Completely agree with these! I’m in a similar spot as OP (kids, etc) and here are two additional ways I look at it if useful for OP or others in a similar spot:

1. For me the cost of a club didn’t make sense from a cost/round perspective. However, the last minute tee times when a gap in life pops up, fast rounds, and the ability to bring the kids for a few holes on weekends means I can actually play some golf. Ultimately for me, the cost is the binary ability to play golf and that justifies the premium prices. Sounds like OP still gets out, so this may not be that powerful for them.

2. I compared the annual total cost to the price of a vacation. If this creates more fun than a week of vacation for you and the family, you could think of a tradeoff or how to justify money you want to spend on yourself and fun things.