I don't think anyone is comparing grass types or climates when they talk about North Carolina or Scotland. Its more a comparison of maintenance cultures.
In the US, especially at high end properties, there is pressure to always be doing something to make it better. I've use the term hyper management in the past and I still think it fits. In Scotland I sense they are more willing to sit back and let nature win sometimes...meaning if they have to back off of harmful maintenance practices and just let time help them, they will.
In the US, we are taught to attack every problem, as if we can out duel mother nature.
I worked in AZ and N TX on bent grass. Tough climates, bad water, high expectations. What I found interesting was some supers in AZ never really struggled with their bent, and for others every summer was an adventure. I tried to learn from both and what I gleaned was the guys who got thru it every summer in good shape were not the excitable type. They were perfectly OK with raising mowing heights and skipping cultural tasks in response to nature and their grass. They typically had simple programs and tried to keep it simple, with water management as the cornerstone. I think they had a similar ethos to a Scottish green keeper. Unfortunately I think those guys have been weeded out and replaced by the hyper maintenance guys because owners and members like to see their employees staying super busy. Sitting back and letting the grass recover isn't staying busy, attacking the problem is what is required today.
Yes, all of that is a very simplistic take and all just my opinion, but you have to wonder how we were able to grow bent for so long and now given all our advancements, we can't. It certainly has to do with lower heights of cut and higher expectations, and the introduction of better bermudagrass, but IMO, it also has to do with changes in our maintenance culture.