BANDON - It was a strange week at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

There was barely a whisper of wind, at least by Bandon Dunes standards. And while many golfers might find that a pleasant surprise on the links courses at the resort, one group was disappointed.

The United States team for the upcoming Curtis Cup matches, scheduled for the end of the month on the Pacific Dunes course, played five practice rounds Tuesday through Thursday to get used to the links. But the eight players surely saw nothing like they will if the expected wind picks up for the actual competition.

Curtis Cup captain Carol Semple Thompson said she had three goals for the week, the only time the players have to get together before the week of the competition.

“I wanted them to get together as a team - to get them to bond,” she said. “I wanted to get them to know the golf course. And I was really hoping for wind.”

Goals 1 and 2 were met with ease. The players got along great and had plenty of time on Pacific Dunes.

Without the wind, they made the course ranked in the top 10 in the United States by some publications look tame. One player shot 64. Another a 66.

Of course, these are not typical players, even if they are amateurs.

Six of the eight members of the U.S. Curtis Cup team played at last week's U.S. Women's Open. Jane Park and Amanda Blumenherst tied for low-amateur honors.

“They're great players,” said Semple Thompson. “They're all seasoned competitors. They played junior golf and college golf.”

The team members were chosen by a selection committee from the U.S. Golf Association's Women's Committee, which tracked the play of the top female amateurs in the country for the past two years before choosing the team.

And though some of the top names like Michelle Wie won't be at Bandon Dunes for the Curtis Cup because they opted to turn pro, the women who are coming have impressive resumes as well.

Park and Virginia Grimes, at 42 the only player on the team over 23 years old, are past Curtis Cup participants.

Park, who is just 19, won the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur. Blumenherst just finished her freshman year at Duke and was the medalist at the 2005 U.S. Women's Amateur and finished in the top 10 of all her college tournaments this year.

Jennie Lee, who also just finished her freshman year at Duke, was second at the NCAA championships.

Taylor Leon, who plays for the University of Georgia, was freshman of the year in the Southeastern Conference and has played in the last three U.S. Women's Opens.

Washington native Paige McKenzie, the only Northwest player on the team, easily won both the Pac-10 and NCAA Western Regional titles this spring.

Amanda McCurdy was runner-up at the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur.

Jenny Suh was a first-team NGCA All-American for her junior season at the University of Alabama this year.

Though the players come from several different colleges, they got along great their first week together at the resort, Semple Thompson said.

They also showed a willingness to learn the nuances of links golf, aided by an afternoon session with Grant Rogers, the director of golf instruction at Bandon Dunes and a links golf expert.

“I really wanted the kids to think about different approach shots,” Semple Thompson said. “They've been great trying these shots. At least in practice rounds, they've been experimenting.”

Semple Thompson also used this week as a chance to get the players acquainted with foursomes - an alternate shot format that makes up half the 18 matches during the Curtis Cup.

“We've played foursomes a lot,” she said. “That doesn't tend to be our stronger suit.”

In contrast, the Great Britain and Ireland team typically thrives on the alternate-shot format because the players use that style often in various competitions.

The United States has held the cup through the last four matches - the two teams alternate as hosts, with the matches held every other year - and will try to continue that trend this year.

The actual Curtis Cup matches are on July 29 and 30, though both teams will arrive July 23 and have practice rounds that week.