Having played this course and the links courses of Scotland many times, there are many similar features. Kiawah is on some marsh land but it is right on the ocean. The final holes run north and you can hit a ball on the beach. Winds are severe here from time to time they just don't come up as quickly as they do in Scotland.
While the greens don't have the huge mounds that St Andrews or RSG have in them, they are much faster and have many more breaks than do the links style courses in Scotland. My take is that this course is a links style course than much more closely resembles a Scottish tract than a true American course. You can make the same comparison of Shinnecock Hills up in New York as well. Compare it to Winged Foot, which I view as a true US style course with trees, deep rough, strategic bunkers and very fast greens.