Mark,
Some 15+ years ago Ron Whitten wrote an article for Golf Digest analogizing golf to the pizza business. As I recall, his main point was that most golfers didn't differentiate that much beyond price, i.e courses had become commoditized like pizza. A much inferior course nearby charging $5 less would take a lot of business away from its superior neighbor.
He was using Tierra Verde GC in Arlington, TX, a very expensive to build CCFAD municipal, to make his point. I argued with him that golfers were interested in various aspects of design and maintenance, greens in particular. He remained unmoved and I think over the years, I have gravitated to his point of view. Incidentally, I am told that Tierra Verde has yet to achieve the proforma rounds and average green fee used to justify its development some 25 years later (opened in 1998).
I recently wrote to Golf Digest for a link to the article and was told that the magazine does not have online access to the archives back to that time. Ron is probably on his retirement tour as he didn't respond to my email last month asking him for a copy. If anyone has it, please post it.
All your recommendations are valid, though unless there is a shortage of golf courses, I don't know that much is possible at the low end where price is going to be the issue. I'd say work on the greens, tees, and fairways; minimize sand bunkers and rough; concentrate on nurturing a reasonable pace of play; provide clean infrastructure, and simple, inexpensive food service (dogs, burgers, chips, candy bars, beer and soft drinks).