Chris,
Well first of all the drainage is going to be more difficult on most sites in America that's a problem that's always solveable with the liberal application of cash (something that's probably scarce in courses being built today but sure wasn't until recently)
But to be honest I'd say most American golfers would consider a straight walled bunker from which you can't always hit the ball toward the hole at all (let alone get enough distance to get to the hole unless you are greenside) as being unfair. Having water hazards all over the place, having dense forests you can't even walk into, let alone find your wall or hit out of, having stands of thick unmaintained weedy grass, they are fine with that and the penalty strokes that ensue. But put a pot bunker in the middle of the fairway so they have to play out sideways and they'll scream bloody murder about what a crock that is.
No, doesn't make sense to me, either.