I appreciate all the thoughtful replies but can't address each remark individually. A couple of general responses, though...
It looks like the costs that I find offputting are indeed prime-season prices. So that can be largely eliminated by going in November or March. But frankly that just doesn't seem real appealing. I guess I've just become a fair-weather golfer somewhere along the but I no longer relish the adventure of playing bundled up or in rain gear. Still, it's an option worth considering.
The Charlotte-Eugene then rental car option looks very promising. I was not aware just how short the drive is, in my imagination Eugene was almost as long a drive from Bandon as Portland is. At more like 2-1/2 to 3 hours that is very practical, especially if I were to take a late-night-arrival flight, overnight in Eugene and make the drive early the next morning (easy to do when ones internal clock is still on east coast time).
In the final analysis, I seem to be returning to a conclusion I came to previously when considering a Bandon trip. It is, for me, really a destination best suited to travelling with either a small group or at least one other person. One can slightly reduce the lodging cost that way, split any needed rental car cost and/or share driving duties and play each day with at least one of the same people instead of three random strangers. I'm not averse to foursomes in which I know none of the other players but a steady diet of it gets tiring. Solo trips to the UK have always seemed perfectly enjoyable but I think a fixed, resort (or semi-resort) destination is best enjoyed with company.
On the flip side, my dates seems to be favoring an overlap with the Buda Cup over on the opposite side of England from Ganton which greatly reduces any chances of a meet-up with my several UK/GCA golf buddies if I make this year my Ganton year. Less of an issue if I reschedule a couple weeks later in September, though.
P.S. With respect to Bandon's resort-likeness or not I think "resort golf" means different things to different people. The upside is the incredible "we've thought of everything" organization of the operation there. Hard to see anyone not appreciating that when they're planning a trip. But the potential downsides are two and they are entirely subjective. There's resort-like in the sense of having an excess of "service" and "high touch" type things (not to mention spas for spouses or organized communal activities other than golf) in which you feel like you're wading through a bunch of complicated distractions to get to the golf. Not Bandon, from all account.
But there's also the resort-like feel that comes from knowing every living soul you encounter will either be another golf tourist like yourself or a full-time service provider connected with the resort. That along with sheer scale (large lodging complexes, packed tee sheets, highly specialized personnel) can be an upside if you're really into being immersed into a golf sensory overload but can be a downside if your preferences are bit more diffuse and varied. Bandon is definitely an example of golf-monomania overload, it's up to the individual visitor whether that's a plus or a minus. For me it's a plus when traveling with a group and a bit overwhelming when traveling solo.