The fees will always of been there, just nowadays they seem tk have to show them, a bit like the fees taxes you see on airline tickets council tax bills etc more transparent than having to look at annual balance sheet.
Strictly speaking, you are not paying extra to have a handicap, you are paying an affiliation fee as you are a member of a club which is affiliated to your National Union. Whether or not you choose to have a handicap is up to you. Many are members of affiliated clubs but do not have handicaps.