Have you ever asked: What’s my purpose?

by Tim O'Connor July 6, 2026July 8, 2026

I didn’t anticipate the play Waiting for Godot would provide some insight into golf.

The play—one of the most cryptic plays of modern literature—focuses on two hard-on-their-luck fellows waiting for days for a chap named Godot. They debate why they’re waiting and what they’re hoping for.

Samuel Beckett’s most famous work deals with light topics like existentialism, the meaning of life and the absurdity of human existence.

At the end of the wonderful Stratford production, I was left with the somewhat depressing yet intriguing sense there often doesn’t seem much point to striving for our heart’s desire; get it or don’t get it, the sun comes up the next day and we face the same nonsense.

The play also made me think about the way most people experience golf.

With hope and often desperation, many golfers await the day that they’ll finally get better and, thus, they will be happy. At least, that’s the promise of golf culture.

In the same way that Godot never shows up for our pals in the play, most golfers never arrive at that place where they are once and for all blissfully happy. We’re chronically dissatisfied, wanting more.

I remember posting a score that sent my index to a career low. After feeling a jolt of excitement, I immediately thought: ‘I can do better than that.’

The young golfers—many of whom are scratch players—that I coach work their tails off to improve; of course, they do. Every golfer wants to hit the ball better, shoot lower scores, and do well in competition.

But most golfers are also scared silly that they’re going to blow up under pressure and feel embarrassed.

Sometimes they do. One of my players shot 101 in sideways rain in his first U.S. Open qualifier. Of course, he was crushed. But after a few days, it wasn’t a big deal. It was just another round.

The same client shot 64—his career low—late last year. Of course, he was delighted. After a few days, it wasn’t a big deal. Just another round.

If the best and worst things can happen and we move forward all the same, then why are we getting our shirts in a knot? What sense does it make to always crave the best outcome and be terrified of the worst?

Consider, as Fred Shoemaker has noted, that most golfers come off the course feeling disappointed. On the rare occasions they do play well, they believe they should have shot five shots lower.

How do we keep all the striving in balance? How do we maintain some perspective so that rather than be tortured by golf, we can enjoy it and give ourselves a chance to play well?

I believe it’s from having a strong sense of purpose as a golfer.

Again, I’ll draw on Shoemaker, who acknowledges the goal of golf is to shoot as low as possible. “That’s what makes the game happen and makes the benefits happen.

“The purpose of golf … is for you to decide,” he writes in Extraordinary Golf.

“Why do you want to play this game? What would you like to get out of it that would be worth all the time and money you spend on it?”

It’s my experience that the golfers who are resilient, have the most fun, and play well are firmly grounded with a sense of purpose.

The late Bruce Lietzke, who won 13 events on the PGA Tour and seven on the Champions Tour, told me in an interview that he played professional golf for the following reasons: it allowed him to support his family, be an attentive father and spouse, and coach his son and daughter in baseball. He also loved to renovate cars and fish.

Lietzke’s commitment to his vision gave him a “What? Me worry?” vibe and a sense of humbleness. He struck me as a grounded man who lived according to strong values and principles.

That commitment also kept him from experimenting with his one-dimensional swing. Lietzke had one shot: a slightly over-the-top fade. He didn’t try to elevate or broaden his game to win majors. He didn’t care about legacy or glory. That wasn’t his purpose in playing.

I invite you to consider: “What’s my purpose in playing golf?”

Try free writing. Just put pen to paper and see what comes out on the page. (If you prefer typing or speaking into a recorder, go for it.)

I’m quite sure that most of you have never considered your purpose in golf.

But once you do, I’ll bet that your cravings and angst diminish; that you find it easier to access your talent, skill and experience; and you reveal more of yourself to yourself, which is one of golf’s greatest gifts.

What are you waiting for?

To help you get a sense of greater sense of purpose, check out a fuller excerpt from my book Getting Unstuck: 7 Transformational Practices for Golf Nerds.

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