What connections do you see between golf and investing?
Both are very similar; you can choose to play aggressively or conservatively and both take a significant amount of time to master. Practice and patience is key.
When did you start playing?
I started playing golf when I was about 12. We lived across the street from a public course in Madison, Wisconsin, and my father started taking me out for fun. I eventually joined the junior programme there and worked at the course for a few years.
How often do you play?
Not often enough! I’m lucky enough to visit a lot of great courses all over the world, but it’s mostly for work at various tournaments. I only get to play about once every month or two. My wife Samantha is starting to play, so hopefully that will allow me to get out a little more often. I did play at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, where I used to work, twice last month and it was great to get back out there. A big ‘thank you’ to Kevin Hind, the director of instruction, for the invitation.
What's been your best ever round?
I’ve never been able to go really, really low – nerves always got the better of me. I’ve had 66 quite a few times, but nothing lower.
Do you have a favourite course?
My favourite course to be at is Augusta National – it’s just everything you imagine it would be while watching it on TV growing up. I really enjoy sitting on the hill at the sixth hole on Sunday afternoon. Clearwater Bay is my favourite in this part of the world.
Who would be in your dream fourball?
Can I make it a two-ball? A late afternoon round with my dad would be perfect. He still lives in northern Wisconsin, so we don’t get to play too often. I always enjoyed our late afternoon rounds in the autumn when the leaves were changing. You rarely see those colours here in Asia.
How do you maintain focus during a round?
That is one of the most difficult aspects of the game, especially when you don’t play often. With technology today you are always thinking about other things, or reaching for your phone when riding in the golf cart. To overcome this I like to walk the course – hopefully with a caddie, which is one of the reasons I like to play at Shek O or Fanling. Both are great walking courses. Walking allows you time to relax, talk to your playing partners and prepare for the next shot.
How would you describe your overall investment philosophy?
My wife and I tend to be fairly conservative; we invest for the long term, rather than chase too much for a short-term return. We also prefer investments where we have a strong personal knowledge of the company or sector.
What key lessons have you learned through your personal investing experiences?
Like most people I’ve experienced my fair share of buyer/sellers remorse and it’s often frustrating. This has now led me to take a much more long-term view and be happy with hopefully consistent growth, either through the increase in share price or through dividend yield.
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