The American team, in red, and the Great Britain & Ireland team march together to the opening ceremonies Friday. World Photo by Madeline Steege.

BANDON - They traveled across an ocean and a continent to get to the Curtis Cup, but in some ways the Great Britain & Ireland team feels more at home this week than the host United States squad.

That's because the Pacific Dunes course where today's and Sunday's matches will be held is a links-style course similar to those back home for the team.

“The course is very much like home,” said Breanne Loucks during a Friday press conference in advance of the matches. “It's a lot like Scotland and Ireland.”

The players from Britain, Wales, Scotland and Ireland play a lot of links golf and are familiar with the challenges of keeping the ball low in the wind and playing creative shots near the greens.

GB&I Captain Ada O'Sullivan said that should give her players extra confidence.

“It certainly will give us an advantage,” O'Sullivan said, adding that the GB&I teammates shouldn't be nervous because they know what to expect in links golf.

“If we play the course ... the way we want to play the course, I do believe we're unbeatable,” O'Sullivan said.

Carol Semple Thompson, the American captain, admitted the course might favor the visiting team, but is certainly not about to concede the trophy the United States has held after the last four Curtis Cup competitions.

“I think I would consider it an odd venue to have an advantage, and I don't know if we have an advantage,” Semple Thompson said during a separate news conference Friday. “I think that the strength of (our) team is such that we're going to play well enough to win.

“It may not be an advantage on our side, but I don't think it's a disadvantage.”

The United States team tuned up for the tournament by spending several days at Pacific Dunes early this month.

“We've played enough here that we know where the bounces are,” Semple Thompson said. “I don't think they're concerned about the wind.”

Both squads also have held several practice rounds this week.

The teams have been trying to prepare both for the course and the format of the match, and tuning themselves up for the challenges of match play, where the goal is to win more holes than the opponent, not shoot a low score. Both this morning and Sunday, the teams will play three foursomes - matches between teams of two played in an alternate-shot format. Each afternoon, six singles matches are scheduled.

“Tomorrow, we're just going to focus on our match - just focus on one match and try to get the ball rolling,” said Amanda Blumenherst, one of the United States team members.

Blumenherst talked of playing the course, rather than the opponent. And this week, that will be a challenge.

“I've played a lot of links golf, and this is as tough as I've played,” said GB&I team member Tricia Mangan. “It's challenging.”

“It's a big, tough course out there,” said Loucks. “It's playing long. You've got to be patient, steady, hit it straight.”

“You definitely want to make pars this week,” O'Sullivan said. “It's an extremely difficult test.”

One thing neither team has much of this week, with the exception of the captains, is experience.

Only two Americans - Jane Park and Virginia Derby Grimes - and one member of the GB&I team - Claire Coughlan - have played in the Curtis Cup, though O'Sullivan was captain for the GB&I team two years ago and Semple Thompson played a record 12 Curtis Cups for the United States.

But the captains downplayed the importance of previous experience in the Curtis Cup.

“I don't think experience has to be there because they're seasoned players,” said Semple Thompson, recalling two years ago, when an inexperienced American squad won 10-8.

“They went to Formby and none of the players had experience and they did fine,” she said.

Park echoed the thoughts of her captain.

“We've accomplished a lot to get to this point,” she said. “I don't think experience is going to play that much of a role.”

Park is happy to have a second chance to participate in the event.

“Any time you're representing your country, it's quite an honor,” she said.

While both teams desperately want to win, they also realize the value of the Curtis Cup in establishing friendships with their counterparts. That's the primary reason the event was started decades ago.

“We honestly believe golf has to be the winner,” O'Sullivan said. “The Curtis Cup is very, very special.”

Also special, according to the participants, is Pacific Dunes.

Loucks said O'Sullivan shared pictures of the course with the team after she visited last year.

“It's much prettier than what I expected,” she said. “The course is gorgeous and the course is in fabulous condition.”

“It's a fabulous course,” added Mangan. “Down by the sea, it was beautiful.”

“I personally think this is one of the most beautiful courses I've seen,” said Park, who has played at many of the top courses in the United States.

“To me, it's truly a magnificent masterpiece,” O'Sullivan said. “It's hard to believe you have a course of this standard in the United States.”