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It certainly is. Both for men and women. It's more difficult than ever for a man to provide while not impossible there also a cope of age gaps and courting much younger ladies. Unfortunately there is also this delusion which is called "meet cute". Women having impossibly high standards while not meeting the bare minimum themselves.

A lot of problems can be solved if people hold higher standards in themselves to physical health while also accepting that age gaps have always been normal and that it's usually better for lady to marry young than old while the opposite is true for men.

I've seen 'Catholics' ask if it's ok to hold hands on a date, what do you think the answer is?

I have observed the same. Women today, as a rule, simply are not mature and serious enough to marry an older man. I think it's because they view a husband as more like a toy to play with, rather than someone to reverence and obey. I can hear now so many modern women replying to that "ew that gives me Dad vibes"... I believe the root problem of people not being able to marry as much as they used to, is not preparing themselves as you say, both with health in the soul and body.

The other issue is since Vatican II, the two ends of marriage were reversed, and therefore people focus way too much on the companionship aspect of marriage, rather than the first end of marriage, which is the procreation and and education of children. The duties between the spouses are also unknown and/or not respected.

If the first end was the priority, candidates for marriage would focus more on sanctifying themselves, ensuring they have good fertility (which naturally comes with being reasonably healthy), and educating themselves on the duties of parents. To populate souls in Heaven is the primary goal, and it is an immense help if husband and wife can establish a true, deeply spiritual friendship, to help sanctify one another also. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux are a perfect example of this.

I would say no to holding hands. From what I have read regarding traditional customs for courtship, due to the occasions of sin involved, the couple would refrain from touching and the man would be received into the woman's home for dinner and other activities, with parents present. 

This is a wonderful way to ensure that both the man and woman have a true respect for one another, and become interested in knowing the important qualities, instead of being drawn into frivolous discourses by themselves, which often result in breaking the commandments. Even if this exact set up of things is not possible, there are still ways to be together in public which ensure nothing improper occurs, but while being able to retain a reasonable amount of privacy, such as taking walks in the park.

Women have also lost that natural modesty which would make her blush even at the mere smile of a man. This is lost when virginity is lost, whether spiritually or physically, or both. Being desensitized, having her hand touched does not seem like a problem. One has to consider the use and purpose of touch.

A traditional cleric taught me that when two people of the opposite sex are united spiritually through common values, because the body comes with the soul, through more union and connection of soul even through pious conversation, they will naturally and eventually desire bodily unity, since marriage is a natural consequence of union of wills. Essentially, one has to respect nature and be cautious of the consequences of original sin.