Google Place Pages Ruining Service Company Organic SEO

Ok so the interests of Relevance Google might have it right.

But over the last few months I have noticed many changes happening on the SERPS results in regards to these place pages..

For all the main search terms Place pages are there where as before some keywords had yet to have place pages listed... They used to be after 3rd position while my site was stuck at 4th position and the aim was get 3rd or above to get more search volume by being above the place pages. Now my site has landed in 2nd Position for some big traffic services searches and I had 2 days of good times BUT now the place pages have moved just below position 1 now and some have taken 1st spot to 8th spot..

Thanks google.. All my hard work for 9th Position+ and maybe 1 hit a day from each search term.

The only way to get higher now is Adwords..

So what do you all think google is after, relevance giving local businesses a chance to get some search volume (while they may or may not be better at the service than I am) or getting us SEO junkies that have been getting "free" business until now to start buying adwords..