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Interesting questions Chillibowl. Participation rates are, if anything dropping as we see it. The young drivers are now looking to move to cars a couple of years earlier and to move not to National series in the lower formulae but to European series. These obviously cost more because of the travel and UK based series are suffering a little, for example UK F3 that was at one time the best feeder series does not now exist, all concentration is on Euro in F3. German and Italian series may continue I believe but not sure of entry levels.
As I said in the opening comments in this thread, drivers no longer quote F1 as an ambition every time as they realise the overall investment required.
The level of competition in these classes is high and drivers always use a professional team, gone are the days of buying a car and towing it behind a van. The budget required for karting at the top junior level is not so much less than the budget for F4, certainly at National level and not that far removed from European series requirements. At a Euro round that I attended last year the top junior drivers had test days before the official sessions when drivers chose the chassis for the meeting from up to 6 karts, selecting a dry chassis and a wet chassis that suited the circuit.
Overall is it more healthy, no I don't think so because the reduction in age for participants in what is seen as "proper racing" means a driver that is not in F1 by 20 has failed. Many are accepting, as I have said above, that this is no longer possible and realise that to show well in single seaters may get them moves to saloons and sports categories where they feel the chances of a paid career are better. Budgets for these categories are lower and some national series have a high profile such as BTCC where a top drive can be bought for £200 to 400K, nothing like the budget for GP3, GP2 or FR 3.5.
To pick up your golf question, I am not a golfer so not really qualified to answer but my Rotary Club meets at a GC so I am a social member. The GC is struggling for members but, as i believe is generally the case in the UK, the club is owned by the members. A nearby member owned club did close a couple of years ago when the land was sold for development and the members all pocketed a nice sum. An equally nearby privately owned course is however doing OK I believe but people play on an "arrive and drive" basis (pardon the pun!)
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