indes, part of your problem sounds like you're hitting the with a target number in mind. We humans tend to be able to underperform because of the pressure we put on ourselves and having a pre-set target can lead to some really negative self-fulfilling prophecies. The best approach to take is to get to the course and don't think score. If that means going out and playing and NOT keeping score for several rounds, do just that. Get into the mindset of thinking only about making solid contact and executing shots. Don't care about the score, care only about the shot you are making.
When you focus on score you get ahead of yourself and put yourself in a poor mental state. You over-think shots you have not yet hit and you ruminate over shots that are already behind you. Train yourself to stay only in the moment and focus on the only shot you have any control over, the one you are about to hit. When you do this you'll find that your scores will naturally start to head in the right direction. This is a very hard thing to accomplish but if you focus on it you'll find quick results.
One of the guys I play with has a son who just graduated school and is about 6 months into golf. He played baseball in high school and has a tremendous amount of raw talent and ability but he has no understanding of the game itself. Playing with his dad he is good to shoot 100-110, because he's always thinking about score, score, score. I drew him in my regular men's league in a foursome game of two net with overkill. It was obvious to me who the player was that would win the day if we could keep him holes. I elected to ride with him and provide the moral support he needed, playing his conscience and cheerleader on every shot. We had conversations about strategy and club selection here and there, but we mostly talked baseball. This was with intent, to get his mind off of score and keep him in the moment when it came to making his shots. We made sure he managed the course instead of the course managing him. Long story short, he hit more pure shots than any other round he's played and scored better than any other round in his young career. His success fed everyone else's confidence and we rolled as a group. Our foursome took medalist in three of four flights and won the two net by eight strokes.
Control only what you can control, which is the shot you're standing over. Focus on making that shot to the best of your ability, then rinse and repeat. The results will surprise you.
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