--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I used to play golf. I wanted to be a…" description: "\"I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but after a while, I realized I'd always stink. And that's when I really started to enjoy the game..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg" --- # I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but… ![“I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but after a while, I realized I'd always stink. And that's when I really started to enjoy the game.” quote by Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg) > “I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but after a while, I realized I'd always stink. And that's when I really started to enjoy the game.” [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting personal flaws can transform enjoyment of an activity. **In simple terms:** Embrace flaws to enjoy the game. Key Takeaway Find joy despite imperfection. Themes self‑acceptance humor growth Mood lighthearted encouraging Type motivational humorous When to use this quote - sports - personal development - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology comedy Questions to Reflect On - What can you enjoy despite not being perfect? - How does humor help resilience? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on skill can cause discouragement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [So, you know, if, if I wanted to get up and just play golf one day, I would just get up and play golf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/so-you-know-if-if-i-wanted-to-get-up-and-just-play-golf-one-day-i/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [I started playing golf because I wanted to be good. After a while, you have to come to a decision of, 'Am I good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehman/i-started-playing-golf-because-i-wanted-to-be-good-after-a-while-you/) [Tom Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehman/) > [I played other sports, so when I played golf, I wanted to have fun. And hitting it far is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-woodland/i-played-other-sports-so-when-i-played-golf-i-wanted-to-have-fun-and/) [Gary Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-woodland/) > [I was a national level golf player. I gave up golf after a while when I wanted to model, as I would tan while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakul-preet-singh/i-was-a-national-level-golf-player-i-gave-up-golf-after-a-while-when/) [Rakul Preet Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakul-preet-singh/) > [Seems I used to do everything like I was on a mission. If it was alcohol, I wanted to drink till I couldn't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/seems-i-used-to-do-everything-like-i-was-on-a-mission-if-it-was/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [You try and work hard and get better each week. I play the game with passion. I enjoy the game. It's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/you-try-and-work-hard-and-get-better-each-week-i-play-the-game-with/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [When we score a sublime goal I'm as happy as anyone but you don't get to enjoy a game. You can't possibly. The game's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-mccann/when-we-score-a-sublime-goal-i-m-as-happy-as-anyone-but-you-don-t-get/) [Fergus McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-mccann/) > [You know, I do enjoy the game of football. I've been around it my entire life so I'll always be a fan and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-slater/you-know-i-do-enjoy-the-game-of-football-i-ve-been-around-it-my/) [Matthew Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-slater/) > [When I go into games as a forward, my job is really clear, and I just have to execute. But as a midfielder, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-o-hara/when-i-go-into-games-as-a-forward-my-job-is-really-clear-and-i-just/) [Kelley O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-o-hara/) > [Whether I'm hitting .100 or .300, I have resolved to at least enjoy every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/whether-i-m-hitting-100-or-300-i-have-resolved-to-at-least-enjoy/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) > [This is the sort of situation I enjoy: a game in the San Siro, a huge crowd and a night for big men. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-desailly/this-is-the-sort-of-situation-i-enjoy-a-game-in-the-san-siro-a-huge/) [Marcel Desailly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-desailly/) > [I asked the players: 'Do you want to enjoy the game? Or do you want to enjoy after the game?' The players told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/i-asked-the-players-do-you-want-to-enjoy-the-game-or-do-you-want-to/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/my-motivation-and-aspiration-is-the-same-being-number-one-or-being/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [Because of so much fastness in the game, those who play hockey and those who have knowledge about it, they enjoy the game. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandeep-singh/because-of-so-much-fastness-in-the-game-those-who-play-hockey-and/) [Sandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandeep-singh/) > [I just go out and try and enjoy my game and help the team as much as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-coady/i-just-go-out-and-try-and-enjoy-my-game-and-help-the-team-as-much-as/) [Conor Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-coady/) ## More by Don Rickles > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [They always use the word 'insult' with me, but I don't hurt anybody. I wouldn't be sitting here if I did. I make fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/they-always-use-the-word-insult-with-me-but-i-don-t-hurt-anybody-i/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I don't do impressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-do-impressions/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I have a problem, if the light goes on on TV and it blinks midnight, I don't know how to fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-have-a-problem-if-the-light-goes-on-on-tv-and-it-blinks-midnight-i/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [To my knowledge, I was the first guy really to do what I do. And then later on different comedians started trying doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/to-my-knowledge-i-was-the-first-guy-really-to-do-what-i-do-and-then/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [If something strikes me as funny, I'll put it in my performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/if-something-strikes-me-as-funny-i-ll-put-it-in-my-performance/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Famous people are deceptive. Deep down, they're just regular people. Like Larry King. We've been friends for forty years. He's one of the few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/famous-people-are-deceptive-deep-down-they-re-just-regular-people/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [It takes many years to be a great comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/it-takes-many-years-to-be-a-great-comedian/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I don't like to compare myself with anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-like-to-compare-myself-with-anybody/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Now when I'm not working, I don't really hang out with the young comics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/now-when-i-m-not-working-i-don-t-really-hang-out-with-the-young-comics/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [To this day, when I say that I went to the American Academy, people are very impressed. The reputation of the school has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/to-this-day-when-i-say-that-i-went-to-the-american-academy-people-are/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [In our day we went from - we went into saloons. We couldn't cross over like you can today, get a television series and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/in-our-day-we-went-from-we-went-into-saloons-we-couldn-t-cross-over/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [ I don't get into politics. I know \[Donald\] Trump, but I don't follow that. That's just an aside for him when he has nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-get-into-politics-i-know-donald-trump-but-i-don-t-follow-that/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I was always the guy who made jokes and ribbed people at parties. After I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-was-always-the-guy-who-made-jokes-and-ribbed-people-at-parties/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [When I walk down the street in New York, I swear to God, the building constructor, the guy pounding cement and what not, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/when-i-walk-down-the-street-in-new-york-i-swear-to-god-the-building/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) [Explore all 214 Don Rickles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but after a while, I realized I'd always stink. And that's when I really started to enjoy the game.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Don Rickles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-better-player-but-after-a-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-better-player-but-after-a-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fc/don-rickles-1705_better_i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-bet_2780244.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I used to play golf. I wanted to be a better player, but after a while, I realized I'd always stink. And…” — Don Rickles", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Don Rickles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I used to play golf. I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-better-player-but-after-a-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-used-to-play-golf-i-wanted-to-be-a-better-player-but-after-a-while/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```