John Conley,
I was going to reply similarly but Geoffrey beat me to it.
I'm really not sure that "expectations" are the issue here. The courses we mentioned are not the best maintained, certainly, and suffer from overcrowding while in season.
However, they are also built on interesting rolling terrain, feature intimate, walkable routings, are rather challenging (particularly in colder weather), lay very naturally on the land, have generally wide playing corridors, and have some really neat old green complexes, some very highly imaginative and fun. One is apt to finish with the same ball that they teed off with, and the sights and sounds of the nearby city also create some unique atmosphere.
I don't think anyone is proclaiming them as hidden gems, per se, although I agree with Geoffrey that Split Rock could be pretty marvelous restored properly. I think Noel pointed out that Dyker might be a 3 or so on the Doak Scale, largely because of conditioning issues than any lack of fun, interesting, playable golf.
Instead, these courses stand as very economical, historical testaments to a game for the masses and still serve that purpose effectively today. In contrast to much of what is being built today, with 18 "signature" holes, $100 plus green fees, tons of manufactured "features" designed to be more visually spectacular than truly interesting from a golf standpoint, and million dollar clubhouses, the Split Rocks and Dyker Beaches of the world provide a nice low-key alternative where everything on the golf course is there for one purpose only....to play golf.
On a grey, still day in the winter months, slinging a bag on your shoulder and having at it out there can be sublime.