Sean
No matter how much you moan, the price of golf (good, great and indifferent) is going up, and has been for the 40+ years I've played the game. When I joined Dornoch (1981) the green fee was ~£3.50 and the annual subs were ~£35. At that time I figured I could play a year's round of golf at Dornoch for the cost of 11-12 holes at Pebble Beach. Today my subs are up 1000+% but the green fees are up 3000+%, and Pebble, whilst still extortionate is a relative bargain at $600/round, or whatever, and my Dornoch sub would just about get me through the 18.
There are two reasons for the relative price increases in Scotland (and the rest of the UK and Ireland). Firstly, 30 years ago the conditions of the courses (even the very best) were shiite, even if quaint. If putting over daisies was your thing, you were in hog heaven. One of the reasons that UK golfers took their golfing holidays in Spain those days was they got better conditioned courses. The second reason was just good old supply and demand. As Mark Twain once said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled, even in Scotland, but they're not making any more linksland, so play them courses before they get too expensive!!" I've done that, so I don't need to pay the exorbitant fees now. That being said, I don't at all deny others from making that choice, particularly when you can pay ~£150+ to play a round on a good or even medicore course in the US.
I think you should quit golf and take up lawn bowling. I'm thinking of it....
Rich