There are a lot of decent everyday courses & clubs in the middle of the country that you can play for under a grand annually, plus cart fees.
My club in northern Illinois, that I had to join after they bought the other course across the road, costs $1750 for M-F plus carts. It's almost double that for 7 days a week. I have the M-F plan, but I can use the practice facilities on weekends. On weekends there is a lot of elbow room out on the course. M-F rounds are usually just under 4 hours. It's a club and that's just expected. I really like that. The two courses are in excellent condition. The original one requires precision and short game skill. The newer one is bigger and open.
Yesterday I played Whitetail Ridge in Yorkville. We paid $45 with cart, senior rate. The course was in great shape and not full. If this course was near an east coast city, I would think you would be paying $80?
My favorite course, Cinder Ridge, costs about $39 with cart on a weekday, and $10 more on weekends. It's not deluxe but it's no dump either. A good solid course.
If you are from a warmer area, you'd love our summers. My brother rented some space to a pipeline crew from Alabama last summer. Days that we thought were hot and humid, they loved. Come on, move here, we need more taxpayers to bail out the state, lol. Although retirement income is not taxed. But property taxes are HIGH.
You could move to Plymouth, Indiana. Your property taxes would be 30% of mine, and you could join Swan Lake Resort, with 36 holes, for $900 a year!!!! $700 if you are 60+. Read it and weep:
https://www.swanlakeresort.com/
I wonder if these kinds of middle American towns are the next frontier for disgruntled city folks.
BTW my wife and I are actually considering move there. Voting with our feet, you could say.