As in life, setting lower expectations in golf not only makes you happier but also score better.
Time and time again, I have observed not only myself but also others exhibiting the interesting behavior of hitting bad shots right after great ones, getting into horrible situation after a great hole, getting worse after a great game. Psycologically, we are setting a higher expectation after a good showing of performance. The stress induced by the higher expectation is the killer.
What I have been trying to do are a couple of things:
1) Set a realistic expectation every game, for example, focusing on eliminating bad decisions and throw-away shots; instead of trying for perfect shots or other unattainable goals.
2) Forget about the last shot, period. No matter how great or poor the previous shot is, it’s over. You have a new situation to deal with. That also helps you to concentrate on recovering shots instead of wondering in futile “if only…”.