Re: So...
This is getting off the subject a little, but I've read Norah Vincent's book. It's a little stereotyped in the areas they target, but still a decent read.
Their experiences with dating were not too positive, discovering quite quickly they were instantly dismissed for being short or various other attributes in a non trivial number of cases.
It's not just that society starts relationships on the basis of looks alone, it's that the market enforces this. A few large companies control the online dating market, and a sizeable number of the sites/apps now only allow messaging for mutual matches. This could be seen as a positive for women inundated with unsuitable messages from men, but the whole design is arranged around physical attraction with other factors being a definite effort to even look at.
Or in short, if you're not extremely attractive or are looking for more than just physical attraction, online dating will increasingly be an unsatisfactory experience for many people, and this will have a knock on effects in society.
As to 'local singles clubs' - there aren't any realistic ones, and I don't think there ever were. My experience of listening to people that have been in clubs like Spice is a wasteland for the eternally single. You can try general clubs, pubs, or groups but that involves going repeatedly, finding who is single, available, and compatible.
The closest thing to a singles club is probably speed dating. Some friends have enjoyed this, personally I'm not too fond of the concept of date interviews.