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Golf: a way of life for a practicing accountant.

Article Excerpt
When Patrick (Pat) Houlihan, CPA, is not working at his Fort Wayne, Ind. accounting firm, his clients know where to find him. He's on the golf course, working to maintain his 2.0 handicap. Despite the demands of being a principal in Houlihan Asset Management and a partner in his full-service accounting firm, Pat still finds time to relax with his family and friends away from the office.

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Pat's father, James Houlihan Sr., founded the firm in 1952 as a sole proprietorship, and passed on both his profession and his passion for golf to three of his sons. Pat and his brother, Jim, are partners in the nine-person accounting firm, and brother Dennis manages the day-to-day operations of Houlihan Asset Management. The three are partners at the office, but heated competitors on the golf course.

"Jim was always much better than I was when we were kids," says Pat. "He had a scholarship to Indiana University in Bloomington, and I was a walk-on for a couple of years. My game didn't really mature until after college. Dennis is younger and doesn't yet have kids, so he has more time to play now."

Pat doesn't recall a time when he wasn't holding a golf club. The family home...