All the courses that I have played in Scotland have greens that by US standards are slow. If the wind is up and they are dry they can get quick but never to a standard of a US Open quick. The weather is pretty much the defense of St Andrews and more rain than constant wind. It is on the water so it isn't unusual to have a 15 to 25 MPH steady wind, same is true at Carnoustie and Turnberry. However even in the summer you get a lot of rain which slows the greens a great deal. The fairways are generally much more firm that US courses, my last trip I played a lot of 2 irons off the tees. I could normally hit a 2 Iron about 210 in the US with a little draw. In all the Scottish courses that I played I could hit it up to 260 from the tee if I played a draw. It makes the courses play a great deal shorter over there is you can control an iron from the tee and hit it 260 with only the aid of the firm ground, it would go longer with the wind but playing it low made you only lose 15 yards into the wind. Same with the green, speed doesn't matter much because you tend to run the ball up to them and only hit it at the pin with wedges in your hand. I would say that if a US Open course is running 12 on the stimpmeter, then St Andrews is about 9 at the most on a dry day.