ckay Had to retee on the first two holes because I blasted through the fairway and into fescue.
I can't count the number of times where ball striking has been good but poor course management has gotten me into the funk you sound like you are in. On days like that, I throw the scorecard out and focus on looking at every shot as a specific situation that I can practice for future tournament play.
The best part of your post is most all of the penalizing shots you hit are totally fixable.
Driving through the fairway: take 3 wood. 3 wood this season has been a saving grace in terms of keeping the ball in play, and with all the shots I've hit off it, have a high level of confidence with it that I'm not scared to do it competitive play. Or whatever the goto club is, go with it.
Digging out of the rough: bad break, when you are playing non competitive rounds, practice just pitching it back in play and see if your wedge game can scratch out pars, because in competitive play, you will be forced to do that, might as well get that practice in on a day where score is shot.
Red stake hunting: find that control shot on the course, whatever it is or no matter how ugly it may be, that swing you can put on the ball even when you know your posture or whatever swing demon you fight is there, that you can use.
For me, my breakdown is when I lose angle at impact, like many. But on days like you mention, I'll stop trying to fix it, and goto a low punch cut that I can replicate even with a terrible loss of spine angle, and keep the ball in play. Sometimes you just have to accept that your body won't do what you want, and be able to keep a round together in spite of it.
Most of all, just think that the ugly round is one we all have, and thank god none of us do this crap for a living haha.
