Hey Mark,
I think many other golfers will relate to your story. I think every golfer has periods when they want to quit. If you google, "professional golfers who almost quit", you'll get a bunch of examples.
I think when the times are rough, the most important thing is to identify why you play. You state, "No, I don’t playing looking to break 85 like in the past, but I’d like to have a few good shots." I'd go deeper. I have a few students in their late 70's who are playing the best golf of their lives (or close to it). And it's fun to have an athletic adventure that you can continue to get better at for many years. But golf has some of the biggest swings in performance. As pro golfers have said, when it's easy, it feels so simple and you think you'll never lose it. When it feels hard, it seems impossible and you think you'll never find it. But as Paul Azinger said, you're always one swing away from finding "it".
Once you have a solid take on your why, then you'll be in a better place to embrace the challenge of golf. You describe your situation as "good during warm-up and then breaks down on the course." To me, this screams too many timing elements. What often happens on the range is you have a good sense of timing, but then when you get on the course and you are either nervous or have multiple minutes between shots, it's harder to find and keep the timing. I would investigate the pivot first and the path/face timing second to look for timing elements to work on. If you're looking for a coach, I do have a coaching certification. It's small right now, but there might be someone in your area who would speak the same language. Have you looked at the Find A Coach tab in our menu bar?
I know one sports psychologist who tells his juniors, you're allowed to quit, but not after a bad day. If you have a great day, and it's still not worth the work it takes and you feel like quitting, then he gives them his blessing. But don't give up just because it's hard, we're at a place in golf instruction, where with some smart training and enough time, I believe anyone can improve.
Good luck,
Tyler
