded.

In Cam's own words, he's "not here to be average, I'm here to be awesome." So let's back him the same way. Alongside the usual format, we're adding [sponsored holes, a longest-drive buy-back, a charity auction at the 19th, mulligans for sale], and there are plenty of ways to chip in whether you're a scratch golfer or mainly there for the cart and the company.