The Long Game

Few things matter more in golf than experience. A well-timed piece of advice from a coach, mentor or playing partner can shape a career, save a round or change the way a golfer sees the game. The same principle applies to wealth planning, where important decisions often benefit from perspective gained over decades and passed from one generation to the next.

That idea was at the center of Golf Digest Schools event hosted in partnership with Fidelity Investments at the Omni Barton Creek Golf Academy in Austin last month. The outing brought together Fidelity Investments’ clients, advisors and guests for a day focused on the exchange of knowledge across generations, from conversations about golf and life to discussions about family wealth, long-term planning and the value of having trusted guidance when navigating major decisions. To help illustrate this point, Golf Digest and Fidelity enlisted someone who’s spent a lifetime learning from those who came before him and passing that knowledge to younger generations: World Golf Hall-of-Famer and Austin native Ben Crenshaw.

The event included golf instruction, conversations with Fidelity advisors and experts, and time for guests to discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with planning for the future. The morning session included a putting clinic with the 74-year-old Crenshaw, during which he shared stories from his 60-plus years in the game and drained putts using the same Wilson 8802 putter he’s kept in his bag since high school. Surrounded by Fidelity clients and advisors, the two-time Masters champion gave a putting clinic that quickly became a dialogue about experience, mentorship and the value of learning from people who have seen challenges before.

"You learn by observing," Crenshaw said as the Golf Digest Schools day continued with a fireside chat between the Hall-of-Famer, Golf Digest business writer Paul Sullivan and Matt Gibson, Investor Center Regional Head at Fidelity Investments, during lunch in Omni Barton Creek's Hill Country Pavilion. "There are different leaders in this game, and you pick up kernels of knowledge from every one of them. It's a game so rich in people and experiences."

The conversation echoed many of the themes Fidelity advisors discuss with clients every day: the value of experience, the importance of planning and the role trusted guidance can play when families are making decisions that affect multiple generations. Gibson, who began his Fidelity career as a financial advisor nearly three decades ago, offered a perspective shaped by years of helping clients navigate changing markets, evolving goals and life's inevitable surprises. Today, Gibson leads 38 Fidelity Investor Centers across the Southeast Region, from Philadelphia to Florida, helping provide clients and their families with personalized planning, investment knowledge and a team of specialists who can help support their financial goals over the long term.

“Financial planning starts with having a really strong process, good core values,” he explained. “But the most important part of a plan is the conversation, and it has to be a family conversation. What's most important to you as a family? We challenge people to think and be introspective, reflect on those types of things. And having the courage to go into those conversations. Sometimes people don't feel prepared. Sometimes they're afraid of creating some friction in the family. But having that conversation in the beginning where you can find out what's really personal to you and what are you really trying to achieve is the key,” Gibson continued.

The parallels between golf and wealth planning surfaced repeatedly throughout the day. Both reward preparation and require patience, and in both pursuits, experience has a way of sharpening judgment. "Golf is a game that you never stop learning," Crenshaw said. Gibson, an avid golfer, saw a similar lesson in the wealth-management planning process. "As Mr. Crenshaw mentioned, there are going to be crosswinds both in golf and investing," he said. "You're going to need to focus, and the plan has to flex and breathe with it."

As lunch concluded, guests headed back out for an 18-hole scramble tournament on the Coore & Crenshaw-designed Cliffside course at Omni Barton Creek. Each participant had the opportunity to play the par-3 8th hole alongside Crenshaw himself before gathering later that evening for a cocktail reception, awards presentation and more conversations.

Throughout the weekend, the message was clear: in golf as in wealth planning, success starts with a personalized strategy. Whether you’re relying on a coach and caddie or a dedicated advisor backed by a team of financial professionals, the right guidance can help bring your plans to life.

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