Rich:
I'm sure you understand that there is basically nothing like that in America---basically nothing. The reasons are obvious---many of those towns/courses you describe in Scotland/Ireland are so old the courses are or were actually owned by the towns and the townspeople (much of that almost preceded "golf architecture" as we know it). The reason is clearly the antiquity of it all over there. Golf simply did not evolve that way in America at all---and at this point it can hardly be expected to sort of "create" that evolution that led to that "cultural integration" in Scotland and Ireland!
All of this goes to the vast differences in golf architecture and golf courses and their varying cultures throughout the world---vast differences that probably make up the interesting fabric of golf (and architecture) across the world. I hardly think golf or architecture should ever attempt to force cultural similarity anywhere, and most certainly not everywhere---as that is simply not natural!
If one likes the type of golf culture we have here one comes here. If one likes the very different type of golf culture they have over there one goes there. Plenty of Americans go to Scotland and Ireland because they like to sample that difference, for a while, at least, and plenty of Europeans come here because they like to sample the vastly different golf culture over here, for a while, at least!
The type of preference you seem to have---appears to make you occasionally seem to want to force on America golf and its culture from over there---and this would certainly include the things you've said about the CONGU handicap system over here.
In my opinion, it simply wouldn't work over here and the reasons go way back to cultural differences and the differing evolutions of them.
It's just better, in my opinion, to have these differences of cultures in golf around the world---it helps the game in the long run---it creates regional interest and diversity for those from other parts of the world---again, perhaps one of golf's greatest strengths.
If you want Scotland/Ireland's integrated golf/town culture then go to Scotland or Ireland---and I'm sure that's one of the reasons your there.
I very much doubt the most sophisticated golf analysts have anything at all against the golf and culture of it in Scotland and Ireland. They know they can go there for it and they do.
But that by no means indicates we need to bring it here---we have our own golf and its culture over here---that's just the way it evolved over here over perhaps 100 or more years---it's different---not necessarily better or worse---just different, and that's a very good thing---at least in my opinion!